Korean hengzhi paper

Korean traditional hengzhi can be used for many different purposes. In the past, not only books and documents were made of it, but also doors and windows in houses were pasted with it to protect themselves from the wind and keep warm. The Koreans chose hengzhi as the material for windows and doors, because, being made according to a special ancient recipe, it is very durable and can be stored, without rotting, for more than a thousand years.

Hengzhi, distinguished by its high density, well protected the dwelling from the wind and maintained the temperature and humidity level in the room, while being transparent enough to let in sunlight, and also guarded the privacy of the owners, hiding them from prying eyes. In addition, what is important, it created a special atmosphere of comfort.

Due to its unique strength, hengzhi was even used to create military armor. The chain mail made of several layers of this paper was so strong that it reliably protected the warrior from enemy arrows. And, of course, books were made of hanzhi, many of which have not decayed and have survived to this day. Four literary works written on this paper, which are more than a thousand years old, have been recognized by the UNESCO Foundation as monuments of world cultural heritage. Under the cut, a trip to the factory where they make hengzhi and a shop with crafts made of traditional Korean paper.

Hechi colored paper in a Korean souvenir shop in the city of Jeongju. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

The material for paper is mulberry tree. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

The worker peels the bark from the tree to send it later for mixing. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Prepared material. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Now we need to mix everything well and add paints. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

White paper will be made in this vat. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Water is supplied to the vat to dilute the thick mass. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Then the worker evenly mixes a substance similar to wallpaper glue in special trays. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Separation of sheets. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

The excess is removed. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

This is how the still raw paper of hechi looks like. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Slightly dried paper is put in stacks. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

It is shaken out on the table from the tray. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

And the tray is taken away for the production of the next batch. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Then the paper is hung to dry, like ordinary linen. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Here it dries in a blown factory yard. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

The paper that has dried is removed, stacked and transported for further production of crafts from it. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Sorting.(Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

For example, such colored twine is made from hengzhi. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

Quality control. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

They make notebooks like this. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

They print souvenirs with hieroglyphs. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

And they even make traditional Korean clothes. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

They also make different colors of fans with drawings.(Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

They make doll masks. (Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)