According to the unearthed relics, Chinese paper cutting handicrafts appeared during the Northern Dynasty (AD 386 - 581) at least. Hence, it has the history more than 1,500 years. At first, paper cutting handicrafts were only popular among the countryside, and the masters were farmwives.

They might do it for their whole lives from teenagers to the grey hairs, creating hundreds of vivid pieces. Today, the art has developed into art forms that can fully represent Chinese traditional folk culture. As the paper cutting combines many folk art forms such as painting and cutting, it can serve as the window for one who wants to know the traditional Chinese folk art.

As a folk art, paper cutting has a strong local feature. Many places in China are famous for their featured paper cutting. Shaanxi Province stresses the simplicity of the cutting. Wei county in Hebei Province and Guangling in Shanxi Province, for example, are well known for their dyed paper cutting, which is of the brilliant colors, and with the most famous pattern of the opera characters.

The paper cutting of Nanjing in Jiangsu Province has the hidden refinement under the skin-deep roughness. As to the paper cutting of Foshan in Guangdong Province, it has the highly ornamental function for its various colors and pattern as well as the fine workmanship. The paper cutting in northern part of Shaanxi Province is also famous.
 
Chinese paper cutting is rich in content from the animals and plants to the vividly daily life scenes. Some of them even are created into a series to telling you an interesting Chinese mystique. Some are cut into many creatures in the world on one sheet with great imagination.

Paper cutting falls into many categories according to their sticking places and functions. There are cutting for window, door, wall, and those for roof and light as well as for marriage and different festivals. Many of them are used during the New Year and marriage to add up the happy and auspicious atmosphere.

Making process

Paper cutting requires rather simple tool that only consists of engraving knifes, scissor and papers but deft skill as well as experience and carefulness.

There are two methods of manufacture: one use scissors, the other use knives. In the scissor method, several pieces of paper - up to eight - are fastened together. The motif is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors.

Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which is usually held vertically. Skilled crafters can even cut out different drawings freely without stopping.

Uses

Today, paper cutting are chiefly decorative. They ornament walls, windows, doors, columns, mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes and are also used on presents or are given as gifts themselves. Entrances are decorated with paper cut outs are supposed to bring good luck. Paper cutting used to be used as patterns, especially for embroidery and lacquer work.