Shaping a future for ancient craft
1 year, 10 months ago

Shaping a future for ancient craft

China Daily  

Liu Jinglan, an inheritor of Baotou-style paper-cutting, shares her passion and skills with the younger generation. She submitted a flower pattern, painted by one of her colleagues, and they won first prize, which encouraged her to find more outlets for her skill beyond just celebrating Chinese New Year. Her daughter, Zhao Yifan, remembers that, when she was in middle school, every day she would return home to find her mother sitting at a desk, practicing. Zhao, 41, has followed in her mother's footsteps, and since middle school has mastered the scissors herself, majoring in arts and crafts in college and later becoming a paper-cutting teacher at a local children's activity center. "Her pieces look so pretty because all the elements match one another and contain folk symbolism.

 papercutting  pieces  ancient  skill  mothers  colleagues  future  craft  folk  school  zhao  liu  shaping  middle

History of this topic

Masterful Wood Carving: Unraveling the Secrets of Ancient Craftsmanship in Huizhou
Trending News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Masterful Wood Carving: Unraveling the Secrets of Ancient Craftsmanship in Huizhou

China Daily  

Traditional arts and crafts have left a stunning legacy of art in the Huizhou area, showcasing the intricate details and cultural significance of Chinese heritage. Master artisans like Kuai Zhenghua, a 62-year-old national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Huizhou wood carving, meticulously restore ancient wood carvings, revealing stories of legendary rulers and historical figures through clues and observations. Their dedication …

US youths explore traditional Chinese culture in Tai'an
5 months ago

US youths explore traditional Chinese culture in Tai'an

China Daily  

Over 100 international students from the 2024 China-US Youth Exchange Camp embark on a cultural exploration journey to Daiyue district of Tai'an, Shandong province, on July 17. Over 100 international students from the 2024 China-US Youth Exchange Camp embarked on a cultural exploration journey to Daiyue district of Tai'an, Shandong province, on July 17, to experience the extraordinary charm of …

US youths explore traditional Chinese culture in Tai'an
5 months ago

US youths explore traditional Chinese culture in Tai'an

China Daily  

Over 100 international students from the 2024 China-US Youth Exchange Camp embark on a cultural exploration journey to Daiyue district of Tai'an, Shandong province, on July 17. Over 100 international students from the 2024 China-US Youth Exchange Camp embarked on a cultural exploration journey to Daiyue district of Tai'an, Shandong province, on July 17, to experience the extraordinary charm of …

剪纸 The Chinese art of paper cutting
10 months, 2 weeks ago

剪纸 The Chinese art of paper cutting

China Daily  

Li Yinjie creates paper-cutting artwork. You've probably heard about the Chinese art of paper cutting, also known as paper designs, and seen the intricate artworks on the windows. 剪纸 Paper Cutting To begin, let's look at the Chinese name of the art itself: 剪纸 jiǎn zhǐ paper cutting The name will make more sense if you break it down: 剪 …

Yantai's traditional paper-cutting shines in online exhibition
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Yantai's traditional paper-cutting shines in online exhibition

China Daily  

As the Lunar New Year approaches, Laizhou, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province, celebrates its rich cultural heritage with an online exhibition titled Dragon Soars in Laizhou: Enjoying Intangible Cultural Heritage. The exhibition, organized by the local cultural center, showcases exquisite paper-cutting artworks crafted by representative inheritors of Laizhou's traditional paper-cutting. Renowned artist Chen Shuxiang, recognized as one of …

Yantai's traditional paper-cutting shines in online exhibition
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Yantai's traditional paper-cutting shines in online exhibition

China Daily  

As the Lunar New Year approaches, Laizhou, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province, celebrates its rich cultural heritage with an online exhibition titled Dragon Soars in Laizhou: Enjoying Intangible Cultural Heritage. The exhibition, organized by the local cultural center, showcases exquisite paper-cutting artworks crafted by representative inheritors of Laizhou's traditional paper-cutting. Renowned artist Chen Shuxiang, recognized as one of …

Giving folk art a sharper profile
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Giving folk art a sharper profile

China Daily  

China Daily | Updated: 2024-01-26 Dishes with corresponding paper-cut patterns in Pucheng, Fujian province. "I could have done it better," Zhou Dongmei says humbly, as she puts down the scissors and shows the finished paper-cut to curious onlookers. But in Pucheng, we add many delicate patterns and Chinese characters to the blossoms as well," Zhou explains. "When I got married, …

Giving folk art a sharper profile
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Giving folk art a sharper profile

