The wolf poison grass has a large root system, strong water absorption ability, and can adapt to arid and cold climates, and it is difficult for the surrounding herbaceous plants to fight against it. When the wolf poison flower is ready to bud, it is red, and when it is fully blooming, it turns into a crystal clear white.

When a large number of wolf poison flowers bloom all over the mountains, like all wild flowers, they show a thriving and lively atmosphere, but behind its beauty, the wolf poison grass hides venom, making people dare not approach easily.

However, I never thought that it was precisely this hidden toxicity that made this special paper on the plateau. The fundamental factor that determines the quality of paper is the root of the wolfweed, and the more developed the root system, the better the quality of the paper produced.

This magical plant is harvested for a short period of time, usually from July to midsummer, and after October, when it begins to lose leaves, and it is difficult to pick even when people can't identify it.

The traditional process of making Shelah Tibetan paper has 6 steps.

Soaking and peeling: digging out wolf poison grass Tibetan paper is a general term for the paper produced in Tibet and even the entire Tibetan inhabited area. According to the different raw materials of Tibetan paper, it can be divided into three types: papermaking process using the bark of dwarf shrubs such as Ruixiangaceae as raw materials; Papermaking process using plant roots such as wolf poison grass as raw materials; The process of recycled paper using waste paper as raw material. Nimshera Tibetan paper belongs to the second type.

When did the papermaking technology arise in Tibet, it may be related to the princess Wencheng entering Tibet in the middle of the 7th century, and the "General History of Tibet - Turquoise Treasure String" records: when Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, she carried many classics about the five elements of the astronomical calendar, hundreds of medical prescriptions and various craft books, and at the same time carried technicians who were proficient in papermaking, carving, and brewing technology.

With the introduction of Buddhism and the development of Tibetan culture, there was a huge demand for paper products, which stimulated the development of the paper industry. For thousands of years, the Tibetan people have continued to learn and practice, and at the same time learn from the advanced papermaking technology of the surrounding ethnic groups, and use local materials to produce Tibetan paper with unique local characteristics. According to the book "Two Thousand Years of Chinese Papermaking", "Tubo began to produce paper in 650". This kind of paper is wolf venom paper.

There are many production areas of Tibetan paper, and there was a situation that as long as there are papermaking raw materials and clear water sources in the local area, paper troughs can be set up for papermaking processing. The Tibetan paper manufacturing process extends from Xikang in eastern Tibet to the west to Gongbu, Tabu, Luoyu and Menyu, to Lhasa, Nimu and Mozhu Gongka in former Tibet, and then to Shigatse, Gangba, Nyalam and Ali in later Tibet, almost all over Tibet.

Today, however, that spectacle no longer exists. Tibetan paper production, most of which are handicraft workshops, are simple, inefficient, and have low output. Since the 60s of the last century, under the impact of the modern paper industry, the Tibetan paper manufacturing industry, which has maintained the traditional manual production method, has shrunk rapidly. Tibetan paper gradually fades out of people's sight.

Tsering Dorje took us to his home to visit his family workshop. Tsering Dorje, who is in his 60s, has worked as a carpenter, a village storekeeper and an accountant, and has been working at home since 1983 while learning and passing on papermaking techniques.

First, it is soaked in the stream water to remove the outer layer of brown skin and soil, and then placed on a large disc-shaped stone, and beaten vigorously with a stone or iron hammer to separate the outer skin from the inner core, and make Tibetan paper as long as its outer skin.

The outer layer of the epidermis is peeled off with a knife, leaving only the white part, which is the main raw material for making Tibetan paper. In Tsering Dorje's workshop there is a lot of skin of the roots of sun-dried wolf venom weeds, which were purchased from other places and soaked in water overnight before they can be used.

Cooking material: Put the obtained white paper material into the pot, add an appropriate amount of water and alkali to cook. Stir at any time during the cooking process until the paper becomes soft and yellow, and the cooking time takes about 2 hours.

