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It is grown from cuttings. After two years, the branches are cut and tied in bundles which are steamed for several hours in order to peel the bark. Harvesting takes place in autumn or in early winter.
The bark is then retted for several months in water so that the dark outer bark can be easily removed from the white inner bark. The remains of the black bark are scraped to keep only the whitebark.
The bark is cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate) and is then bleached in the sun (or recently using hypochlorite). It is then cooked again and again sun bleached. The bark is placed on the mountainside, on rocks or on the banks of rivers. This bleaching takes several months of exposure by turning the fiber bundles.

The straw pulp previously prepared (see rice or wheat straw) is added to the bark fibers and the whole is beaten in a Hollander beater, or in the past using a water beater.

As the sheets are large (70/140cm), they are manufactured by two workers. The stack of sheets is pressed in the late afternoon. The sheets are then dried on a heating surface.

Variation: The bark and the straw are soaked in a lime water bath for a few days and then cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate).

It is grown from cuttings. After two years, the branches are cut and tied in bundles which are steamed for several hours in order to peel the bark. Harvesting takes place in autumn or in early winter.
The bark is then retted for several months in water so that the dark outer bark can be easily removed from the white inner bark. The remains of the black bark are scraped to keep only the whitebark.
The bark is cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate) and is then bleached in the sun (or recently using hypochlorite). It is then cooked again and again sun bleached. The bark is placed on the mountainside, on rocks or on the banks of rivers. This bleaching takes several months of exposure by turning the fiber bundles.

The straw pulp previously prepared (see rice or wheat straw) is added to the bark fibers and the whole is beaten in a Hollander beater, or in the past using a water beater.

As the sheets are large (70/140cm), they are manufactured by two workers. The stack of sheets is pressed in the late afternoon. The sheets are then dried on a heating surface.

Variation: The bark and the straw are soaked in a lime water bath for a few days and then cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate).

It is grown from cuttings. After two years, the branches are cut and tied in bundles which are steamed for several hours in order to peel the bark. Harvesting takes place in autumn or in early winter.
The bark is then retted for several months in water so that the dark outer bark can be easily removed from the white inner bark. The remains of the black bark are scraped to keep only the whitebark.
The bark is cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate) and is then bleached in the sun (or recently using hypochlorite). It is then cooked again and again sun bleached. The bark is placed on the mountainside, on rocks or on the banks of rivers. This bleaching takes several months of exposure by turning the fiber bundles.

The straw pulp previously prepared (see rice or wheat straw) is added to the bark fibers and the whole is beaten in a Hollander beater, or in the past using a water beater.

As the sheets are large (70/140cm), they are manufactured by two workers. The stack of sheets is pressed in the late afternoon. The sheets are then dried on a heating surface.

Variation: The bark and the straw are soaked in a lime water bath for a few days and then cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate).

Song Yingxing describes the preparation in the "Tiangong kaiwu" or "Creations of nature and work of man", an encyclopedia (dating to1634 or 1637) that bamboo mats are placed under the trees to collect the buds as they are harvested. They are harvested before they open that is to say in June. They are then boiled and pressed in the form of cakes for trade. They are sold in this form. The blooming flowers are harvested too, though they contain only 20% of dye. They are sprinkled with lime and then dried in the sun to keep them.

Song Yingxing describes the preparation in the "Tiangong kaiwu" or "Creations of nature and work of man", an encyclopedia (dating to1634 or 1637) that bamboo mats are placed under the trees to collect the buds as they are harvested. They are harvested before they open that is to say in June. They are then boiled and pressed in the form of cakes for trade. They are sold in this form. The blooming flowers are harvested too, though they contain only 20% of dye. They are sprinkled with lime and then dried in the sun to keep them.

Song Yingxing describes the preparation in the "Tiangong kaiwu" or "Creations of nature and work of man", an encyclopedia (dating to1634 or 1637) that bamboo mats are placed under the trees to collect the buds as they are harvested. They are harvested before they open that is to say in June. They are then boiled and pressed in the form of cakes for trade. They are sold in this form. The blooming flowers are harvested too, though they contain only 20% of dye. They are sprinkled with lime and then dried in the sun to keep them.

It is grown from cuttings. After two years, the branches are cut and tied in bundles which are steamed for several hours in order to peel the bark. Harvesting takes place in autumn or in early winter.
The bark is then retted for several months in water so that the dark outer bark can be easily removed from the white inner bark. The remains of the black bark are scraped to keep only the whitebark.
The bark is cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate) and is then bleached in the sun (or recently using hypochlorite). It is then cooked again and again sun bleached. The bark is placed on the mountainside, on rocks or on the banks of rivers. This bleaching takes several months of exposure by turning the fiber bundles.

The straw pulp previously prepared (see rice or wheat straw) is added to the bark fibers and the whole is beaten in a Hollander beater, or in the past using a water beater.

As the sheets are large (70/140cm), they are manufactured by two workers. The stack of sheets is pressed in the late afternoon. The sheets are then dried on a heating surface.

Variation: The bark and the straw are soaked in a lime water bath for a few days and then cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate).

It is grown from cuttings. After two years, the branches are cut and tied in bundles which are steamed for several hours in order to peel the bark. Harvesting takes place in autumn or in early winter.
The bark is then retted for several months in water so that the dark outer bark can be easily removed from the white inner bark. The remains of the black bark are scraped to keep only the whitebark.
The bark is cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate) and is then bleached in the sun (or recently using hypochlorite). It is then cooked again and again sun bleached. The bark is placed on the mountainside, on rocks or on the banks of rivers. This bleaching takes several months of exposure by turning the fiber bundles.

The straw pulp previously prepared (see rice or wheat straw) is added to the bark fibers and the whole is beaten in a Hollander beater, or in the past using a water beater.

As the sheets are large (70/140cm), they are manufactured by two workers. The stack of sheets is pressed in the late afternoon. The sheets are then dried on a heating surface.

Variation: The bark and the straw are soaked in a lime water bath for a few days and then cooked in a weak alkaline solution (wood ash or sodium carbonate).

Song Yingxing describes the preparation in the "Tiangong kaiwu" or "Creations of nature and work of man", an encyclopedia (dating to1634 or 1637) that bamboo mats are placed under the trees to collect the buds as they are harvested. They are harvested before they open that is to say in June. They are then boiled and pressed in the form of cakes for trade. They are sold in this form. The blooming flowers are harvested too, though they contain only 20% of dye. They are sprinkled with lime and then dried in the sun to keep them.

Song Yingxing describes the preparation in the "Tiangong kaiwu" or "Creations of nature and work of man", an encyclopedia (dating to1634 or 1637) that bamboo mats are placed under the trees to collect the buds as they are harvested. They are harvested before they open that is to say in June. They are then boiled and pressed in the form of cakes for trade. They are sold in this form. The blooming flowers are harvested too, though they contain only 20% of dye. They are sprinkled with lime and then dried in the sun to keep them.