Paper-cuts

Many westerners are found of Chinese paper-cuts, because they are pretty and exquisite with a unique oriental style. Indeed, Chinese paper-cuts help viewers to feel the real daily life and a festive atmosphere.

The making of paper-cuts is a popular folk art with a history of more than 2 000 years in China. In the hands of an artesian, a piece of red or other colored paper can be turned into any of a wide variety of patterns with the help of a knife or a pair of scissors.

Chinese paper0cutd are mostly created by women in rural areas. The designs are familiar ones close to peasant’s life, such as fowls, domestic animals, crops, flowers, birds, babies, episodes from local operas, auspicious symbols, etc. They are used o the Chinese Lunar New Year or other festivals, usually pasted on windowpanes, door lintels, walls, ceilings, lamps, etc. Some are used as copies for embroidery. Their elegant lines and pleasing imagines add delight and festivity to the life of ordinary Chinese people. Paper-cuts fall into two categories: the simple and natural single-colored ones, and the gorgeous and colorful ones. As custom varies from place to place, paper-cuts of different regions are different in style. Well-known paper-cuts in China are those for windowpanes from Shaanxi Province, figurines of local operas from Weixian County of Hebei Province, and paper-cuts used as embroidery copies among the ethnic minorities in southern China. Rich in content, great in variety, paper-cuts serve to people’s life more beautiful.

Chinese paper-cut has been listed as one of the world’s cultural heritages by UNSCO.