Festival to spread beauty of 'Hanji'

Cushions covered with traditional Korean paper ‘hanji’ / Courtesy of Hanji Cultural Festival

By Kim Hye-kyung

A quick quiz question: what country has the oldest printed matter in the world? If you answered South Korea, that’s correct. A yellow paper scroll the Mugu Jeonggwang Dae Darani Gyeong has been made around 751AD. Discovered back in 1966, the paper scroll was sheathed in a silk wrapper when founded inside the Seokgatap Pagoda at the Bulguksa Temple, Gyungju in Korea.

The oldest wooden slab print has been preserved in a good condition over 1,200 years. Compared to Gutenberg’s 42-line Bible which has been printed 554 years ago, we can guess how excellent the durability of our relic is. The secret of the well preserved paper lies in the superior quality of Korean paper, Hanji.

Like this, our ancestors have used hanji as something to write on to record information, paint pictures, making books. In addition, the Korean paper has been used in our everyday life. In the past, hanji has been attached on the frames of sliding doors because it was good insulation material adjusting the temperature and humidity. Hanji attached doors kept the air in a closed room fresh by ventilating air. Also, hanji was laid on the floor of Hanok, the Korean style house. It was called Jangpan, and was made with multi-layering hanji with perilla oil on it.

Hanji dolls

However, the ways of Koreans live have changed. Western style houses such as apartments have substituted the Korean-style houses, Hanok. Hanji has been losing its footing although it is superior to western papers in various ways.

Hanji experts and hanji lovers have put their heads together to get back hanji’s reputation. On Sept. 16, the Hanji Committee held a press conference for the 2014 Hanji Cultural Festival in the Citizen Hall, Seoul. It will be held under the theme of “Hanji, emit its light” at the Seoul City Hall Plaza in Seoul from Oct. 9 to 11. Around 300 hanji related companies or organizations will participate in the festival to show their hanji products.

“Hanji is not just for the traditional crafts but will be used as papers for everyday lives,” said Lee Chang-bok, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hanji Development Center. “Korea produces the best quality of the paper mulberry which is material for making hanji in the world,” Lee said.

“The amount of imported paper mulberry from China and Thailand has increased a lot due to its lower prices. But the quality of imported ones is worse than Korean ones.”

Lee complained the current situation that Korean hanji industry faces. The quality of the paper of mulberry varies depending on the soil, and it is known that the soil of Korea is adequate for growing good quality of it. “ I want the whole country and world to know about the beauty and practicality of hanji through the 2014 Seoul Hanji Festival,” Lee said.

The festival is made up of various performances, and exhibitions that will prove the beauty and superiority of hanji. The opening ceremony of the festival starts with Samulnori on Oct. 9, and Gukak, Korean classic music performance and Korean ballerino Lee Won-gook will perform a ballet. In addition, a fashion show will be held during the opening ceremony. The costumes for the show are all made from hanji-included fabrics.

You may think hanji is just used to make hand crafts, however, it is used in a wide variety of applications. Modern technology enabled the hanji industry to make new products such as car seats, socks, containers, clothes with hanji. Also you can get a chance to make or purchase hanji goods such as dolls, brooches, fans, etc. For further information, visit https://www. seoulhanjifetival.co.kr or call 02-766-6535.

The writer is an intern for The Korea Times.