Friday, February 05, 2010

Watch it while you can

I just came across a video on YouTube that divulges more than I've ever been able to learn (or see) about the making of China's renowned xuan zhi paper. I myself was cautioned not to travel to Anhui Province to see the process, but thanks to the Internet, we can watch this!



The video also features delightful subtitles. About halfway through some nice Burtynsky-Goldsworthy images come with the commentary "Working on the broad drying yard the locals are enriching the colour of the nature and appear to be holy and magnificent."

5 Comments:

At 18:09, Blogger helen said...

That was an incredibly well made video. The scenes of the rice paddies did remind me of rice paddies in the Philippines. The narrator did sound Chinese - would it be possible to shoot and make something like this without the government knowing about it? That part of China looked so pristine - not at all like some of the images we have seen recently, especially during the Olympics.

 
At 18:44, Blogger fingerstothebone said...

Thanks Margaret!

 
At 18:46, Blogger fingerstothebone said...

...if a bit heavy on the 'glorious culture of the Chinese people' part.

 
At 19:16, Blogger margaret said...

@Helen, I think it's either a case of Let's promote our paper factory and beautiful Anhui Province, and oops (accidentally or purposefully) we forgot to run it past the bureaucrats in Beijing.

OR it's Let's divulge our secrets (but not ALL of them) and give more currency (literally!) to a long-ignored Chinese treasure.

Either way, it's awesome to see the footage from inside the factory.

@Shu-Ju, I've always loved really good Chinglish.

 
At 17:39, Blogger DOGBOY said...

thank you, that was wonderful...I'm going to "borrow" and post on FB for my art friends...I make handmade paper also (very crude) and print on a Vandercook 4

 

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