Recently, the Dong’an community in Yishui County organized a “Heritage of Intangible Cultural Heritage” parent-child paper-cutting activity. At the event, children carefully folded and cut paper, experiencing the unique charm of paper-cutting art through the sound of scissors. With their imagination in full swing, vivid and festive paper-cut artworks quickly took shape.
As one of the treasures of Chinese traditional culture, paper-cutting art has been included in the list of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage and the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. “The paper-cutting activity is of great significance for inheriting and promoting our country’s intangible cultural heritage. It allows more children to experience the unique charm of paper-cutting art up close and enhances their understanding of intangible cultural heritage,” said Fang Xiaona, a parent of one of the students.
With the spread and promotion of paper-cutting culture, the community of paper-cutting enthusiasts is growing larger. Paper-cutting practitioners make full use of the paper-cutting exhibition hall provided by the community and engage in the cultural construction of new rural areas. They have also organized volunteer service groups for paper-cutting.
“For middle-aged and elderly women in the village, we offer free teaching and production. It not only enriches the cultural life of the community and facilitates the inheritance of paper-cutting culture but also provides a certain economic income,” said Chen Xiaojun, a resident of Yicheng Street. Chen Xiaojun’s paper-cut artworks, such as “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” and “Good Fortune and Longevity,” as well as Chen Yonghong’s works, such as “Abundance and Prosperity” and “Peace and Good Luck,” have won multiple awards.
Yishui paper-cutting, crafted by hand, mainly features the color red. The selected patterns mostly carry auspicious meanings and express people’s aspirations for a good life, reflecting a simple aesthetic concept. Yishui paper-cutting encompasses a wide variety and patterns, with Joy Flowers, Cake Flowers, and Window Flowers being typical representatives. Joy Flowers are often used in weddings, with large red paper cut into patterns of happiness and blessings. Cake Flowers are decorative flowers placed on cakes that young girls bring to their in-laws’ homes upon marriage. Window Flowers are the most common and popular, used for decorating new houses or during festivals.