Is Dó Paper making a comeback?

What is Dó paper and how sustainable is its comeback?

There’s a type of handmade Vietnamese paper that’s incredibly light and durable, lasting for centuries without molding or rotting. The writing and pictures on it remain stunningly beautiful and sharp. Have you heard of it? It’s called Dó paper.

Dó paper

In An Coc Ha village, Yen Hoa ward, Cau Giay district, Hanoi, a folk song still echoes in gratitude to Thai Luan, the innovator who crafted paper from tree bark. In the book Bách Việt Tiên Hiền Chí (100 Bach Viet Famous People) from 1554, historian Au Dai Nham noted that Thai Luan, a Han Dynasty official from the Bach Viet clan, pioneered paper-making around the 2nd century AD. (translation by Tran Lam Giang, Vietnam Library, 2012, p. 133)

Once, a man arrived to teach Kẻ Cót and Kẻ Bưởi communities in northwest Thang Long, Đại Việt’s capital, the art of making paper from dó tree bark. He instructed An Coc Ha village on crafting rough paper, Ho Khau village on making wrapping paper, Yen Thai village on producing paper for royal decrees, and the Lai clan of Nghia Do village on creating ordination paper. 

This tale is recounted in the book The Founders of Vietnamese Crafts (Le Minh Quoc, Tre Publishing House 2009, pp. 94-95). An Coc Ha eventually became known as Giấy (Paper) village, and the nearby bridge was named Cầu Giấy (Paper Bridge).

The Dó Giấy tree (Rhamnoneuron balansae) flourishes in the upper and midland regions of Northern Vietnam, boasting thick bark with long, smooth fibers. The dark outer layer is discarded, and the inner bark is dried, washed, and soaked in lime water for several days. The softened dó bark is then boiled, crushed, and repeatedly filtered to produce a fine powder. This powder, mixed with resin from the mò tree, is stirred  into water. The mò resin helps the paper pulp solidify quickly and retain vibrant ink colors.

The papermaker uses a tightly woven bamboo mat called liềm seo, which is placed into a rectangular wooden mold (khuôn seo) of the desired paper size. The mold is dipped into dó water and gently shaken, allowing the powder to spread evenly on the mat and solidify. The mat is then laid on a flat wooden surface and carefully peeled off, leaving behind a layer of Dó paper that’s smooth, thin, and soft like silk. The Dó paper is then pressed, the sheets are separated, dried, and bundled.

Making Dó paper may seem straightforward, but without experience and passion, the results fall short. Every step demands meticulous attention and care, from the perfect ratio of lime water and cooking time, to the precise technique of shaking the mold to evenly spread the powder and achieve the desired smoothness and thickness. It takes a month of hard work for a papermaker to produce complete sheets of Dó paper.

In his 1909 book Techniques of the Annamese, French author Henri Oger highly praised Dó paper: “The native paper is of the highest quality, although its slightly yellow color and softness give a bad feeling to Europeans who are not familiar with it.” (The Gioi and Nha Nam Publishing House reprinted in 2009, p. 231) He dedicated many pages and drawings to detailing the paper-making process in Yen Thai village, now commonly known as Buoi village, situated next to West Lake.

Among the paper-making villages in Hanoi, Yen Thai stands out for its high-quality Dó paper, traditionally used to record the king’s edicts. The rhythmic sound of pounding dó bark from Yen Thai resonates far and wide across the serene surface of West Lake, every early morning and late afternoon, weaving its way into folk songs and painting a picturesque scene:

“While the mist spreads far and wide, 

Yen Thai’s pounding rhythm resonates on West Lake’s mirrored surface.”

Bac Ninh province was once renowned for its Dó paper, crafted in Dương Ổ and Đào Xá villages of Phong Khe commune. According to the genealogy of a family that has been in the paper-making business for generations in Dương Ổ, Dó paper making here dates back to the 15th century. 

Female grocers, dressed in new brown skirts, crow-beak scarves, and bright smiles, carried Dó paper in their bamboo baskets to villages throughout Northern Vietnam. With its reasonable prices and excellent quality, Phong Khe’s Dó paper was favored by teachers and students for taking notes, copying books, and writing poems.

Dó paper is rustic, light yellow, soft as silk and light as cotton, adorned with natural, graceful patterns. It’s simple and beautiful, much like the gentle, proud voice of the girls from the paper-making village, whose folk songs make young scholars’ hearts flutter:

“Though others gain wealth by trading fare,

I find joy in crafting paper rare.

