How One Vietnamese Village Is Keeping An 800-Year-Old Paper-Making Tradition Alive | Still Standing
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- One sheet of traditional Vietnamese dó paper can last 800 years. Only a few families in Bac Ninh province still put in the weeks it takes to transform a piece of bark into a single sheet. But industrialized paper mills have brought this craft to the brink of extinction. So how is this centuries-old craft still standing?
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How One Vietnamese Village Is Keeping An 800-Year-Old Paper-Making Tradition Alive | Still Standing
Dó paper has become more popular among younger artists nowadays. I have used it and it feels like somewhat between cloth and paper. It's also great with watercolor if you don't do much layering. Dó paper is offered in many different thickness, sizes and colors.
yeah it being cloth like is a common feature among older kinds of paper. i have some old japanese stuff and at first glance you would think its made from cotton and not paper
Interesting,I am not even aware this tradition still exists
About Japanese paper,not sure about this one
There is a saying that goes, “Western paper lasts for 100 years, Japanese paper lasts for 1000 years.” One reason why the western made paper does not last is due to oxidization. However, Japanese paper does not oxidize easily and is able to last a long time.
@@knguyen6061 there is some truth to Washi (japanese paper) lasting a long time. for what is thin and pliable it is also very durable. it makes it ideal material to repair historical cultural artifacts like those in the Vatican museum. its naturally low in impurities and can be worked to remove it with some water. I'm not sure if it will literally last 1000 years but its use as a paper material is without a doubt one that is important to this day
@@Necrodermis thanks for the reminder, I did use some traditional japanese paper and yes they do feel similar to some degree.
@@Necrodermis p p l@
Everyone talks about preserving culture & traditional Crafts like this but because of todays economic conditions not many people want to do this kind of work because it's not financially beneficial I hope there's a way to preserve this beautiful craft. 😭maybe they could do classes where people could learn them or make their own yt channel & show the process
Products made with traditional methods should be seen as a valuable exclusive item s. They should be purchased with higher price than mass-produced products and used as expensive gifts etc. That's how the art would be preserved and the people making the product the traditional way would get the appreciation they deserved and would be financially secured.
How would you teach someone online how to make this with expensive industrial equipment
tbh, the process is kinda complex with most steps are manually done. Moreover, the tools are also mostly handcrafted for the sole purpose of the tradition. Hence, its kinda almost imposible for anyone to learn and try to make them online. However, it can def become some forms of cultural tourism attraction.
I am Korean and I love Vietnamese culture. I like Vietnamese food and traditional clothes the most. Let's hope that the beautiful traditions of Vietnam will continue!
It sounds like Japanese praising Korean cultures.
@@SF-kl2mc What are you saying? The Japanese are really into Korean culture right now...
@@hanashin8534 I'm not saying Japanese aren't into Korean cultures. My point is the historical context which is shared between Korea-Vietnam and Japan-Korea relationships. Do you get the joke?
@@SF-kl2mc ? Korea did not rule Vietnam illegally. Of course, I helped the U.S. military to join the Vietnam War, but this is not the same as the relationship between Japan and Korea.
Funny you say that because as a viet person I envy Korean food and traditional clothing!
I’d love to learn and/or support so many of the artisans featured in these videos. I wish there was an easier way to connect these small businesses with interested people who are watching
Maybe you can try and contact the nonprofit mentioned in this video
There's a link in the description to buy directly from the makers.
Why would you want to support dying industries that are archaic? It's interesting to learn about them but they are being phased out for a reason. They are unproductive
I agree. Another layer of connection is needed there. Also would be good to be able to find natives looking to learn from and honor this tradition so it can keep going. So much of this hard crafted beautiful work is disappearing or being factory made
Find them, give money, go away...
I’m now 19 and this is the 1st time i’ve heard about Vietnamese handcrafted paper tradition. Yes, im a Vietnamese and never knew this was a thing… until now. Crazy!
Lol
Ur not the only 1
yea same
In your defense mate nobody goes out of their way to google 'Vietnamese paper'
@@jayone8891 loll
I would hope that the local artists continue to support the traditional crafters. It is great way to keep the trade alive.
Thank you for bringing this craft to light. I am Vietnamese and did not even know about this.
Why would you be aware of it just because you're vietnamese? That's racist lol
Nói đâu xa. Tôi ở Việt Nam còn không biết luôn kk.