Hammering: Knead the boiled paper into a ball, put it on a large plate-shaped stone, beat the boiled paper with a round cake-shaped stone, hammer the paper into a pancake shape, and beat it hundreds of times to become a pulp for beating. This process is a very laborious process.

Beating: Beating is done in a clay pot (or other container). Add the right amount of water to the clay pot, the amount of water depends on the degree of dilution of the pulp. The pulp is poured into a water-filled clay pot and a wooden stick with blades is quickly rubbed with both hands to suspend the pulp evenly.

Pouring: The paper curtain used to pour paper is a wooden frame stretched with gauze (the size of the wooden frame depends on the size of the paper to be made). Pour an appropriate amount of pulp evenly into the paper curtain, and slowly put the paper curtain with pulp into a clean and clear pool, according to the thickness of the final paper product, you can also scoop out a little pulp from the clay pot and pour it evenly on the paper curtain for supplementation; Then use your hand to flatten the paper curtain (whether the paper curtain is flat or not directly affects the flatness and uniformity of the finished paper, and thus the quality of the paper), and lift it very slowly from the pool so that the water slowly seeps down from the gauze.

Unwrapping: Slowly take the paper curtain lifted from the water to the sun and erect the bracket to dry. After about 1 hour, the paper is basically dried and appears white. Start to remove the paper from one corner of the paper curtain, slowly insert the back of your hand between the paper and the paper curtain, remove the paper from the paper curtain, fold it and complete the whole papermaking process.

The Tibetan paper produced by Tsering Dorje's family was mainly supplied to the Tibet Autonomous Region Archives. Tibetan paper made of wolf venom grass, has not afraid of insect and rat bites, has the characteristics of no decay, no discoloration, not easy to tear, etc., in the past, Tibetan paper was mainly used to make scriptures, government documents, dossiers and daily writing, the classic ancient books printed with Tibetan paper, preserved for thousands of years are still intact.

Tsering Dorjee's family has always adhered to the processes and skills passed down from their ancestors, but there have been some changes. In the workshop of Tsering Dorje's house, there is a beater. After the raw materials are boiled, they can be directly put into the beater, and the pulp can be made by adding water and starting the machine, eliminating the need for a very laborious beating process. In addition, there is a custom-made sander for Tsering Dorje to smooth the paper.

In addition to making traditional paper, Tsering Dorje began to cater to the tourism market eight years ago and developed a new type of decorative paper. This paper is divided into two layers: first, a very thin piece of paper is made, which is dried for later use: then another piece of paper is made according to the conventional method, and before it is dried, a layer of decorative leaves, flowers, grass, or cow hair is spread on the paper to make various patterns; Finally, carefully cover the tissue paper that you have made earlier, press it tightly, and dry it in the sun. This kind of decorative paper has a very promising development prospect due to the ever-changing materials and patterns, different styles, and a very original and simple texture.

It is gratifying that the rapid development of tourism has brought unlimited business opportunities to Tibetan paper, and handicrafts such as leather paper paintings, umbrellas, sun hats, gift packaging bags, etc., which are used as raw materials for Tibetan paper, are sold well in various tourist attractions in Tibet, so that tourists can not put it down.

When it comes to the future of Tibetan paper, the old man, whose face is already covered with ravines, does not say too much grandiose, but only says that he hopes to expand the production scale of Tibetan paper, so that this traditional skill can be inherited and developed. In fact, this is also our common wish.

Nimu County is located on the north bank of the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra River, Tarong Town, the county seat is about 143 kilometers away from Lhasa, in addition to the well-known "Nimu Three Uniques" (Tibetan paper, Tibetan incense, Pusong carving) inside and outside the area, there are also the former residence of Tunmi Sambuza (the creator of Tibetan characters, the minister of Songtsen Gampo), Nimu County National Forest Park and other scenic spots. There is a minibus to Nimu County next to the passenger station in the eastern suburbs of Lhasa, get on the bus to buy a ticket, and leave when it is full.

