BackHeritage » Hanoi » [Photos] The Days When Hanoi Had Traditional Paper-Making Villages

[Photos] The Days When Hanoi Had Traditional Paper-Making Villages

Situated near the To Lich River, in the west of Hanoi, Yen Thai was a famous dó paper-making village, which began to develop rapidly in the 12th century once Hanoi became established as the capital of Vietnam. It even features in several Vietnamese folk songs.

The process of manufacturing paper from dó trees is highly intricate. Different types of paper were made for royal households or ordinary citizens. Although the advent of modern paper-making technology in the 19th century gradually made dó paper practically obsolete, Yen Thai village is still remembered as an essential part of Hanoi’s history. 

At the beginning of the 1900s, Georges Auguste Marbotte, who participated in building the Yunnan (China) — Vietnam railway, captured paper-making activities in Yen Thai.

The following black-and-white photographs depict the complexity of creating paper in the village: processing raw materials from dó trees, drawing well water, pounding and squeezing the pulp, and drying paper. 

Take a look below:

[Photos via Flickr user manhhai]


Related Articles:

[Photos] A Dao Mau 'Mother Goddess' Ritual in 1920s Nam Dinh

[Photos] A Celebration of the Hung Kings' Festival Decades Ago

In Hoa Binh, a Social Enterprise Supports Vietnam's Last Remaining Paper Artisans


Related Articles

in Hanoi

[Photos] Monochrome Images Capture the Calmness of the Capital in 1939

The following monochrome images, taken by an unknown French photographer in 1939, capture peaceful moments in corners of the capital, from the city center to outlying villages. 

in Hanoi

[Video] Travel Back in Time to the Streets of 1980s Hanoi

Old videos of Vietnam are akin to a digital museum. This clip, set against the musical backdrop of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,' not only brings us memories of folk games, rolling trams, and th...

in Hanoi

[Video] Witness the Profound Difference of Life in Hanoi's Old Quarter in 1931

This remarkable video reveals not only Hanoi's Old Quarter in 1931, but also scenes from temples in Phnom Penh around the same time. 

in Tech

‘Flappy Bird’ Maker Ranked One of the World’s Most Influential App Developers

He’s probably sitting in his room, cursing them for it, but Dong Nguyen of ‘Flappy Bird’ fame has made Business Insider’s list of “the world’s 11 most influential people working in apps.”

in Tech

$1 Billion High-Tech Park Proposed for HCMC

As part of the continuing effort to modernize Vietnam’s workforce, authorities are reviewing a proposal for a massive science and technology park in HCMC.

in Tech

$110m Pledged for Vietnamese Startups

It looks like Vietnamese startups are about to get a boost in funding. The Ministry of Science and Technology has announced a $110 million program called FIRST, designed to breathe financial life into...

Partner Content