the dao journal
the way of tea —
a thousand people drink the same tea,
but the taste is not the same.
ten thousand people walk the same path,
but their hearts are not the same.
Made from bark harvested seasonally, allowing the trees to regenerate naturally.
Each journal is crafted by hand, designed for zero waste and produced in small quantities at a sustainable pace for the artisans + the environment.
No synthetic additives, plastics, or harsh chemicals — we use hydrogen peroxide to gently lighten the fibers.
Traditionally, Dó paper was sought for its durability, used in royal decrees + sacred texts— lasting hundreds of years.
The Dao people are an ethnic minority living in the mountains of Northern Vietnam — farming villages where thatched roofs mirror the mountains above, and children wander freely through the forest to hidden springs. In winter, the air turns crisp when the bark is harvested from Dó trees scattered across the valley.
Thìn and his family skillfully work the fibers in a process procured from the generation prior. The sheets are pulled and pressed, each laid out to dry. There is harmony in the journal’s assembly as Lý collects and counts pages, tearing them to size, while Ðǎng binds them with hand-spun thread. We laugh as her teenage son wanders about the room aimlessly. This is family — the way of paper.
