Dó paper

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Giấy dó
TypeHandmade paper
MaterialRhamnoneuron bark
Place of originNorthern Vietnam
Introduced3rd/13th century
Manufacturer

Dó paper (Vietnamese: giấy dó) or poonah paper[1][2][3] is a handmade paper indigenous to Northern Vietnam cultures, made from the inner bark of the dó or poonah tree (Rhamnoneuron balansae). It is a preferred support in some traditions of Vietnamese art.[4]

History

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Sources stake the first creation of dó paper as either the 3rd century or 13th century, after its introduction from China. The origin of the paper was the village of Dương Ổ in Phong Khê (vi) ward, Bắc Ninh.[5]

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Dương Ổ and Yen Thai guild (modern Bưởi (vi), Hanoi) were centers of the burgeoning dó paper industry. Following the late 20th century Đổi Mới reforms, dó paper production dropped significantly with the introduction of mass-produced pulpwood paper. Many traditional producers pivoted to paper recycling.[6]: 376 [5][7][8]

Slurry basin with screen in Dia Tren, Quảng Uyên

Production and use

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To create dó paper, first Rhamnoneuron bark is soaked in limewater for 24 hours up to three months. It is then boiled for ten hours, after which the outer bark is split from the inner bast fiber, and soaked again to extract remaining resin. Following the second soak, the bark is ground into a pulp with the sap of chi bân bấn (Clerodendrum). The pulp is sieved with a bamboo screen (liềm xeo), then pressed, dried, rolled, and dried again. Artisans claim that production takes from 30 to upwards of 100 discrete steps to complete, and that the paper can last upwards of 800 years; exact production details are often trade secrets.[9][10][5][7]

Dó paper features in various Vietnamese art traditions. Vietnamese calligraphy makes use of the paper, as does folk painting such as the Đông Hồ, Hàng Trống and Kim Hoàng painting traditions.[4]

Ethnic minorities

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Multiple ethnic minorities in Vietnam produce and use dó paper as a part of ethnic traditions: the Mường people of Cao Sơn ward, Tủa Chùa district, and Điện Biên province;[8][1] and the Nùng An of Dia Tren village, Quảng Uyên.[11][12] Dó paper is used for votive offerings and decorations for Tết Nguyên Đán (transl. the Lunar New Year festival).

In Mường tradition, dó paper is used to create xử ca, paper craft ornaments of cut dó paper and chicken feathers to adorn altars.[1]

Specialty varieties

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Giấy điệp

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Main article: vi:Giấy điệp

Produced for Đông Hồ painting in the eponymous Đông Hồ village, giấy điệp (lit. 'scallop paper') is dó paper treated with powdered nacre for a sparkling, iridescent effect. The effect is achieved with brushes made of pine needles.[13][14]

Sắc phong (vi) from the reign of Tự Đức of Đại Nam (1847–1883)

Sách văn

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Sách văn is a luxury variety of dó paper originally used by the monarchs of Vietnam for royal edicts, or sắc phong (vi). Production of sách văn began in Trung Nha village, Nghĩa Đô, Hanoi in the 15th century by order of the Le dynasty of Đại Việt. The paper is dyed with hoa hoe (Sophora japonica) extract to be golden-orange. The paper is pounded (nghe) to be exceptionally smooth and supple. Exact details of the production process are still guarded as a trade secret by modern ancestors of the village.[3][15][16]

Craft revival

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In the 1980s, interest in dó paper grew as a contemporary painting support for gouache, watercolor painting and natural dye paints.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Dung, Vo Van (2018-12-16), Poonah paper – a spiritual connection on the verge of oblivion, VietnamNet
  2. ^ a b Revival of Poonah Paper, Vietnam Pictorial, Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, 2010-09-20
  3. ^ a b "Imperial Records Of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945)", Memory of the World: 20 years of MOWCAP; documentary heritage on the Asia-Pacific Register 2018, Regional Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO, 2018, pp. 88–89
  4. ^ a b Artist wants to preserve poonah paper, Vietnam News Agency, 2018-09-24
  5. ^ a b c Ferrarese, Marco (2022-02-24), The handmade paper that lasts 800 years, British Broadcasting Corporation
  6. ^ Van Ha, Nguyen, et al. “The Contribution of Social Capital to Household Welfare in a Paper-Recycling Craft Village in Vietnam.” The Journal of Environment & Development, vol. 13, no. 4, 2004, pp. 371–99. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44319704. Accessed 8 Sept. 2025.
  7. ^ a b Duong O villagers strive to preserve traditional poonah paper making craft, Vietnam Law & Legal Forum, Vietnam News Agency, 2024-02-29
  8. ^ a b Vn, Vietnam. Vnanet (2022-11-29), Do Paper Made by the Muong, Vietnam Pictorial, translated by Hanh, Hong, Vietnam New Agency
  9. ^ Mường ethnic artisans preserve craft on the verge of being forgotten, Việt Nam News, 2023-07-02
  10. ^ Anh, Viet (2016-06-28), Traditional Do Paper – Stories Behind The Folds, VOVWORLD
  11. ^ "Do" paper-making craft of Nung ethnic people, translated by Oanh, Quynh, People's Army Newspaper, 2022-06-13
  12. ^ Young people keep the traditional craft alive at Dia Tren traditional paper production village, Non nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark, 2025-08-08
  13. ^ Where has the Dong Ho Painting village gone?, VietnamNet Bridge, 2007-02-22, archived from the original on 2007-02-27, retrieved 2025-09-08
  14. ^ Anh, Ngọc (2022-03-19), Điệp – Sparkling of Scallop Paper: Triển lãm giấy điệp của Mifa (in Vietnamese), Bazaar Vietnam
  15. ^ Anh, Ngoc (2019-06-06), Veteran artisan preserves royal decree making, VOVWORLD
  16. ^ Ngan, Ha (2025-06-02), Reviving Royal Decree Paper, Vietnam Pictorial, translated by Hanh, Hong, Vietnam News Agency