Passionate about preserving family traditions.
Recently, we visited a traditional dó paper production facility in Dong Cao village (Duong O residential area, Vo Cuong ward). In a small workshop corner, faintly smelling of dó bark, Ngo Thu Huyen, a young woman from the 90s generation, was skillfully making paper by the pulp vat.
Watching her skillful and practiced movements, few would guess that before choosing to return to her hometown to make paper, Thu Huyen had a stable office job. But it was her childhood memories of her grandfather's paper mill and the afternoons spent playing in the sun with stacks of light, flexible paper that motivated the young woman to return and dedicate herself to the work of paper fibers, pulp, and paper-making frames...
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Ms. Ngo Thu Huyen followed in her grandfather's footsteps, preserving the traditional craft of handmade Do paper. |
Ms. Huyen confided: "When I decided to return to my hometown to make paper, I was worried because I clearly saw how hard the job was. Moreover, since traditional Vietnamese paper is rarely used now, it's difficult to earn a stable income. But I thought that if I didn't do it, all the dedication, knowledge, and experience of my grandparents in making paper would fade away over time, so in 2017 I decided to return..."
Making dó paper involves a very complex process. Before boiling, the dried dó bark is soaked in water to soften it for easier handling. After soaking for 3 days, the bark is peeled from root to tip, tied into small bundles, soaked in lime water, and placed in a pot to be boiled until soft. Then, it is removed and rinsed to remove the lime. Next, the bark is sorted twice, called "breaking," and soaked for about 2 days before being sorted again. After that, it is soaked in water for about 7 to 10 days, depending on the weather, to remove all the tree sap and lime, then put into a grinding tank to make it finely ground.
| Recently, many young people have been organizing and participating in community events such as craft fairs, contemporary art exhibitions, papermaking workshops, talk shows, etc., aiming to gradually integrate Do paper into the creative value chain. As a result, Do paper is gradually returning to everyday life, not only because of its quality and durability over hundreds of years, but also because of its applications and the stories it tells about people, memories, and cultural identity. |
The paper coating (paper making) process plays a crucial role in determining the product's appearance, requiring concentration and skill to adjust the coating mold so that the paper sheet is smooth and even. The coated paper is piled up and then slowly pressed to remove excess water, allowing it to be peeled layer by layer.
Finally, the paper is dried in a well-ventilated area, avoiding direct sunlight which can cause it to shrink. The paper is layered on walls or flat wooden boards so that it will be smooth and flat when dry. The process of transforming the bark into a sheet of dó paper takes about 1 to 1.5 months, depending on weather conditions.
If in Dong Cao paper-making village there is a young woman in her 20s dedicated to preserving her family's traditional craft, then in Vinh Ninh hamlet (formerly Khe Nghe village, Luc Son commune), Mr. Duong Van Quang, born in 1967, a Cao Lan ethnic minority, also has a deep affection for the traditional Do paper of his people. Sharing about his journey of preserving the craft, artisan Duong Van Quang said: "I was told by the elders that the Do paper-making craft has existed for a long time, since the Cao Lan people first came to live in this land. In the past, almost every family made paper, but now only three households in the whole village still practice the craft regularly, including my family."
While preserving the craft, Mr. Quang actively teaches it to the younger generation. For the past two years, he has provided free summer training to over 50 students in the area. According to Mr. Quang, learning to make paper isn't difficult, but it requires meticulousness, patience, and experience accumulated through practice. All stages are done manually, from stripping the bark, soaking, pounding, mixing the pulp, to coating and drying the paper. Each step requires careful attention and concentration, as a mistake in any one step can affect the color and quality of the paper.
A new direction
The raw materials for making dó paper in Khe Nghè are mainly sourced from trees growing naturally in the forest. The finished paper has a distinctive off-white color, not as pure white as industrial paper, but stands out for its timeless durability. Mr. Quang recounted: "There are family genealogies written on dó paper hundreds of years ago; even though the paper may have thinned today, the characters are still clear. The ink written on dó paper hardly fades. That's a value that no other type of paper can match."
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Mr. Duong Van Quang introduces the Do paper products of the Cao Lan ethnic group at the "Returning to the Heritage Region of Bac Ninh - 2026" Festival. |
Although the Cao Lan people's traditional handmade paper primarily serves religious needs and family genealogy preservation, with a limited market and only a few hundred sheets sold each year, Mr. Quang perseveres in the craft as a way to preserve cultural identity. "I make paper not for economic reasons , but to preserve the craft of my ancestors. As long as I can keep it going, I cherish it. I just keep making it during my free time so that people still have paper to use when needed," Mr. Quang explained.
In Dong Cao, memories of the golden age of the traditional Do paper-making craft are still passed down among the locals. Mr. Nguyen Tien Ngao, Secretary of the Party Branch of Duong O residential area, shared: "There was a time when the whole village was engaged in the craft, yet there wasn't enough Do paper to supply the market throughout the North. But today, only 4-5 households in the village still maintain production. Making Do paper is time-consuming, involves many steps and complex processes, and requires family secrets. Handmade Do paper is many times more durable and resilient than ordinary paper, and can be preserved for hundreds of years..."
In the current context, changing needs force artisans to seek new markets. According to Ms. Ngo Thu Huyen, although consumption is not as high as before, Do paper is finding its place in the arts and crafts industries. The output of Ms. Huyen's family's Do paper products is quite stable and diverse, including traditional paper and specialized paper for writing, painting, making greeting cards, decorative backdrops, printing Buddhist scriptures, and restoring documents.
Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/chuyen-nghe-ben-vuong-giay-do-postid443593.bbg
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