China Daily  

Dishes with corresponding paper-cut patterns in Pucheng, Fujian province. "I could have done it better," Zhou Dongmei says humbly, as she puts down the scissors and shows the finished paper-cut to curious onlookers. But in Pucheng, we add many delicate patterns and Chinese characters to the blossoms as well," Zhou explains. "When I got married, we had a big rice …

Living Heritage: Paper-cutting
11 months, 1 week ago

Living Heritage: Paper-cutting

China Daily  

A pair of scissors, a piece of paper, and a pair of dexterous hands. Originating in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, this ancient form of art has decorated windows across China to celebrate the Spring Festival for generations. Patterns of whichever of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals the new year ushers forth, as well as festive scenes of family reunions …

Paper cutting: An artistry rich in imagination
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Paper cutting: An artistry rich in imagination

China Daily  

A paper-cutting work is crafted in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. Paper-cutting art stands as an integral facet of traditional Chinese culture, boasting a profound history and cultural legacy. A fervent advocate for the splendor of Chinese folk craftsmanship, Wu journeys to schools, cultural heritage markets, museums, and various locales to expound upon and impart the art of paper cutting. While perusing …

Shandong craftsman turns scraps of paper into art
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Shandong craftsman turns scraps of paper into art

China Daily  

Yue Shun displays one of his paper quilling works at his workshop in Heze, Shandong province. "Crafting a paper quilling artwork, particularly one depicting peonies, demands significant time and effort," Yue said, adding that patience is the cornerstone of producing exceptional paper works. "My mom now supports me to create some paper quilling artworks that present Chinese cultural elements," he …

Shandong craftsman turns scraps of paper into art
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Shandong craftsman turns scraps of paper into art

China Daily  

Yue Shun displays one of his paper quilling works at his workshop in Heze, Shandong province. "Crafting a paper quilling artwork, particularly one depicting peonies, demands significant time and effort," Yue said, adding that patience is the cornerstone of producing exceptional paper works. "My mom now supports me to create some paper quilling artworks that present Chinese cultural elements," he …

Ancient Huizhou paper-cutting comes alive in modern life
1 year ago

Ancient Huizhou paper-cutting comes alive in modern life

China Daily  

A model shows off a fashion design by Wu Xiaomei featuring the traditional art of Huizhou paper-cutting. Just walk into the Wu Xiaomei Papercut Experience Center in Huizhou Ancient Town – located in Shexian county in Huangshan city, in Anhui province – and you're bound to be dazzled by the cornucopia of Huizhou paper-cutting works. A leading female artisan called …

Noodle shop owner draws crowds with her art
1 year, 3 months ago

Noodle shop owner draws crowds with her art

China Daily  

Yuan Mei creates paper-cutting artworks in her studio on the second floor of her noodle shop in Tai'an. Yuan Mei may run a noodle shop in Tai'an, but the 41-year-old is perhaps better known as an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage item of Taishan paper-cutting. In fact, the woman still does paper-cutting in the studio located on the second …

Illustrator's cutting-edge ambition
1 year, 5 months ago

Illustrator's cutting-edge ambition

China Daily  

Yu’s home is full of Chinese-style objects. As a traditional Chinese art form, paper-cutting dates back around 2,000 years, to when Cai Lun, an official in the Eastern Han Dynasty, improved paper making techniques. By combining scissors and symbolic red paper, early Chinese paper-cutters were able to display a wide range of patterns, from a single image to symmetrical designs. …

Jinan septuagenarian creates vivid rabbit paper-cuttings
1 year, 10 months ago

Jinan septuagenarian creates vivid rabbit paper-cuttings

China Daily  

Xu Jian's rabbit paper-cutting artworks. Xu Jian, a 72-year-old Jinan resident, spent nearly one year creating over 150 rabbit themed paper-cutting artworks. As an inheritor of paper-cutting, an intangible cultural heritage item, Xu has been creating Chinese zodiac paper-cuttings for 14 years. At the end of every year, Xu exhibits his year-long artworks at different folk culture exhibition venues and …

Shaping a future for ancient craft
1 year, 10 months ago

Shaping a future for ancient craft

China Daily  

Liu Jinglan, an inheritor of Baotou-style paper-cutting, shares her passion and skills with the younger generation. They are also featured in collections of the National Art Museum of China and the National Museum of China, and have even been used by UNESCO as representative examples of Chinese paper-cutting. Liu is also a member of the Chinese Folk Literature and Art …

Carving out a niche
1 year, 10 months ago

Carving out a niche

China Daily  

Mythological figures like Zhong Kui are popular subjects in Chinese paper cuts. "Back then, most villagers didn't have the chance to receive an education, but they could learn about life through stories told in operas," says Gao Tianliang, a paper-cutting artisan in Yuxian. Since local people loved opera so much, but were not wealthy enough to watch it often, many …

