Abstract:

The palm-leaf manuscript is a treasure of human civilization， which is the scripture written or engraved on the processed leaves of palm trees. Originating in ancient India， it was gradually introduced into China in the historical period， and reached a period of great prosperity in the Tang Dynasty. Chinese ancestors had a clear understanding of the materials used to make the palm-leaf manuscript. According to our study， the “Doro” （多罗） tree in ancient books should be talipot（Corypha umbraculifera）， while the “Beiduo” （贝多） tree should be palmyra（Borassus flabellifer）. The word “Beiduo”， which appeared many times in Chinese classical poetry， has become a synonym of Buddhist classics. Material evidence of ancient palm-leaf manuscript has been unearthed in many places in Xinjiang， among which Powell’s manuscript as well as Spitzer’s manuscript unearthed in Kuqa were of great significance， with the latter being considered to be the earliest physical evidence of palm-leaf manuscript all over the world. In addition， ancient palm-leaf manuscripts were also unearthed in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang， which was also of great importance. To date， palm-leaf manuscripts are mainly preserved in Xizang， as well as Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province， where they have been well organized and protected.​ The characters on the palm-leaf manuscripts were carved and written， respectively， which should be adapted to their preservation conditions.

Key words: palm-leaf manuscripts, talipot, palmyra, traditional craftsmanship