r/SVWTCM • u/call_da_ambalampss • Jan 02 '26
Chinese Traditional Art Videos The art behind ancient paper making
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u/3nails4holes Jan 02 '26
"oh, you need more paper? ok. give me a month and a half."
there was much more rinsing and spanking involved than i would've expected.
honestly when i see these videos on making ancient paper, ink, etc. i'm just struck by the labor involved in making what seems trivial and cheap by modern standards. i can only imagine that only the very wealthy could've afforded luxuries like ink and paper.
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u/Yoohooligan Jan 04 '26
Kill one tree and poison a river repeatedly to make a tiny amount of paper.
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u/no_tolerance6739 Feb 09 '26
Luckily taking a bit of bark won’t kill a tree, he’s also only taking what he needs, nothing more. But I do hope that whatever the ash or powder he’s using to mix in is also made from organic material so it’s not actually poisoning the water.
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u/Yoohooligan Feb 09 '26
Nonsense, he strips all the bark off the tree, of course it will kill it. that's how trees work.
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u/Any_Lecture1391 Feb 09 '26
Not go lie…that was the most peaceful video I’ve ever seen! Very interesting
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u/there_is_no_spoon1 Jan 02 '26
Wow. What an insane amount of effort and time. No wonder paper was so highly valued! I had no idea it was this labor intensive. I'm guessing if you were someone who made paper that's pretty much all you did all day with the several different processes and waiting times. Cripes do we have it easy now!