Bo Konglun - Representative Inheritor of Pattra-leaf Scriptures Project in Menghan Town, Jinghong 

Bo Konglun (波空论), born in 1948 in Manjiang Village (曼降村), Menghan Town (勐罕镇), Jinghong City (景洪市), Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (西双版纳州), Yunnan Province (云南省), is the national representative inheritor of palm leaf scripture (贝叶经) craftsmanship.

For more than 70 years, he has dedicated himself to safeguarding this thousand-year-old art—often described as “wisdom engraved on leaves”—and has brought it from the secluded temple libraries of the Dai people to the global cultural stage.

Family Origins and Early Enlightenment

Bo Konglun grew up in a devout Buddhist family where palm leaf scriptures were revered. His grandfather once helped restore Ming Dynasty palm leaf texts in Manchunman Temple (曼春满佛寺).

At the age of 12, he entered Manjiang Temple (曼降佛寺) as a novice monk under Master Bola Jiao (波拉叫). For three years, he studied Dai script, palm leaf preparation, and Buddhist scriptures. Not only did he master the writing system, but he also innovatively integrated Dai brocade motifs into palm leaf scripture binding, creating the distinctive “Manjiang Style (曼降风格).”

Core Techniques and Craft Innovations

Guardian of Ancient Techniques

Bo preserves the 12 essential steps of palm leaf scripture making:

• Strict Material Selection: Only palm leaves from trees older than three years are harvested during the rainy season (June–July), after being ritually blessed by temple monks.

• Anti-Corrosion Secret: During steaming, tamarind and lemon are added, giving the leaves a light yellow tone that resists insects and can last for centuries.

• Carving Mastery: Using a handmade iron stylus (“Lezhang” 勒章 in Dai), he applies the “three light, one heavy” technique to engrave Dai script—tiny as ants, yet sharp and clear. Double-sided engraving requires perfect control to avoid piercing the leaf.

Innovator of the Tradition

• Breakthrough in Binding: Revived the lost “fold-and-link” technique to engrave a 12.3-meter epic, “The History of Meng Xiang Gengkan (勐相耿坎史诗),” on a single palm leaf. When unfolded, it forms a continuous narrative—praised as a “living specimen of leaf painting.”

• Digital Fusion: In collaboration with Yunnan Minzu University (云南民族大学), he built a digital archive of over 500 works using 3D scanning. He even embedded QR codes in leaf edges, allowing readers to listen to scripture recitations by scanning.

Cultural Outreach and Social Contribution

Cultural Ambassador on National and Global Stages

• National Exhibitions: In 2009, he participated in the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Traditional Craft Expo (中国非物质文化遗产传统技艺大展) in Beijing, where his live-carved “Auspicious Sutra (吉祥经)” was collected by the Chinese National Academy of Arts (中国艺术研究院).

• World Expo Legacy: At the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, his bilingual palm leaf scroll “Zhaoshutun and Nanmu Nona (召树屯与楠木诺娜)” was permanently displayed at the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization headquarters.

• UN Recognition: In 2013, he demonstrated palm leaf carving in Geneva during the “Experience China” event, earning the title of “Living Heritage Model of Human Civilization.”

Pioneer in Intangible Heritage Education

• Training Center: In 2011, he founded the Palm Leaf Scripture Training Institute (贝叶经制作传习所) in Manjiang Village, training 15 core apprentices, three of whom are now provincial-level inheritors.

• School Integration: Partnered with Jinghong Ethnic Middle School (景洪市民族中学) to offer palm leaf cultural courses. With over 800 lessons, he guided students to reproduce the Dai creation epic on palm leaves—winning the “National Intangible Heritage in Schools Excellence Award.”

Cultural Tourism and Creative Products

• Tourism Experience: Designed a Palm Leaf Workshop at the Xishuangbanna Dai Ethnic Park (傣族园), where visitors can engrave scriptures and make bookmarks. The workshop attracts over 100,000 visitors annually and boosts local incomes by about 2,000 RMB per household.

• Creative Products: In collaboration with the Juxiang Intangible Heritage Exchange Center (聚匠非遗文化交流中心), he launched over 20 products such as tea mats, paperweights, and notebooks. The “Palm Leaf Zen Bookmark” has topped Xishuangbanna’s cultural souvenir sales for three consecutive years.

Challenges and Innovative Solutions

Transmission Challenges

• Lengthy Training: Mastery requires 8–10 years, with students practicing 8 hours of seated engraving daily. Few young people commit. Current apprentices average 48 years old, with only two under 30.

• Material Shortage: Palm trees grow slowly and must be ritually harvested. Urbanization has reduced planting areas by 30%.

Innovative Breakthroughs

• Policy Support: In 2023, he secured national intangible heritage funding (103,000 RMB) to establish a palm tree demonstration base and acquire laser-assisted tools.

• Scientific Collaboration: With the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中科院西双版纳热带植物园), he developed fast-propagation techniques, shortening sapling maturity from 5 years to 3, and built a palm germplasm resource bank.

• Digital Innovation: In 2024, collaborated with Huawei’s “Digital Intangible Heritage” project, transforming palm leaf carving into a VR experience. Uploaded on the “Xuexi Qiangguo (学习强国)” platform, it received over 5 million views.

Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

Bo Konglun’s palm leaf scriptures are far more than Buddhist texts; they are a living encyclopedia of Dai society:

• Historical Witness: He restored a Qing Dynasty scripture “Leshi (泐史)” at Manchunman Temple, which records Xishuangbanna’s political and economic history from the 13th–19th centuries. It has been included in the China Documentary Heritage Archives (中国档案文献遗产).

• Craftsmanship Milestone: He pioneered the “double-sided transparent engraving” technique, advancing from single-sided to dual-sided narratives. This was recognized in the “Complete Collection of Chinese Arts and Crafts – Yunnan Volume (中国工艺美术全集·云南卷).”

• Dialogue of Civilizations: In 2024, his palm leaf edition of the “Dao De Jing (道德经)” was presented to the National Museum of Malaysia (马来西亚国家博物馆), strengthening Sino-Malaysian cultural ties.

As Bo Konglun says:
“Palm leaf scriptures are not merely words on leaves—they are the cultural DNA of the Dai people, guarded with our very lives.”

With his steadfast motto of “engraving history with an iron stylus,” Bo ensures that this millennium-old craft continues to thrive in both preservation and innovation, serving as a vivid symbol of the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.