Paper cutting (Jintan paper cutting)

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

Applicant: Jintan City, Jiangsu Province

Project No.: 315

Project No.: Ⅶ - 16

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Jiangsu Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Jintan City, Jiangsu Province

Protection unit: Paper Cutting Research Institute of Jintan District, Changzhou City

Brief introduction of paper cutting (Jintan paper cutting)

Applicant: Jintan City, Jiangsu Province

Jintan City, Jiangsu Province, is located in the south of the Yangtze River. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, in order to expel ghosts and evil spirits, pray for good fortune and welcome auspicious omens, local people pasted door paper, happy paper, flower paper, Xiwa, Shouxing, Baxian, Zhongkui and other designs, as well as flowers, birds, insects, fish and window flowers. In addition, lanterns, dragon lanterns and paper products were also made of paper, and various decorative patterns were carved with knives and scissors. After a long period of development, the paper-making technology has been constantly improved, which is widely popular among the people in Jintan and has been handed down from generation to generation with far-reaching influence. In December 1993, Jintan was named "hometown of paper carving" by the Ministry of culture.

Jintan paper carving technology mainly includes two aspects: manual painting and hollow engraving. The paper carving works are made according to the rules and requirements of paper-cut. The engraving techniques are widely used, including exquisite and symmetrical lines, clear and complete composition and modeling. Jintan paper-cut products are flexible in format, diverse in carving techniques, delicate and rich in expression, and fine and luxuriant in composition, showing a strong color of the times from the subject matter to the art form.

Jintan paper-cut works show a variety of styles and features, constitute a beautiful folk life in Jiangnan, and become a valuable specimen database in the research of folk handicrafts. Through generations of inheritance and development, Jintan paper has accumulated more than 600 varieties, tens of thousands of works, and has won awards in various exhibitions and competitions at home and abroad. Jintan paper carving is the embodiment of the intelligence of the Chinese people. It plays a special role in promoting the cultural identity of the Chinese nation and strengthening cultural exchanges at home and abroad.

At present, the profit of Jintan paper cutting products is meager, the employees have changed careers and changed jobs, coupled with the lack of supporting funds, resulting in the whole paper cutting industry is difficult to achieve in process innovation and new talent training, lack of inheritance, skills on the verge of extinction, and the prospect is worrying, which needs to be protected.