My dear, don’t laugh at this humble art, 

For it creates the paper you write from the heart.”

Ordination Paper and Scallop Paper

In addition to the commonly used type, the two most special varieties of Dó paper are ordination paper (giấy sắc) and scallop paper (giấy điệp). 

Ordination paper is used to write royal decrees conferring titles from the court to mandarins, royal families, and generals, as well as decrees bestowing titles on ancestors worshipped in communal houses, temples, pagodas, and shrines. It is the highest quality Dó paper, reserved exclusively for the king. A well-preserved decree maintains its sharp ink, vibrant picture and paper color, and durable texture even after hundreds of years.

Since the 17th century, the Lại family in Nghia Do village has been responsible for making ordination paper for the court. This tradition began with their ancestor, Lại Thế Giáp, who married Lord Trịnh Tráng’s daughter. The Princess asked the Lord to grant the Lại family exclusive rights to produce ordination paper, ensuring employment for their descendants. 

The Lại family upheld this tradition through many dynasties until 1942, when the practice ceased entirely. Today, only Mr. Lại Phú Thạch still remembers how to make this special type of Dó paper.

Ordination paper stands a cut above regular Dó paper. Once dry, artisans use a wooden pestle to pound the surface until it’s smooth and shiny, a skill known as “nghè.” This craftsmanship is so integral to Nghia Do that the village earned the common name Nghè village. The paper is then coated with buffalo skin glue to enhance its toughness and moisture resistance. 

Next, it’s adorned with a bright yellow hue, reminiscent of a golden apple’s skin, or a light copper red, derived from natural materials like pagoda tree flower powder. At this stage, the paper eagerly awaits the skilled and meticulous strokes that will decorate it with a majestic dragon, winding through the clouds in splendid yellow or sparkling silver.

Scallop paper is Dó paper infused with a layer of glue mixed with powdered scallop shells. As a pine needle brush gently sweeps each stroke, the paper retains tiny, sparkling shell fragments. These fragments are smooth white, but when light hits them, they reveal a rainbow of colors. Đông Hồ artists, known for their ancient Vietnamese folk paintings, often use scallop paper to create beautiful artworks displayed during Tet holiday.

Making a Comeback

Since the early 20th century, when the French established industrial paper factories in Vietnam, the art of handmade Dó paper began to fade. By the 21st century, regions once thriving with dó trees lay barren, and only a handful of elderly artisans clung to the craft, driven by deep respect for their ancestral traditions. These dedicated few were the last keepers of a nearly forgotten art, as the world around them moved on and Dó paper nearly slipped into the pages of history.

In 2013, Ms. Tran Hong Nhung founded the Zó Project with a mission to preserve and revive Vietnamese Dó paper. The Zó Project rings like a clear bell, awakening love and respect for one of Vietnam’s most unique handicrafts. Guided by sustainable and creative principles, the Zó Project supports the preservation of dó tree areas and enhances Dó paper-making techniques. It actively crafts valuable, modern handicrafts from Dó paper, bridging tradition and contemporary life beautifully.

Many Vietnamese artists are rediscovering Dó paper. After over 20 years of painting on it, artist Vũ Thái Bình regards Dó paper as an intriguing and delicate partner. Each piece of Dó paper is unique in pattern and thickness, allowing him to connect with its spirit and harmonize it with his art, resulting in his successful Dó paper paintings.

Mr. Nguyễn Nam Sơn has a passion for crafting origami with Dó paper, creating stunningly beautiful and vivid animal figures. His connection to Dó paper developed naturally, as he hails from Lương Sơn, near the Mường people’s Dó paper-making village of Suối Cỏ. Sơn’s works have earned numerous international awards and are showcased in art museums in Korea, Spain, and the US.

In May 2024, Bưởi ward (formerly Yên Thái village) opened an exhibition house dedicated to the craft village and the art of making Dó paper. Visitors can directly engage in Dó paper-making with artisans and explore handmade Dó paper products like cards, notebooks, paper fans, hats, lanterns, and jewelry boxes.

Reviving Dó paper needs the support of younger generations, who will shape its future. This effort goes beyond preserving past experiences; it’s crucial for a sustainable and happy world. May Dó paper continue to captivate and inspire, celebrating its beauty and cultural significance as a unique Vietnamese handicraft.

mlefood – Minh Lê