more news from Kham  | kham aid home

Paper-making Tradition Revived at the Derge Printing House

December 3, 1999

Dear Friends of the Kham Aid Foundation,

Yesterday the director of our Dartsendo (Kangding) office emailed me with a message from Sejia, who is director of the Derge Printing House:

"Today Sejia informed me that they invited an old lady with the age of over eighty in Derge to teach the

Sejia, director of the Derge Printing House

workers in Derge printing house to manufacture traditional Tibetan paper. Now, the workers in Derge printing house have already grasped the skills of manufacturing traditional Tibetan paper, although the procedure is very complicated. He said that you know this kind of paper. This kind of paper is very soft and light. It is made of a special kind grass root.

Yesterday, the leaders of the government of Derge county gathered in the DPH to celebrate this special day. This manufacturing of the traditional Tibetan paper stopped more than fifty years ago. It can be celebrated that this skill can be passed on again."

Sejia wanted to know if there is anything we at Kham Aid can do to expand the market for this special kind of paper, which is very beautiful and long-lasting. I wrote back with the suggestion that they print books on the paper, and sell the books! I haven't forgotten that some of you wrote to me last year, expressing interest in buying books from the Derge Printing House. I've been trying to convince Sejia that the international market for genuine Derge Printing House books could be considerable, but so far he has not acted on my suggestions to organize an export arm for his operation. If and when we do get action on this, you folks on the mailing list will be the first to know.

Best wishes,

Pamela Logan

Related articles:

Derge Printing House

Derge and Its Role in Tibetan Culture

Guide to Trekking in Derge