Uyghur Sangpizhi Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
As early as the Tang dynasty, there was already a local handicraft industry that used the tender bark of mulberry branches as raw material for papermaking. In the Qing dynasty, books and classical texts in Xinjiang were principally printed on mulberry-bark paper, and during the Republic of China period banknotes printed on mulberry-bark paper even appeared. Up until the 1970s, the Uyghur people continued to use mulberry-bark paper in their daily folk life. However, as early as 1950, Uyghur mulberry-bark paper had already withdrawn from the ranks of printing and writing papers; since then, no high-grade mulberry-bark paper has been produced. After the 1980s, mulberry-bark paper had completely disappeared from the daily life of the Uyghur people.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Among the areas where Uyghur people have historically settled—southern and eastern Xinjiang—there has long been a tradition of planting mulberry trees and harvesting their fruit. Uyghur mulberry-bark paper uses the inner bark of mulberry branches as its raw material. The inner bark is adhesive, with smooth and fine fibers that are easy to process; after the steps of peeling, soaking, boiling in a cauldron, pounding, fermentation, filtering, molding, sun-drying, and coarse grinding, it can be made into mulberry-bark paper. The finished paper is graded into three classes—high, medium, and low—and has a wide range of uses. Medium-grade paper is generally used for packaging tea, medicinal herbs, and the like, while coarse, stiff mulberry-bark paper is often used to paste over skylights or as an auxiliary material in making garments and boots. Making mulberry-bark paper was once a skill by which Uyghurs supported their families; it was usually passed from father to son, transmitted from generation to generation. Because there is no market demand, all the craftsmen who made mulberry-bark paper have changed trades, and their descendants have no wish to inherit this craft.
Archival Record of Craft Procedures
Uyghur mulberry-bark paper uses the inner bark of mulberry branches as its raw material. The inner bark is adhesive, with smooth and fine fibers that are easy to process; after the steps of peeling, soaking, boiling in a cauldron, pounding, fermentation, filtering, molding, sun-drying, and coarse grinding, it can be made into mulberry-bark paper.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Uyghur mulberry-bark paper making is centered on the Turpan region of Xinjiang, an important distribution area; together with the mulberry-bark paper of Kashgar and Hotan, it is counted among the three southern-Xinjiang centers. Among the areas where Uyghur people have historically settled—southern and eastern Xinjiang—there has long been a tradition of planting mulberries and harvesting fruit. The inner bark of mulberry branches must be stripped before spring budding, so the craft is closely tied to the agricultural calendar. The Xinjiang Desert Folk Art Museum is the project's protecting institution.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Sangpizhi Making Craftsmanship · Sangpizhi Making Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The only remaining craftsman who knows how to make mulberry-bark paper has reached old age; this ancient craft now faces the danger of being lost and urgently needs rescue and protection. Tohti Tursun (per the official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Uyghur, born in 1928, from Moyu (Karakax) County, Xinjiang. A representative inheritor of the first national-level batch of the Uyghur mulberry-bark paper making craft, a national intangible cultural heritage project. Making mulberry-bark paper was once a skill by which Uyghurs supported their families. Tohti Tursun learned the craft from a master in 1950, opened his own papermaking workshop eight years later, and ceased workshop operations in 1966. The mulberry-bark paper he makes is yellowish, with very fine fibers and a small amount of impurities, yet it is extremely sturdy; it has excellent toughness, a soft texture, strong tensile strength, does not break, and is not easily damaged by insects. After the 1980s, mulberry-bark paper gradually withdrew from the daily life of the Uyghur people, yet Tohti Tursun still makes a small amount of mulberry-bark paper each year; he is currently the most accomplished among Xinjiang's mulberry-bark paper artisans.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Tuohuti Tuerdi 01-0182
- Wangbolin 03-1333
- Liu Tongyan 04-1857
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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