Narrator: One sheet of traditional Vietnamese
dó paper can last 800 years.
But the craft of handmaking it is dying out.
Only a few families in Bac Ninh province
continue to transform bark into paper.
The process can take weeks. Sometimes, months.
Phạm Văn Tâm runs of the last workshops in his village.
Narrator: As far back as the 13th century,
this paper was widely used for printing historical records
and making folk art.
But industrialized paper mills have brought this craft
to the brink of extinction.
So how is this centuries-old craft still standing?
The two trees that make the dó paper
can be found in the forests of northern Vietnam.
Workers harvest the bark between August and October,
when it peels easily because of the heat.
Tâm is one of the last traditional dó paper makers
in Dương Ổ.
He's been working in one of the last handicraft villages
for 40 years.
Today, he employs a small group of people.
They soak the bark and cut it into two foot long pieces,
and separate the good kind from the bad.
Grinding is one of the few steps that is done by a machine.
Narrator: But it still requires some physical effort.
Tâm pushes the bark with an oat stick
to help it move through the grinder
until it turns into a fine pulp.
Sap from strips of wood from the mó tree
will make the glue for the paper.
Soaking it in water helps release it.
Tâm was 20 years old when he started making dó paper.
He learned the trade from his father,
and takes pride in keeping traditional techniques alive.
Narrator: Even the tools they use are handmade.
Nguyễn Công Hoàng is the last sieve maker in Dương Ổ
who still makes the wooden frames
that shape the paper from scratch.
Narrator: His frames can last up to three years,
and are essential to getting the paper just right.
If the dimensions are even slightly off
the paper could be ruined.
Narrator: Nguyễn Thị Độ begins forming the paper.
She's been doing this job since she was 12.
And her years of experience
make her one of the best workers here.
Narrator: She dunks the frame into the pulp mixture
and seeps it until a perfect layer forms on top.
It may look simple,
but it's a skill that requires years of training.
Narrator: She uses a bamboo screen to separate the paper.
It is also made by hand.
Đỗ Duy Thái has been crafting these intricate
folding screens for over forty years.
He's a 6th generation bamboo maker
and only sells to local artisans.
Độ is so fast and precise
she can make 1300 sheets in one day.
She brings the stacks over to the press.
It slowly squeezes the excess water from the paper.
Tâm has been using the press
since he opened his workshop in 1982.
He peels and sticks the sheets onto a wall one by one
and coats them with an extra layer mó sap.
Narrator: They stay on the wall for a week
until they're completely dry.
Papermaking was the heart of the economy in Dương Ổ
for centuries.
People used dó paper to make books
and Dương Ổ paintings, a popular folk art
used to decorate homes during the Vietnamese New Year.
But demand dwindled when paper factories opened in the area
in the early nineties.
By 2020, 75% of Vietnam's paper was factory-made.
Narrator: Today, Tâm mostly sells the paper
to museums and national archives.
Although he's kept the craft alive in his community,
he still worries that it may end with him.
Younger people haven't shown interest in preserving it.
Narrator: But Trần Hồng Nhung is trying to change that.
She founded the Zó Project in 2013,
a non-profit focused on preserving traditional paper making
in Vietnam.
Narrator: The organization buys and uses dó paper
to produce postcards, jewelry, and artwork.
The proceeds help support artisans
who are working to keep dó paper alive
in their community.
Nhung is also working to teach more young people
and encourage them to use the paper.
Narrator: In the last nine years,
the Zó Project has reached dozens
of young artisans across Vietnam.
It also restored a sense of pride
in traditional papermakers.
Narrator: For this community of papermakers,
this craft has become a labor of love.
Narrator: Hi, this is the Still Standing team.
Over the past year we've met artisans from around the world
who preserve traditional methods and techniques,
like preparing soy sauce in Japan,
cleaning leather in Morocco,
and making the perfect mirrors in India.
If you enjoy our videos, please like and subscribe
to see more stories about the people
keeping centuries-old traditions alive.
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Thank you.