Step 1: Peel and dig out the roots of the wolf venom grass, first soak them in water to remove the brown skin and soil, and then beat them with a stone or hammer to separate the epidermis and inner core. The outer layer of the epidermis is peeled off with a knife, leaving the white part, which is the main raw material for making Tibetan paper.

Step 2: Cook the white paper mixture with water and alkali and cook the material. The cooking process takes about two hours, stirring continuously until the paper is soft and yellow.

Step 3: Hammer the boiled paper into a ball, and use a stone to beat the paper into a pancake shape to become a slurry. This process is laborious.

Step 4: Pulp is added to the clay pot with slurry and water, and the amount of water depends on the degree of dilution of the pulp. Use your hands to quickly rub a wooden stick with a blade to suspend the pulp evenly.

Step 5: Pour the evenly beaten pulp into the paper curtain, and slowly put the paper curtain into a clean and clear pool, and then use your hand to flatten the paper curtain (whether the paper curtain is flat directly affects the flatness and uniformity of the finished paper), and lift it very slowly from the pool, so that the water slowly seeps down from the gauze.

Step 6: Lift the paper curtain lifted from the water and slowly take it to the sun to dry. After 1 hour, the paper is basically dried and appears white. Start to remove the paper from one corner of the paper curtain, slowly insert the back of the hand between the paper and the paper curtain, remove the paper from the paper curtain, fold it, and complete the whole papermaking process.

Someone said: "The history of Tibet is recorded on Tibetan paper." "For thousands of years, Tibetan paper has silently recorded the history of Tibet and witnessed the progress of civilization. As one of the five major Tibetan papers, Nimshela Tibetan paper has a history of more than 1,300 years and has been an important carrier of Tibetan Buddhist scriptures and official documents.

Under the impact of modern industry, this papermaking skill is fading out of people's sight. As the guardian and inheritor of this craft, Tsering Dorje strives to keep the craftsmanship passed down from his ancestors alive.

A 10-minute drive west from Lhasa Nimu County will take you to the village of Shera in Tarong Township. "Snow" means yogurt, and "pull" means good. According to legend, the Fifth Dalai Lama traveled here and ate the yogurt made by the local villagers, and was greatly praised, so he was named. However, Xuela Village is not only good at yogurt, but also famous for its Tibetan paper production from ancient times to the present, and it is also the only one of the five Tibetan papers in old Tibet that has been passed down intact.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," there was a crisp sound ......of shaking the paper, and the old man Tsering Dorje held the beige-white Shelah Tibetan paper above his head. Facing the strong midday sun, the old man squinted his eyes to check the quality of the paper. "Today's batch is doing well, and we can send it to Lhasa later." Tsering Dorje gently touched the paper and said to his son Kelsang Tenzin with a smile. The old man was quite satisfied with the paper his son made today.

Tibetan paper manufacturing skills are said to have originated from Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet. At that time, the introduction of Buddhism, as well as the development of Tibetan culture, stimulated the paper industry. However, the raw materials used in the Central Plains papermaking are not abundant in Tibet, and the craftsmen finally rely on the principle of Central Plains papermaking to produce Tibetan paper with unique local characteristics. There are many Tibetan paper production areas, and there has been a situation where as long as there are raw materials and clear water sources in the local area, paper troughs can be set up for papermaking processing.

According to Tsering Dorje, the material taken from the Xuela Tibetan paper is the root of wolf venom grass, which itself has a certain toxicity. The more developed the root system of wolf venom weed, the more toxic it is, but the more resilient and wear-resistant the paper it makes. After multiple processes such as boiling and bleaching, the toxicity of wolf poison grass roots dissipates, but the paper products have the characteristics of not being afraid of insects and can be stored for a long time.

Nimshela Tibetan paper was once well-known inside and outside Tibet, and it is still famous. As the main production area of Tibetan paper, there used to be many families in Xuela Village who made Tibetan paper for a living. Later, due to the impact of new paper, the scarcity of raw materials and the rise in labor costs, the paper industry in the village fell silent for a while. The paper industry in other parts of Tibet eventually disappeared into the long river of history because there was no one to produce and no one to pass on the skills for a long time.

