From sacred scriptures to travel keepsakes, Dongba paper, a thousand-year-old craft, is finding its way around the world

In Lijiang in southwestern Yunnan province, paper is crafted to endure. Handmade Dongba paper, once reserved for recording the sacred scriptures of the Naxi people, is now earning a place in the luggage of travelers from around the world.

A growing number of domestic and international visitors have left the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town of Lijiang with Dongba paper products tucked into their luggage — notebooks filled with travel memories, postcards inscribed with ancient pictographs bearing blessings, and handmade paper lamps whose soft glow will follow them home.

Some visitors share their finds on social media, posting photos of the paper's fibrous texture and the enigmatic characters adorning it, introducing this centuries-old craft to a wider audience.

The alchemy of Dongba paper begins in the mountains surrounding Lijiang. It is traditionally made from the bark of the Wikstroemia shrub, which grows at elevations above 2,000 meters. The bark is soaked, softened, pounded into pulp, meticulously spread onto bamboo screens and then sun-dried — a process repeated dozens of times.

READ MORE: Naxi bast fiber legacy

"Unlike industrial paper, where uniformity is the goal, Dongba paper keeps the traces of nature," said Zhang Jian, a product designer who runs a Dongba paper workshop in the old town.

Plant fibers remain visible across the surface, creating subtle textures and organic patterns. No two sheets are ever alike.

"Every sheet has its own character," Zhang said. "We try to preserve the natural qualities of the raw material. The fibers themselves are what make the paper beautiful."

For centuries, Dongba paper was used by Naxi priests to record religious scriptures in a pictographic writing system that remains central to Naxi cultural heritage. Its natural resistance to insects and aging has helped preserve those texts for generations.

Today, the same durability has become part of its modern appeal.

"We used to see foreign tourists occasionally. Now we see them every day," said Zhang, who has spent nearly 23 years giving this thousand-year-old craft a modern makeover.

Han Yuchen, who oversees sales and promotion of Dongba paper, believes that its appeal goes beyond mere portability.

"Many visitors are surprised when they hear that such a delicate-looking paper can last for hundreds of years," he said. "They want to know more about how it is made."

Postcards are often the first thing overseas visitors pick up, followed by notebooks and paper lamps.

Featuring images of Lijiang's scenery alongside Dongba characters, postcards can be personalized with handwritten blessings before being sent home. The paper's natural texture gives the writing a warmth that mass-produced cards cannot replicate, Han said.

Dongba paper lamps have become an unexpected hit. Made by folding a single sheet of Dongba paper into a lampshade, they emit a soft glow that accentuates the raw plant fibers within. Each lamp has its own pattern, shaped by the plant material itself.

Notebooks are another favorite. One best-selling journal, roughly A5-sized with raw edges and a leather cover, sells for more than 180 yuan ($27). Though pricier than standard notebooks, they serve as a tactile archive for personal memories.

"Many visitors turn them into travel journals," said Zhang, the workshop owner. "They paste train tickets, flight stubs, entrance tickets and photographs inside. The notebook becomes part of their journey."

Contact the writers at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn