Tursunbaher Tohtibahi puts paper pulp into a mould after it has been filtered. [Photo by Bi Nan/chinadaily.com.cn]

How it is made?

The raw material is mulberry tree bark, and it takes nine procedures, all by hand. The process is laborious and time consuming, which partly explains why it remains rare.

The inner skin of the bark is glutinous and the fiber is fine and smooth, hence it is easy to process. The bark is peeled, soaked, boiled, beaten, fermented, filtered, molded and dried, before being made into paper.