Tibetan paper making has a history of over a thousand years.  It's passed down through generations. But some worry the skill may fade if efforts aren't made to preserve it. Our reporter Sean Callebes takes us to Tibet to see the story of the paper makers.

It's the start of a slow, long process that dates back more than 13-hundred years. It begins with peeling away the root of a poisonous plant called wolfs bane. And the end result is an ancient kind of Tibetan paper.

CIREN DORJE TIBETAN PAPER MAKER "It is very precious. For me, my grandpa, father, myself and my sons are all Tibetan paper makers. Four generations of people have been continuing making Tibetan paper."

His son, Puqiong, is carrying on the family tradition in Nyemo County Tibet.  After the root is turned into a paste – and watered down, it's ladled into a homemade mold.

PUQIONG TIBETAN PAPER MAKER "To make one piece of paper, there are 12 different steps starting from digging wolfsbane. One person can only make one sheet a day."

This is what it looks like in the end and this one sheet sells for a little more than 100 yuan – or about 15 dollars. It has a cloth feel to it. It can withstand water and bug infestations and last a long, long time. Dorje says the more ornate paper is used to copy holy scripts –some hang in local temples. The father wants to open a shop his son could run in the city of Lhasa - a few hours away, creating a more lucrative market.

CIREN DORJE PAPER MAKER "I still worry that the Tibetan paper making skill may fade, if we could open a shop in Lhasa, people could see Tibetan paper with their own eyes – they can recommend it to others -- and that will help promote Tibetan paper."

It's hard to imagine something so delicate could be lost to the ages. But Tibetan culture is more than a thin sheet of paper - lots more. In rural Xainza County, Tibet – locals make traditional bazaar clothing – which is on the cultural heritage protection list in Tibet.

DUNBA PARTY SECRETARY, QUBU VILLAGE "Bazaar costume has a history of thousands of years – it is one of the precious cultural heritages of national costume – the government and the people attach great importance to rescuing and protecting this culture."

From clothes to paper, to dance – a rich history, and a desire to stay in step with the future -- while keeping one foot firmly rooted in the past. Sean Callebs, CGTN, Nyemo County, Tibet.