A group of European travel agents recently made an extraordinary cultural discovery during a visit to Yuhu Village in China's Yunnan Province. The delegation experienced firsthand the creation of Naxi handmade paper – a 1,300-year-old craft recognized as the world's oldest surviving papermaking technique using local plant materials.
Known locally as Dongba paper, this cultural treasure derives its name from the script used by the Naxi ethnic group to record their ancient Dongba religious texts. Artisans demonstrated the meticulous process of boiling, pounding, and sun-drying bark fibers into durable sheets that can withstand centuries of preservation.
This discovery comes as Yunnan authorities intensify efforts to promote sustainable cultural tourism. The paper's historical significance and eco-friendly production methods have drawn attention from global heritage preservation organizations, with several European agencies now considering specialized cultural tours focused on traditional crafts.