The patterns of life
1 year, 10 months ago

The patterns of life

China Daily  

Understanding the deep cultural connotations of traditional designs is its own path to enlightenment, Xu Lin reports. Editor's note: There are 43 items inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists that not only bear witness to the past glories of Chinese civilization, but also continue to shine today. A pair of scissors and a piece of paper — that's all …

Shaping a future for ancient craft
1 year, 10 months ago

Shaping a future for ancient craft

China Daily  

Most of Liu Jinglan's works feature auspicious patterns, such as rabbits, fish, flowers and Chinese character fu. Ten years later, she expanded it into a 30-square-meter studio, where she teaches young students the craft of paper-cutting. One of her favorite works is named Auspicious Grassland, which records the lives of the Mongolian people. "I believe that paper-cutting is not only …

Shaping a future for ancient craft
1 year, 10 months ago

Shaping a future for ancient craft

China Daily  

Liu Jinglan, an inheritor of Baotou-style paper-cutting, shares her passion and skills with the younger generation. She submitted a flower pattern, painted by one of her colleagues, and they won first prize, which encouraged her to find more outlets for her skill beyond just celebrating Chinese New Year. Her daughter, Zhao Yifan, remembers that, when she was in middle school, …

The patterns of life
1 year, 10 months ago

The patterns of life

China Daily  

Understanding the deep cultural connotations of traditional designs is its own path to enlightenment, Xu Lin reports. Editor's note: There are 43 items inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists that not only bear witness to the past glories of Chinese civilization, but also continue to shine today. A pair of scissors and a piece of paper — that's all …

Shaping a future for ancient craft
1 year, 10 months ago

Shaping a future for ancient craft

China Daily  

Most of Liu Jinglan's works feature auspicious patterns, such as rabbits, fish, flowers and Chinese character fu. Paper-cut patterns include bucolic scenery, references to ancient tales, flowers or fruit, animal or human figures, and the Chinese characters for happiness or luck. As a child, the paper-cuts on the windows of her home were all cut by a woman named Aunt …

Shaping a future for ancient craft
1 year, 10 months ago

Shaping a future for ancient craft

China Daily  

Most of Liu Jinglan's works feature auspicious patterns, such as rabbits, fish, flowers and Chinese character fu. Ten years later, she expanded it into a 30-square-meter studio, where she teaches young students the craft of paper-cutting. One of her favorite works is named Auspicious Grassland, which records the lives of the Mongolian people. "I believe that paper-cutting is not only …

Carving out a niche
1 year, 10 months ago

Carving out a niche

China Daily  

Mythological figures like Zhong Kui are popular subjects in Chinese paper cuts. "Back then, most villagers didn't have the chance to receive an education, but they could learn about life through stories told in operas," says Gao Tianliang, a paper-cutting artisan in Yuxian. Since local people loved opera so much, but were not wealthy enough to watch it often, many …

Shaping a future for ancient craft
1 year, 10 months ago

Shaping a future for ancient craft

China Daily  

Most of Liu Jinglan's works feature auspicious patterns, such as rabbits, fish, flowers and Chinese character fu. Paper-cut patterns include bucolic scenery, references to ancient tales, flowers or fruit, animal or human figures, and the Chinese characters for happiness or luck. As a child, the paper-cuts on the windows of her home were all cut by a woman named Aunt …

The patterns of life
1 year, 10 months ago

The patterns of life

China Daily  

Understanding the deep cultural connotations of traditional designs is its own path to enlightenment, Xu Lin reports. Editor's note: There are 43 items inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists that not only bear witness to the past glories of Chinese civilization, but also continue to shine today. A pair of scissors and a piece of paper — that's all …

Traditional crafts shape future
1 year, 11 months ago

Traditional crafts shape future

China Daily  

Many villagers have become inheritors and practitioners of local crafts. An antique tablet first greets one's eye at the entrance to the village that is a 30-minute drive from downtown Langfang, North China's Hebei province. He entered the Nanhan jade-grinding plant in 1982 and got to hone his skills of the craft under the tutelage of Zhou Qingyuan, a master …

Traditional crafts shape future
1 year, 11 months ago

Traditional crafts shape future

China Daily  

Many villagers have become inheritors and practitioners of local crafts. An antique tablet first greets one's eye at the entrance to the village that is a 30-minute drive from downtown Langfang, North China's Hebei province. He entered the Nanhan jade-grinding plant in 1982 and got to hone his skills of the craft under the tutelage of Zhou Qingyuan, a master …

Paper-cutting inheritor displays Party's achievements through folk art
2 years, 2 months ago

