Le paradis secre
Papermaking
Papermaking
FOR SOMEONE
TO REMEMBER
WHEN BARK BECOMES PAPER MEMORY BEGINS TO BREATHE
At the Tengchong Papermaking Museum, we embarked on an experimental col- laboration with local artisans — an exploration of paper and scent.
Inspired by the inner bark of the Edgeworthia chrysantha, known locally as Liugou, our team traced its origins deep into the Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan.
This resilient bark, once the core material of traditional juanchong paper, formed the writing surface for border towns — where it bore witness to bookkeeping, letters, and beliefs. It was more than a medium; it was the over- looked root of a peripheral civilization.
In an age before photography or archives, these handmade papers quietly pre- served the faith and rhythms of frontier life. They were the outermost edge of memory and culture.
But now, those memories have faded. The paper has yellowed. The craft of pa- permaking slips into silence — forgotten, and nearly lost.
BUT TRADITION NEVER FADES. IT BECOMES A SCENT WAITING IN THE AIR.
When papermaking from the Central Plains reached the distant frontier of Tengchong, the bark of Gaoligong’s mulberry trees began a new life. Gently crafted by local hands, it became the first sheet of bark paper
From bark to paper, the trees of Gaoligong began to write — telling the quiet story of Tengchong through every fiber.
Before the last sheet crumbles, we hope scent can speak in its place.
Transforming the fibers of a tree into scent, and bringing a forgotten memory back to the tip of the nose — this is our gentle response to tradition, and an experimental exploration of the idea that culture can be perceived through scent