"I have been learning papermaking from my father since I was 14 years old, but it's a pity that my ancestors left us the craft." The old man was a little lost. Today, the old man and his two sons are the only three Shela Tibetan paper craftsmen in the village.

"Now other villagers are reluctant to give birth. The older ones feel that the wolf poison weed is poisonous and hurts the body, and the young people feel that this work is hard and tiring and they can't earn money. "The plight of the paper is also due to the scarcity of raw materials and local customs.

Although wolf poison grass is very common in the snowy plateau, it can only be used to make Tibetan paper if it has grown for more than 20 years. Moreover, the collection time is short, and only May to July is a fixed collection period every year. At the same time, there is an ancient legend in Tibet: if you pull out the wolf poison weeds and expose the ochre-red earth, the heavens will be angry and rain down mudslides, droughts, frosts and other disasters.

Coincidentally, the wolf poison grass is a symbol of land desertification, mudslides, droughts, etc. are not caused by the wolf poison grass being pulled out, but begin to latent when the wolf poison grass appears.

"I signed a contract with the Tibet Autonomous Region Archives in 1987 for the supply of Tibetan paper, and until 2007, I have been producing the paper for their archives myself." Tsering Dorje said.

"Later, the archives used computers to store files, and my paper was almost unsold, but fortunately, Tashilhunpo Monastery contacted me in time, and my paper began to be supplied to the temple to print scriptures." A proud smile spread across the old man's face.

With the rise of tourism in Tibet, with the help of the local government, Tsering Dorje's Tibetan paper production area was relocated to an industrial park in Nimu County, and his own intangible cultural heritage base and Tibetan paper sales point were also established. In response to the demand for raw materials, the local government has also invested a large amount of money in the artificial cultivation of wolf poison weed.

Shela's Tibetan paper has developed from a single variety to more than 10 varieties now, and the old man's family has made some improvements while adhering to the ancestral system. In Tsering Dorje's workshop, a new beater was purchased. After the raw materials have been cooked, they can be directly put into the beater to make pulp, eliminating the need for the very laborious beating process in the past. In addition, there is a custom-made grinding machine that sharpens the coarse paper produced to a smoother finish.

The rapid development of tourism in Tibet has not only promoted the local economic growth of Tibet, but also brought business opportunities to Tsering Dorje's Shela Tibetan paper. Recently, a souvenir called "Tibetan Gift" appeared on the streets of Lhasa, which is a new type of decorative paper developed by the elderly.

This kind of decorative paper has a great market prospect due to the ever-changing materials and patterns, different styles, and original and simple textures. At the same time, handicrafts such as leather paper paintings, umbrellas, sun hats, gift packaging bags and other handicrafts made of Shelah Tibetan paper are also popular in various tourist attractions in Tibet, making tourists love it.

Tibetan paper produced in each region of Tibet has its own characteristics, and among these varieties of Tibetan paper, there are recognized as five fine products: Jindong paper for the Dalai Lama, Dabu paper for the old Tibetan Kashag local government, Cuona paper for the Kashag government to issue imperial edicts, blue-brown paper for special "inks" such as gold and silver, and finally the well-known Nimshela Tibetan paper for documentation.

"The history of Tibet is recorded on Tibetan paper." Speaking of Tibetan paper with a history of more than 1,300 years, the 60-year-old Qiangpa Zunzhu's eyes flashed with the sincere light of a pilgrim, "The scriptures collected in religious holy places such as the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple can be well preserved after thousands of years of wind and rain, and a very important reason is that the paper used in these classics is unique to Tibet. ”

At the Lhasa Caiquan Welfare National Handicraft Co., Ltd., which was founded by Qiangba Zunzhu, this reporter saw that the simple and gentle Tibetan paper has been turned into antique painted scrolls, exquisite and unique notebooks, and colorful paper lanterns in the hands of craftsmen...... From time to time, tourists from all over the world come to buy a batch of Tibetan paper products and leave happily.

