Danzhai leather paper making technique

Guizhou
🎧  Listen to Introduction

Papermaking is one of the four great inventions of ancient China. Bamboo paper and parchment paper made from bamboo and paper mulberry bark are two important varieties of traditional handmade paper. Guizhou is an area where ethnic minorities live together. Many areas of the province still retain the ancient skills of making traditional bamboo paper and parchment paper. Among them, Xiangzhigou (Buyi people) in Guiyang City, Xiaotun in Zhenfeng County and Shiqiao (Miao people) in Danzhai County are the most outstanding. Take the bamboo paper produced in Xiangzhigou as an example. It is said that it began in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 600 years. The whole set of operation process includes 72 processes such as cutting bamboo, breaking bamboo, retting bamboo, steaming, rolling bamboo strips, extracting pulp, papermaking, pressing, drying and drying, which is exactly the same as the papermaking method recorded in Song Yingxing's "Heavenly Creations". The finished product is both soft and tough, with invisible bamboo grains and a faint fragrance. The white cotton paper produced in Xiaotun, Zhenfeng County was founded in the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty. Until the end of the last century, there were still more than a thousand households in the township engaged in papermaking production. The paper produced is made of mulberry bark, and the whole set of operations also goes through 72 processes. The finished product is soft, tough, smooth and soft. The white paper produced in Shiqiao, Danzhai County is also made of mulberry bark and fir roots. In addition, colored paper is produced, including six varieties of cloud dragon wrinkles, concave and convex, flattened, flower and grass, and hemp paper. Its production process generally has more than ten links. During production, the cotton-like pulp is mixed with water and "slippery medicine" is added to mix well. After copying, pressing, drying, peeling, and packaging, the finished product is made. The paper is soft, tough, smooth and has good water resistance. The above handmade paper products have strict requirements on raw materials, water quality, and craftsmanship. The inheritance of skills depends entirely on oral transmission and heart-to-heart teaching. Accompanying with manufacturing, a rich paper industry custom has been generated. Every year, Cai Lun, the master of papermaking, is worshipped. From these situations, the relevant bamboo paper and leather paper manufacturing skills have become important evidence of cultural diversity and national identity. However, under the strong impact of modern paper industry, the inheritance of these complex and difficult ancient papermaking methods has become a problem and needs to be rescued and protected.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage

World heritage related to the heritage