In Yunnan, there is a kind of hand made paper, Thai paper (傣纸)，which has been used for the wrapping of pu-erh tea ever since a few hundred years ago the invention of this tea. Nowadays the paper is still produced in the Thai villages of South Yunnan. It is made by the peel of Goushu, Paper Mulberry(构树)，a fast growing tropical tree. The traditonal way of manufacturing paper is kept by the Thai people (Just in the modern time, the grinding of pulp is improved by an electric motor). No any chemical ingredient is added druing the whole processing. Thus the Thai paper is very healthy. And its texture is pliable and tough, which is very good for wrapping of pu-erh tea. The tea wrapped and kept vintage in Thai paper has better flavor than other kind of paper.
Man Zhao (曼召) is a Thai Village in South Yunnan, Menghai County.
Man Zhao is a village specialized in the manufacturing of Thai Paper
This is Gou Shu, Paper Mulberry (构树)，a kind of fast growing tropical tree. Its peel is used by the Thai people to make paper.
The Thai girls are decorticating the peel of Gou Shu.
These are the dry peel of Goushu, prepared as raw material to make Thai paper.
The raw material needs to be cooked before processing.
This is a cooker in the Thai village to cook Gou Shu Peel.
The cooked Gou Shu peel is ground into pulp.
This is the raw pulp to manufacture into Thai paper.
The raw pulp is distributed to a few families for rinsing by water. The rinsing need repeat for quite a few times.
The pulp is turning white by rinsing.
Now the pulp is white enough to stop rinsing.
The pulp is spreaded into very thin layer on the screen plate in the morning.
The pulp is dried naturally by sunlight.
In the evening, the paper is dry. It is taken off from the plate.
These are the Thai paper. It is not so white as industrial paper. Actually it turns out to be rice color. It is a very healthy paper to use as food contact.
This is the pu-erh cake wrapped by Thai peper.
The Thai people also use the Thai paper to make pu-erh gift package. This is a packaging works in Man Zhao Village.
A few pu-erh tea gift boxes made by the Thai paper.
Elephant is always one of the favorite elements of Thai design.
This is a special gift box made by Thai paper with tea color. Because the paprer was dyed by tea.
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