@@Khanhlycy oh vậy hả 😄😄😄
Thực ra giấy dó này nhiều người Việt mình biết (sgk cũng có đề cập) nhưng quy trình sản xuất thủ công thì đúng là đến bây giờ mình mới biết được
Being born here in America, I'm glad my parents made my siblings & I speak only Vietnamese at home. I can speak & understand Viet the only thing I need to learn it to learn how to write in Vietnamese. I love to learn all the history from all different cultures! ❤️
Its a phonetically consistent language so once you memorize the ABC you will be fine. Maybe your reading speed will be at elementary school level, but it is something
Only at home?
@@ash_-_skyle the only in OP's refer to the language, not the place
@@HelloOnepiece Oh, I misunderstood. Tk u for telling me.
I hope u have a good day/night!😁
That's great, I really appreciate your parents the way they let you speak in Vietnamese. Try to learn Vietnamese and visit Vietnam one day, you will enrich your Vietnamese culture and your root.
Thanks BI for bringing such qualified documents
As a Vietnamese, I don’t know such things still exist until watching your documents. I do hope that more and more videos about Vietnam traditional & cultural stuffs will be produced in the future. Pls pay your attention more to the southern area too where you can find wonderful sources of content❤
Chân thành cảm ơn đội ngũ Business Insider.
I would like to see traditional Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese kites made from this paper, hand painted with traditional designs by local artists. Very light, and very artistic kites, that could fly on the lightest breeze.
My dad manufacturers paper from the plant and these techniques, the plant is known as Daphne and yes when I was small he used to make kites from this paper .
Papermaking has a very long history, and I have to sigh the wisdom of ancient people. After reading it, I feel amazing. I hope that more traditional culture can be known to future generations and can be well protected and inherited.
It is so fascinating to see this craft still going. We should not forget the past
I seen some potential for this paper as gift wrapper or wrapper alternative to plastics such as furushiki since many young people becoming environmentally friendly.
I hope this craft is kept alive into the future, it is worthy of saving and may actually be needed. The old ways should always be remembered and preserved. We never know when they will be needed again, this world is relying on something that could easily fail and be taken away.
It's paper, even if lost. It doesn't take much to rediscover how to do it.
Modern technology is no less easy than paper at being fail or taken away. At least there decryption, easier to make copies, and more info per weight than a paper book than can be destroy by fire, water, etc
@@RandomPerson-tz7wk What happens in the absence of modern tech, we rely on computers for everything now? A strong solar flare from the sun, electromagnetic pulses from idiot nations with nuclear bombs, modern tech can be lost in the blink of an eye.
@@tommychew6544
Solar flare? How often does that render tech useless? And yet we still use it. Modern infrastructure are build taking account of this risk. But if there something big enough, it probably enough to cause other natural disasters
Nukes? Pretty sure everything including paper is vaporised. And what's left/survive is still have more pressing issue like radiation and food insecurity than papers.
Regardless if anything bad happen that's enough to break technology. Idiots are definitely going to die, even if they know how to make papers.
Those who can survive are the one that's smart enough to rediscover basic and simple tech would pass down knowledge and experience orally, paint it on wall like caveman, clay tablet, and eventually paper. All to go back full circle to computers.
@@RandomPerson-tz7wk You're not a person that has a deep interest in history are you, it has a way of repeating itself. I'll leave it at that, time is better spent elsewhere.
@@tommychew6544 history will repeat itself eventually. What's lost now, will be rediscover later. It doesn't take a genius to make paper.
I'm sure you have a modern job and not some old "craft" job that barely pay enough to own a house or support a family
I don't need these type of papers, but I would gladly support him and donate his craft to people who need his products.
They have very reasonable prices.
Love the respectfulness from Business Insider 🐁
I have Ethiopian roots and took the initiative to learn more about Ethiopian history and while there aren't many sources I could find one thing I learned about was the habesha kemis (traditional Ethiopian dress) I remember seeing a religious painting dating as far back as the 15th century depicting people a religious figures wearing these traditional dresses. I asked my mom about it who was born a raised in he capitol city of Addis Ababa and she told me about the unique hand woven cotton and the handmade telet used to add colour and personality to an otherwise simple dress. She also told me about how due to her skin sensitivity to polyester fabrics wearing these types of dresses to church (as many people even in western cities still do to this day) can become a bit of a hassle. Due to the lightweight cotton threads used to weave the panels of fabric the finished product comes out quite sheer, there have been different methods of maintaining modesty whilst wearing the dress such as layering the skirt with more of the raw, organic hand made cotton material or even silk however, because of high material cost and hard the physical labour put in to making the fabrics more and more dress makers opt to use a cheap polyester material to line the skirt often affecting the fit and feel of the finished product making it more uncomfortable to wear, especially for the women who wear these dresses to church where mass lasts a minimum of 3-4 hours. This issue, in my opinion, is adversely affecting women in larger cities who don't readily have access to Ethiopian dress makers and instead have to order dresses sight unseen months in advance and wait up to a year to then receive the dress in the mail only to then have to figure out if the dresses fit and if their comfortable enough to wear and what types of modifications have to be made. whereas if they lived in Ethiopia would have the ability to speak to the weavers face to face a negotiate extra fabric to be made or even have the supplies and materials to do the weaving themselves at home.
