Bhutanese paper making is a craft that has barely changed in centuries. The paper, called deh-sho, is made from the bark of the daphne shrub, and it is strong enough to last for generations in prayer books.
At a small paper workshop in Thimphu, you watch each step and then make a sheet of your own.
Workers soak and boil the bark, then beat it into a soft pulp. Next, you dip a bamboo screen into a vat of pulp and lift it out evenly, which takes a gentle hand.
Afterwards, you press and dry your sheet, and you can add flower petals for decoration. In addition, the shop sells notebooks, cards and lampshades made from the same paper. The paper is also used for prayer flags, official documents and the scrolls kept in temples, so every sheet carries a little of Bhutan’s history.
Like every part of your trip, this experience is private, with your own guide and driver. We plan it around your pace, the weather and local events, and your guide translates and explains the meaning behind everything you see, so you always feel welcome.
It is an easy stop on our Thimphu sightseeing tour or our 7-day Bhutan itinerary. You can also pick it on our curate your own trip page, and we will fit it into the right day. For more ideas, see all our Bhutan cultural activities.
For other crafts to see, visit Bhutan’s official tourism site.
Yes. Your sheet is dry by the end of the visit or the next morning.
Yes. Children enjoy dipping the screen and adding flowers.
Every activity can be added to any of our private tours. Tell us what you would like, and we fit it into the right day.
Curate your trip Ask us