The house of Ms. Le Thi Thanh Tam on Hang Can Street ( Hanoi City). Photo: Nguyen Linh
The keeper of the soul of Do paper in the heart of the old town
Built in the late 19th century, house number 42 Hang Can street (Hanoi) is now over 130 years old, this is the house looked after by Mrs. Le Thi Thanh Tam (over 80 years old). Many years ago, this place was the famous Ich An grocery store, but for over 30 years, this house has been known as the only remaining Do paper shop in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Ms. Tam said that in 1992, after her husband passed away, she started this business. "When I retired, I was sad. I just wanted to do something leisurely and gentle. In this ancient house, I found the do paper business quite suitable because it is not noisy or crowded. This is a rare item, very suitable for the ancient style of the house I live in," Ms. Tam shared.
Dong Ho paintings on Do paper are displayed at the shop of Ms. Le Thi Thanh Tam. Photo: Nguyen Linh
Without a sign or any advertising, her paper shop is still well-known. Ms. Tam explains that dó paper is made entirely by hand from the bark of wild dó trees. The maker must peel the bark, soak it for several months, boil it continuously for several days, then proceed to the stages of paper weaving, pressing, drying... to create a complete sheet of paper. It is this meticulousness and the lack of chemicals that create the special value of dó paper.
Mrs. Tam flipped through each sheet of paper, introducing it and not hiding her pride. Do paper comes in many sizes, priced from 20,000 to 50,000 VND/sheet. According to her, the thinner the paper, the more durable and beautiful it is. For Mrs. Tam, selling Do paper is now not only a way to make a living but also a love, a desire to preserve a traditional beauty.
When young people "go upstream" to find heritage
Along with the persistent efforts of predecessors like Ms. Tam, a group of young people in Hanoi are making a journey "upstream" to find the do paper exhibition space at 189 Trich Sai (Tay Ho Ward). Because there, the story of the once-famous Ke Buoi do paper craft village is being vividly recreated.
Visitors visit the Do paper exhibition space at 189 Trich Sai (Tay Ho ward). Photo: Nguyen Linh
This place is like a "miniature museum", displaying everything from the rough bark of the dó tree to the manual processing stages, arousing pride and concerns about heritage. Ms. Nguyen Hien Anh (a student in Hanoi) said: "Honestly, I really admire the creativity of the Vietnamese people in the past. Who would have thought that we could use dó or mo trees to create sheets of paper that are both decorative and waterproof? To create such a product requires a lot of effort, the products of the past were really elaborate", Ms. Hien Anh shared.
Sharing the same feeling, Ms. Van Anh (a student in Hanoi) was strongly impressed with the direct experience. “When I touched a sheet of Do paper with my own hands, I felt the biggest difference compared to industrial paper was the thickness and very natural color, not uniform but creating a sense of closeness. Moreover, I read that the paper does not dissolve in water, that is what impressed me the most,” said Van Anh.
It is clear that today’s youth are increasingly interested in culture and traditional crafts. This also proves that both generations are together writing the story of Do paper. From there, this precious heritage will not only be a beautiful memory but will continue to be present, durable and full of vitality in the contemporary flow.
Source: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/di-san-giay-do-hoi-sinh-tu-no-luc-giu-lua-va-khat-vong-tuoi-tre-ha-noi-1534371.ldo
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