Very insightful! Really loving the recent stuff that has been coming from this segment! Great job!!
Thank you for telling us about this wonderful paper! My mother is an historian and is thrilled to receive letters from me on Zo paper. She especially loves the history behind it. I will definitely buy more for my letters.
Thanks for your support and appreciation! That help us to keep this tradition alive!
I love Vietnamese culture, love from India....
As a vietnamese, i has yet known this tecnique until seeing video
That "Chair"? The throne he casually sits at suggests a true patron of master woodworking. $0.02 nice.
Although I am a young man in the same province of artisans in this video, only about 20 km (12.5 miles) from my place, I have never heard of this paper. Perhaps their products are not for everyone. Thanks BI.
I always watch your vids everytime you guys upload a new one esp this category. Thank you and more power
As a Vietnamese, I hope this traditional craft will last forever but sadly it's hard when young people show they don't care about preserve it. Unfortunately, these traditional crafts have been faded away.
Thật tiếc nếu mất đi những nghề thủ công truyền thống này nhưng cơm áo gạo tiền mà bạn. Chính như chú chủ cơ sở cũng phải thừa nhận làm chủ yếu vì đam mê.
You can't blame the youth. Because they also have to support there families and these kind of traditional works takes lots of effects and learning but the money is very low so they have to move onto another medium for money to support there families
It might be a better career/business then other things if they are one of the few people that knows how to do it after the older generation retires
In my opinion, this video reminds me of the thousand of jailed journalists in vietnam so far such as Tran Huynh Duy Thuc , Pham Chi Dung , Nguyen Tuong Thuy , Pham Chi Thanh , Can Thi Theu , Le Dinh Luong , Truong Minh Duc , Nguyen Trung Ton , Pham Van Troi , Hoang Duc Binh , Tran Anh Kim , Pham Van Diep and the new green environmentalist Nguy Thi Khanh.
@@velezmarzc1229 what does THAT have anything to do with this video ?
Hade Making Stuff Is The best We Love Buisness insider For Traveling the globe to get these storys and motivations
This world is rapidly passing away and I hope that you repent and take time to change before all out disaster occurs! Belief in messiah alone is not enough to grant you salvation - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36) if you believed in Messiah you would be following His commands as best as you could. If you are not a follower of Messiah I would highly recommend becoming one. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life - Revelation 3:20.
Contemplate how the Roman Empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13 over the course of 1260+ years. Revelation 17 confirms that the beast is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years going back to Babylon and before, C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate once you start a relationship with God.
Can't get a response from God? Fasting can help increase your perception and prayer can help initiate events. God will ignore you if your prayer does not align with His purpose (James 4:3) or if you are approaching Him when "unclean" (Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 59:2, Micah 3:4). Stop eating food sacrificed to idols (McDonald's, Wendy's etc) stop glorifying yourself on social media or making other images of yourself (Second Commandment), stop gossiping about other people, stop watching obscene content etc. Have a blessed day!
This traditional paper making is very interesting and yes, I agree that each paper is made out of love and passion - I hope he sees young ones take more interest in keeping it alive and see more industries use it - he'll be happier.
I love to watch all these videos. They sure open my eyes to so many things which are disappearing that we as a world need to try to preserve. Who cares about machine made when handmade is so much better? So many jobs have been lost to machines and prices have only risen, not gone down. It takes away the pride in doing a job when all you're doing is pushing a button.
i love these types of episodes..thank you for educating us
Vietnam is an innovative country--well done! 👏
Nothing compares to hand crafted items. Hopefully your country will see you as valuable and help you survive and thrive.
I love paper crafts. Paper is one of the most versatile materials. Is this paper exported? How can overseas people buy this paper?