"You see, now more and more people pay attention to Tibetan paper, like Tibetan paper, on May 20 last year, Tibetan paper production technology was also included in the list of **batch ** level intangible cultural heritage. As a national handicraft and artwork, Tibetan paper is radiating strong vitality. Talking about the thousand-year-old rise and fall of Tibetan paper, the unsmiling Qiangba Zunzhu became endless. From the age of 4**, he was sent to Drepung Monastery for 8 years as a monk, and he grew up with Tibetan papers printed with sacred scriptures. Since then, he has formed a deep relationship with Tibetan paper, and he can't be separated in this life.

Tibetan paper was produced in the middle of the 7th century AD. After Princess Wencheng entered Tibet and brought papermaking, the craftsmen of the Tibetan and Han ethnic groups did not have the bamboo, rice, fish nets and other raw materials used in the Central Plains papermaking in the local area, and after years of exploration, they used a variety of plateau plants such as poisonous wolf poison grass as raw materials to produce Tibetan paper with unique technology. This kind of paper has the characteristics of high strength, natural anti-corrosion, anti-insect and rodent-proof, and non-fading. For thousands of years, it has silently recorded the history of Tibet and witnessed the process of Tibetan civilization.

Since the 60s of the last century, under the impact of the modern paper industry, the Tibetan paper manufacturing industry, which has maintained the traditional manual production method, has shrunk rapidly. By the 80s, the use of Tibetan paper in China was almost entirely dependent on imports from neighboring countries.

Seeing that the ancient Tibetan paper disappeared in his hometown of Tibet, Qiangba Zunzhu was anxious: "As a Tibetan, we must stand up and do something to save the national papermaking process!"

There is a Tibetan proverb: "If you have made up your mind, then please put your vows on the table like a dumpling!" In 1990, Jampa Zunzhu began to take people to the main historical production areas of Tibetan paper, such as Tabu, Roza, Ali and Nimu, to visit local old artists and record their oral skills.

However, because the production of Tibetan paper has become extinct, they have not seen the actual production process of Tibetan paper, and they have never succeeded in making Tibetan paper based on the intermittent memories of the old people. During this period, several old artists he visited passed away one after another, and the rescue and excavation of Tibetan paper production technology has become urgent. In 1993, Qiangba Zunzhu funded several old artists such as Zumbu Zawang and Guoguola to live in Lhasa, and finally sorted out a complete process and produced a batch of Tibetan paper.

"In this era, inheritance is not enough, and the traditional national culture needs to be carried forward and innovated." The sense of national responsibility on Qiangba Zunzhu's shoulders always reminds him to keep moving forward. Over the past ten years, Caiquan Welfare National Handicraft Co., Ltd. has developed from only producing a single Tibetan paper for writing to being able to mass-produce a variety of types and series of Caiquan brand Tibetan paper, ending the history of Tibet importing Tibetan paper from India and Nepal.

They have also developed hundreds of Tibetan paper crafts such as murals, umbrellas, lanterns, greeting cards, photo frames, calendars, and wallpaper. In the product showroom, a set of hand-drawn more than a dozen pages of the story of Shakyamuni's enlightenment is priced at more than 1,700 yuan.

At the same time, their Tibetan paper products have also become treasures in the international market. It is precisely for this reason that the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government has issued them certificates of special products, the Autonomous Regional Economic and Trade Commission and the Enterprise Administration Bureau have also awarded them gold and silver awards for the design of ethnic handicraft products, and the Chengguan District Government of Lhasa City has also set up a research and development center for ethnic handicraft industry here.

"Tibetan paper is a wonderful flower of Chinese culture on the snowy plateau," Qiangba Zunzhu said to Lan Eucalyptus with confidence, "I firmly believe that the market potential of Tibetan paper is huge, and we must give new connotations and functions to traditional crafts, so that more Tibetan paper handicrafts can be sold to the mainland and overseas, so that Tibetan traditional culture can go further." ”