Did you know that in Hotan, a city on the
southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang,
the tradition of paper making using the bark
of mulberry trees has been around for over
2,000 years. It's something I had to see for
myself.
I'm Josh. This is FarWestChina.com.
Join me as we visit one of the few remaining
families that still uphold this incredible
tradition.
About 45 minutes outside of Hotan in the small
village of Puqiakeqi, Abdukadir lives and
works in his traditional Uyghur home marked
by a small sign that’s surprisingly easy
to miss.
He explained to me that paper making has been
a part of his family for generations and from
a very early age his father taught him everything
he needed to know to carry on the tradition.
There’s an 8-step process to make paper
from the mulberry trees of southern Xinjiang.
The first step, after gathering a load of
mulberry branches, is to peel the bark, which
you can see his wife and daughter doing here.
The bark is then dried in the hot desert sun
for 24 hours before it is boiled in a pot
over an open fire.
Step 4 is to pound the resulting mixture with
a wooden mallet, a project which Abdukadir’s
son is more than happy to help with.
The boiled, pounded mixture is fermented for
a period of time and then spread over a mold
while submersed in water.
Abdukadir picks out any remaining clumps and
then he sets the mold out to dry.
All it takes is less than 24 hours and the
paper is ready to be peeled and prepped for
sale in the small shop beside the main road.
Stacks of mulberry paper and small pads fill
the shelves for customers to peruse and purchase,
something I’m proud to say I took full advantage
of!
So there you have it - handmade paper from
Hotan in southern Xinjiang. Quite a unique
souvenir to take back with you from your time
in Xinjiang.
My name is Josh. This is FarWestChina. If
you enjoyed the video, please give it a thumbs
up or comment to let me know what
you think.
Also, if you're going to be traveling to Xinjiang,
I highly recommend the FarWestChina Xinjiang
travel guide, which you can find on Amazon.
OR, you can download a free chapter at www.xjtravelguide.com.
Thanks so much and safe travels!