Paper-cutting inheritor displays Party's achievements through folk art

China Daily  

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2022-10-11 One of Zhang Wei's paper-cutting works shows the joys of the autumn harvest season. Zhang Wei, provincial-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage item Pucheng paper-cutting, created paper-cutting artwork to celebrate the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which is scheduled to open in Beijing on Oct 16. "Pucheng paper-cutting is a …

Cutting edge of tradition
2 years, 4 months ago

Cutting edge of tradition

China Daily  

Inspired by elements from traditional Chinese literature, icons and imagery from Eastern culture, Ye Kaiyuan creates paper-cutting artworks, balancing the ancient art form and contemporary life. Staying true to the essence of the ancient art form-jianzhi -his artworks explore elements from traditional Chinese literature, icons and imagery from Eastern culture and capture the timelessness of the practice. Inspired by traditional …

Cutting edge of tradition
2 years, 4 months ago

Cutting edge of tradition

China Daily  

Inspired by elements from traditional Chinese literature, icons and imagery from Eastern culture, Ye Kaiyuan creates paper-cutting artworks, balancing the ancient art form and contemporary life. Staying true to the essence of the ancient art form-jianzhi -his artworks explore elements from traditional Chinese literature, icons and imagery from Eastern culture and capture the timelessness of the practice. Inspired by traditional …

Wang Derong preserves paper-cutting art in Binzhou
2 years, 5 months ago

Wang Derong preserves paper-cutting art in Binzhou

China Daily  

The 84-year-old Wang Derong is a representative practitioner of Binzhou paper-cutting, a national intangible cultural heritage item. The paper-cutting artworks made by Wang's mother and sister usually featured traditional flower patterns, such as chrysanthemum and plum blossom, while Wang's artworks included humans and animals. Whenever someone gets married, Wang will be invited to create paper-cutting artworks featuring the Fu character, …

A snip here, a cut there
2 years, 8 months ago

A snip here, a cut there

China Daily  

Li Yang in Beijing and Sun Ruisheng in Daixian county, Shanxi province, tell the story of paper-cutting artist Zhang Yansong, who is determined to take the ancient art forward for the benefit of the people Zhang working in her studio in Xinzhou, Shanxi province. Zhang's grandmother was a self-taught paper-cutting artist, famous for her work which could be pasted on …

Veteran paper-cutting craftswoman's designs impress
3 years, 2 months ago

Veteran paper-cutting craftswoman's designs impress

China Daily  

With a pair of scissors in her right hand and red paper on the left, Ji Yulan, creates the image of a smiling child on the paper within five minutes. Paper-cutting, the traditional Chinese folk art of cutting colorful paper into patterns with scissors or a knife, was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of …

Huanma Paper Cutting brings wealth and prosperity to villagers
3 years, 6 months ago

Huanma Paper Cutting brings wealth and prosperity to villagers

China Daily  

Originating in the northern area of Southwest China's Sichuan province and centering on Huanma town of Guangyuan city’s Cangxi county, Huanma Paper Cutting is a folk art that has unique artistic value. Integrating the wildness of northern China and the elegance of southern China, the brilliantly designed Huanma Paper Cuttings encompass various themes and embody rich local customs. A Huanma …

Huanma Paper Cutting brings wealth and prosperity to villagers
3 years, 8 months ago

Huanma Paper Cutting brings wealth and prosperity to villagers

China Daily  

Originating in the northern area of Southwest China's Sichuan province and centering on Huanma town of Guangyuan city’s Cangxi county, Huanma Paper Cutting is a folk art that has unique artistic value. Integrating the wildness of northern China and the elegance of southern China, the brilliantly designed Huanma Paper Cuttings encompass various themes and embody rich local customs. Huanma Paper …

Young artist inherits paper-cutting legacy
3 years, 10 months ago

Young artist inherits paper-cutting legacy

China Daily  

Chinese paper cutting, or jianzhi, is a folk art which uses scissors or knives to cut paper for festive decoration or other folk activities. Chang Yangyang, a man from the post-90s generation, is an heir to the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage at Mengjin Paper Cutting in Central China’s Henan province. Referring to his studio, Chang said: "It was very difficult …

Young artist inherits paper-cutting legacy
3 years, 10 months ago

Young artist inherits paper-cutting legacy

China Daily  

Chinese paper cutting, or jianzhi, is a folk art which uses scissors or knives to cut paper for festive decoration or other folk activities. Chang Yangyang, a man from the post-90s generation, is an heir to the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage at Mengjin Paper Cutting in Central China’s Henan province. Referring to his studio, Chang said: "It was very difficult …

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