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Hubei paper-cutting

(english.hbwh.gov.cn)

Updated: 2011-12-02

The paper-cutting, one of the most typical Chinese folk arts, is a kind of manual art to express the public’s feelings by cutting paper with knives and scissors.

Paper-cutting in Hubei province is made by cutting and sculpting.

The northwest of the province is famous for cutting, such as paper flowers decorating windows, doors, lamps used in festivals, insoles as love token and the paper flowers with Chinese character " xi" (happiness) on it for wedding. These paper-cuttings, cut according to one's wishes, are exquisite though they are cut casually, amazing and romantic.

The middle and southeast of the province boasts for sculpting, like ornaments of paper flowers on shoes, hats, pillows, wallets and shawls worn on wedding day. The paper-cutting of this sort features refinedness, excellence and vividness.

Among all the paper-cuttings, the patterned paper-cutting of Xiaogan, Ezhou and Xiantao(cities in Hubei province) is the most representative.

The white paper-cuttings exhibited here are traditional patterned paper-cuttings, practical and decorative. They, as the artwork of life, demonstrate their good wishes and feelings, and as the vivid carrier of the folk arts, they represent the gorgeous history of paper-cutting of Hubei.

Also,there are some modern paper-cuttings, which are developed and innovated based on the traditional ones. Skillful men and folk artists, who are influenced by the local culture,are good at showing their feeling toward life and their love to the hometown by adopting brighter colors and more techniques.

The paper-cutting of Hubei province is rated on list national intangible cultural heritage and is under nation's key protection. We hope that the spirit it embraced can be shared by the whole world and it can be a bridge of art to let people all over the world to understand more about Hubei and China.