They have an Etsy account in the description
Wow learn something I never knew of my Vietnamese traditions
You should have seen my grandniece and grandnephew watching this video while holding the paper in their hands. Bravo to all who keep the art alive and to the parents who encourage their kids to learn and appreciate beauty!
Thậm chí ko biết giấy dó còn đến ngày nay. Thank you for letting us Vietnamese know a great old tradition still existed
Hey Team Business Insider; i have a request of please checking out the dhokra art of chattisgarh, India as it is the very left form of art alive now in this Modern World. 🥺
You might want to also contact them via email about it. While it’s still no guarantee it’s more likely they’ll see it than in their TH-cam comments.
That’s so sad to hear his kids don’t want to learn it. I know it’s hard but if my mom taught me more Vietnamese traditions I’d be really happy to learn and know cause I always feel a disconnect even though I am Vietnamese. We celebrate New Years and we cook traditional Vietnamese food but we don’t talk about history like this. I’d love to learn something like this if my parents wanted to teach me it.
I dont understand this attitude, do you want to do laundry by hand? no, you have a machine to do it and are happy about it. these people are paid a pittance to do back breaking labor because they are stuck doing it.
Then you can go back to vietnam, do this work for 500$ every month. His kids and even him know what going to happen with them. Just ask your mom why she left the country and you will understand why his kids dont want to learn it.
Honestly not a lot of Vietnamese ppl knew this, including me but there are so many different parts of Vietnam w different traditions so..making paper like this probably isn’t a part of ur family’s tradition
Love this subject matter.
The amount of effort into making this paper is crazy.
Don't let history and it's past be forgotten.
I need some sent to my house asap ! Perseverance
Main, from Ascendance of a Bookworm, would definitely love this!
BI, thank you a lot for this brilliant video. Despite being a Vietnamese, I did not know about this tradition. The more modern the life is, the more these kinds of craft are getting lost. It's a true, but very sad story. Btw, hope all you guys love this video and Vietnam too. If you have to move to another country for any purposes, Vietnam welcomes you!
Very interesting! I enjoyed learning about this.
The women has spoken clearly and grammatically, I think you don’t need to make the subtitles for her.
I like how when he brushes the paper the photo starts to appear
We need to understand that being at the top of the pyramid of creation means that everything we do trickles down the structure, from top to bottom. When it reaches the bottom, the inanimate level of reality, from which everything grows, it changes it. If we ooze ill-will, it creates negative changes throughout the system, which manifest in increasingly extreme climatic and geological events.
In other words, when human relationships go out of balance, everything goes out of balance. When our relations become extreme, everything becomes extreme; when we become violent, everything becomes violent. Each summer, the ramifications of the linkage between our relations and our world become more extreme, until we acknowledge that everything that exists, exists in a connected, hierarchical system and that whoever is at the top determines the state of the rest of the system.
It is not as if previously, we were better people than we are today. It is simply that there were fewer people, and therefore fewer elements that exude ill will.
Also, relationships between people in the past were less toxic than they are today. While there are fewer wars today than ever, the levels of suspicion and alienation between people are skyrocketing, to the point where people can no longer trust their own family members. As a result, wars between countries are rarer than ever, but divorce rates, domestic violence, and violence in the community, are at an all-time high.
Even the internet, which we invented purportedly in order to connect people, is being used to abuse, deceive, and exploit people. The world-wide-web proves that everything we create, we use against others. When there is such a negative element in a system, and that element is at the top of the system, how can the entire system not go awry?
Therefore, if we want the weather to cool, the sea-level to drop, and the storms to subside, we must cool the fire and calm the storms between us. Mutual concern, mutual responsibility, or at least the knowledge that we are dependent on each other, are necessary in order to restore balance in our world at all levels, from the ground we walk on to the hatred in our hearts.
the transition in 4:56 just scratched an itch in me
Lots of love from india ❤️❤️❤️
This may sound silly, so I apologize in advance, but as she's sieving and creating the sheets, as they're all wet in that big pile, how come they don't end up as one big block all stuck together, how do they retain there separate status? That's my question, thank you.
Same
Excellent Art 👍👍
That paper looks tasty.
What a beautiful tradition. It would be very sad indeed if it were lost. I wish I could buy some of the paper myself.
Im in awe at the fine paper. I’d love to make paper like that or at least close. Interesting using the bamboo mat for the paper screen. I’d like to know how to make the bamboo mat and the frame work to make paper like this. I’d be willing to do the hard work.
I effing love business insider
I'd love to learn it!
❤️ Thank you!!!!
