An interview team that advocates Confucius culture visited the Zhu Manhua Papercuts Art Gallery at Yantai Mountain to take a close look at the art of papercuts on Sept 18.

Papercutting, which originated in China, has been very popular with the people of China. The first papercut can be traced back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386~581) period. The initiation and spread of papercutting had a close relationship with Chinese rural festivals. People pasted papercuts onto their walls, windows and doors at wedding ceremonies or festivals to enhance the festive atmosphere. Chinese papercuts are rich in content. The auspicious designs symbolize good luck and the avoidance of evil.

Papercutting, with its long history, is an important ingredient of Chinese traditional folk customs. Though papercut art varies, Yantai Papercuts and Jiaodong Papercuts still stand out with their smooth lines and great ingenuity, making it a bright star in Chinese Papercutting Art.

Zhu Manhua, a great unrivalled master in the Chinese Papercutting Circle, is the “Live Card” of Yantai. For the past few years, she has won countless awards at home and abroad. Once there was a joke that as long as Zhu took part in a contest, whatever it was, the Gold Award would be hers.

Edited by Wang Qian(Shandong Bureau)