Paper cut (Zhongyang paper cut)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: paper cut (Zhongyang paper cut)

Applicant: Zhongyang County, Shanxi Province

Project No.: 315

Project No.: Ⅶ - 16

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Shanxi Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Zhongyang County, Shanxi Province

Protection unit: Zhongyang Cultural Center

Introduction to paper cutting (Zhongyang paper cutting)

Applicant: Zhongyang County, Shanxi Province

Zhongyang County of Shanxi Province is located in Luliang area of the Loess Plateau in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. The folk culture in this area has a profound accumulation, and many original human environments are preserved, thus forming the ancient folk culture connotation and art form of Zhongyang paper-cut.

Zhongyang paper-cut is mainly distributed in Nanchuan River Basin, liujiaping area and Xishan remote mountainous area in Zhongyang County. The folk paper-cut style of Nanchuan river basin is exquisite, simple and elegant, which occupies the mainstream position in Zhongyang paper-cut. Liu Jiaping's paper-cut style is simple and vigorous, while the paper-cut style of Xishan remote area is rough and thick, which is related to the mainstream style of paper-cut in Nanchuan River Basin and enriches the characteristics of Zhongyang paper-cut.

Zhongyang paper-cut is closely related to the local traditional folk culture. It is mainly manifested in the local folk beliefs, seasonal decrees, life rituals, myths and legends. There are not only decorative patterns with the theme of fish, frog, snake and rabbit, but also folk paper-cut with seasonal decrees and life rituals, as well as paper-cut works with the theme of folk myths. Zhongyang paper-cut is mostly made of red paper, reflecting the festive and warm folk atmosphere. Sometimes, according to the customs, it uses purple, black, yellow, green, blue and other color paper to cut works. The main authors of Zhongyang paper-cut are the working women in the rural areas of Zhongyang. Paper cut is an important part of their daily life and a concentrated expression of their aesthetic taste and intelligence. Zhongyang paper-cut is rich in the rich flavor of mountain soil and the simple beauty of primitive art, which vividly records the ideal and pursuit of working women. The inheritance of their skills is usually spontaneous, but also in the form of family inheritance. Now the main inheritors are Wang Jiru, Gao Baoxiang, Liu Yulian, Wang Zhongwen, Ma Cuilian and so on. They are over 60 years old. Once these old people leave, Zhongyang paper-cut will face the situation of no successor, and eventually die out. Therefore, measures should be taken as soon as possible to rescue it.