Holy macaroni! It looks like super thin cloth, not paper! That's amazing!!! 🤩
Beautiful paper 📃 I'd like to have some! I really want to learn how to make it!
and this material is good for making clothes, curtains, and umbrellas
I admire their efforts and if it finds away to modern printers it would be flourish and increasing in volume and will be able to survive
this traditional life is more beautiful, honest and humble than the city destructive soul destroying life
history living right there
Beautiful❤
Nice video.
6:56 I love when she says: They are more interested in this CRAP
Haha, it sure sounded like that to me too 😂
Cool work
Love from Pakistan 🇵🇰
I hope this ancient art can be saved
this channel deserve 20million subs!
i always watching your video
20mil or more ;)
I placed my first order to write letters to my 83-year-old mother and guarantee I will buy more. Literally a sensory experience!
They can make master classes for some money and also make tourists groups come there for look and classes and could make much money .
I hope he gets some students to continue the tradition❤
I want to buy these traditional Vietnamese Do papers someday in 2023 so I can draw and colour pictures of the Megazords.
I like your video..make me know a lot culture around world
Traditional crafts like this are valuable but only as history for museums. When a cheaper and more effective method is found then the old one dies.
Hats off to Vietnamense culture for this very eco-friendly form of paper. The whole world 🌎 would be better off if it could use this paper instead of what we use today.
What can we do to help this tradition alive? Love your channel
It is a terrible problem that so many traditional crafts, trades, skills and businesses are being lost due to “modern” techniques and laziness, worldwide. 🇦🇺
Because it's objectively superior/good than what "traditional" have. Do you prefer to cook with coal because it's traditional or would you rather cook with gas/electric?
@@RandomPerson-tz7wk coal, tastes better
This world is rapidly passing away and I hope that you repent and take time to change before all out disaster occurs! Belief in messiah alone is not enough to grant you salvation - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36) if you believed in Messiah you would be following His commands as best as you could. If you are not a follower of Messiah I would highly recommend becoming one. Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life - Revelation 3:20.
Contemplate how the Roman Empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13 over the course of 1260+ years. Revelation 17 confirms that the beast is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years going back to Babylon and before, C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate once you start a relationship with God.
Can't get a response from God? Fasting can help increase your perception and prayer can help initiate events. God will ignore you if your prayer does not align with His purpose (James 4:3) or if you are approaching Him when "unclean" (Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 59:2, Micah 3:4). Stop eating food sacrificed to idols (McDonald's, Wendy's etc) stop glorifying yourself on social media or making other images of yourself (Second Commandment), stop gossiping about other people, stop watching obscene content etc. Have a blessed day!
super interesting.
Good.
I think this paper has more value that modern paper...more quality 🤔 ❤
3:05 This young lady has been doing this since she was 12 years old as a child laborer. Amazing how she's still alive since what she is doing is soul sucking work. It might have been prestigious work centuries ago when they were a secret society making paper for royalty, but I understand why younger generations would not want to do this.
She from a poor rural community and in a undeveloped nation at that time. What else is she supposed to do? Her job might be soul sucking, but it's not body breaking.
that’s not the same if you don’t know and understand the history of Vietnam. we went through hard times of war and poverty. It is necessary for children in any family to work at early age to help the family. That is a normal thing. You can't use modern thinking to condemn this as a child laber.
as someone who loves to find different kinds of paper to make books out of
I am really interested in buying these papers. I have yet to check the price and delivery
Nice
One day, If I get to open my own coffee shops I'll contact them to make my menu tp be written on the paper.
Forests of northern Vietnam!
Any US vets here?
No, no US vets ever cross to North Vietnam border.
@@chithiennguyen1371 let me guess? Because of the forest?
@@deep-seeker no, the US soldier never crossed to North Vietnam border.
To be honest, as I Vietnamese villager, I am not familiar with this craft paper, the village in the video also in urbanization progress and not sure how long can preserve this kind of handicraft works.
Would love to purchase some for my paintings
Can we order? I would like to use this in my painting.
Video appears on my recommendations
Me watching the first 5 sec before reading the title: are they panning for gold?
Vietnamese paper is popular for those who like to write with fountain pens.
Awesome vdo
Omg...woww
Do the trees regenerate after having their bark stripped??
Yes of course. Even if humans do not peel, the bark will fall for itself to replace a new bark.
Hand made paper is always fantastic, but if this is made from tree bark it will have standard acidity issues over time that cloth-based papers have less issue with.
Never let this die
Not to be basic, but i love paper
where is the exact location of this company can someone help me ?
Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam