Uniquely Yunnan

Tourists choose souvenirs that ensure memories don't fade

In Lijiang in southwestern Yunnan province, paper is crafted to endure. Handmade Dongba paper, once reserved for recording the sacred scriptures of the Naxi people, is now earning a place in the luggage of travelers from around the world. A growing number of domestic and international visitors have left the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town of Lijiang with Dongba paper products tucked into their luggage — notebooks filled with travel memories, postcards inscribed with ancient pictographs bearing blessings, and handmade paper lamps whose soft glow will follow them home.