About Dongba Paper Making
image taken from The Dongba Culture Museum of Lijiang
The Dongba papermaking technique is a traditional craft of the Naxi people in Lijiang, Yunnan, with a history of over a thousand years. In 2006, it was inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This craft uses the bark of the paper mulberry tree unique to Lijiang as its raw material, and follows an entirely handmade process including soaking, steaming, pounding, sheet forming, and sun-drying—without any chemical additives. The finished paper is naturally beige, with a rough yet highly resilient texture. Resistant to insects and decay, it can be preserved for centuries and was historically used for writing Dongba scriptures and pictographs.
Dongba papermaking not only bears witness to the development of Naxi Dongba culture, but also reflects the ancient wisdom of “harmony between humans and nature”: the process follows natural rhythms, with materials drawn from nature and ultimately returning to nature. Today, Dongba paper remains a carrier of religious and cultural heritage, while also finding new life through creative cultural designs, serving as an important bridge between ancient civilization and modern living.
Step one: collecting Raohua bark
Go into the mountains and find Raohua bark that can be used to make paper and cut it down.
Step two: peel off the skin and boil
Peel off the skin of the Raohua bark collected, then put them into a pot to brew for about 4 hours.
Step three: pound the bark into pieces
Use tools to pound the bark into pieces for two times
Step four: further pound the bark and mix it with water
Use a large barrel, pouring some water into it with the pounded piece
Step five: pour the mixture into the mould, then take the "paper" out
Use the mould to take out a sheet, then manually make it smooth and flat
Step six: drying the paper under sun
Put the paper under sun, wait for one to two days for it to become dry. Manually check and make the paper smooth using a roller when the paper is half dried.
