Hanji

Hanji is traditional Korean paper made from the mulberry tree. They grow throughout Korea, especially slopes of small mountains and hills. Fibres of mulberry are especially long, which provides production of stronger paper. Hanji is said to last over 1000 years

Hanji making starts when exactly one-year-old branches of mulberry are cut between November and February. The first process is steaming, and then the bark is taken from the branches and boiled in lye. The resulting fibres are washed multiple times to remove impurities and then beaten for several hours to crush them, the fibre paste then being mixed with water.

The cleaned fibers are put onto a wooden frame which is shaken back and forth making a crossed pattern in the fibres. This pattern makes hanji physically strong. Because of this very skillful technique of making Hanji, many historic documents from Koryo (918-1392) and Choson (1392-1910) dynasty have been preserved.

In Korea, Hanji was used to write important documents, but also household items. Hanji has been popular among calligraphers for centuries, not only because of its fine smoothness, but also because of elegant and beautiful texture. It was used also for other purposes, including decoration of homes and making different kind of containers for food. These containers were cured in oil, making them resistant to humidity and insects. Hanji was also important material for insulation. The ceiling, and floor of houses were sometimes covered with only a single layer of hanji during cold and windy winter in Korea.