Photo reproduced from udn.com

Paper is edible? Paper gowns are washable? Puli Township in Nantou County, Taiwan is the only remaining place of production for handmade paper. Through the active assistance of one scholar, Guangsing Paper Mill and five other handmade paper mills will display their products at the Musee des Maisons Comtoises in France, in an exhibition called “Paper is Not Dead”. Some of the products that the six paper mills will showcase include edible paper with various flavors, washable clothing and accessories, and handmade paper nightlights.

The key person for making this exhibition possible is Assistant Professor Chiu-lan Liu of Taipei Tech Department of Cultural Vocation Development. Liu studied for her PhD degree in Art History and Archaeology at Paris-Sorbonne University, and specializes in art, museum studies, archaeology, and French. When Liu went to Puli Township to conduct fieldwork on the handmade paper industry, she discovered that although there are only six remaining handmade paper mills, each developed a wide variety of paper, and the resulting cultural and creative paper products are exquisite. Liu felt that the hard work of the paper mill industry over the years should be internationally recognized.

She contacted the Musee des Maisons Comtoises, and arranged for the products of Guangsing Paper Mill and five other paper mills to exhibit from September 6 through November 2, 2014. During the exhibition, the paper mills will be able to learn from the handmade paper industry from other countries. Each paper mill will provide 30 different types of writing paper, five 2-D and five 3-D creative products. After the exhibition, all work will be featured in the museum’s permanent collection.

Hoping to increase the visibility of Taiwan, Guansing Paper Mill will provide paper nightlights with the shape of Taiwan as the design. The nightlights are made out of PVC heat-resistant boards and LED light bulbs, making the nightlights extra safe. The outermost layer is then covered with paper. When the nightlights are turned on, the light highlights the design and the changes in the texture of the fiber.

Washable paper is made from the pulp of strong mulberry bark and natural dye made from persimmon. The paper is soft and light, water-resistant, and weight-resistant, and can be hand-washed for more than 10 times. The paper does not tear easily and can be made into articles of clothing such as paper clothing, paper shoes, and paper purses. At present, a piece of water-resistant paper measuring 90 cm by 180 cm costs 27.00USD. Many customers buy the paper for arts and crafts projects.

As for edible paper, it will drastically change French people’s concept of food. Guangsing Paper Mill already developed over 50 types of edible paper made from fruit and vegetable fibers, including pineapple, chocolate, and malt sugar. Eating paper has become a fun food trend.