Fu Zhao'e, 61 years old, is the third-generation inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting. She has been learning the craft from her grandmother and mother since the age of 6. In Fu Zhao'e's eyes, paper-cutting is not only a festive decoration but also a carrier of people's expectations for a better life, conveying happiness and hope.
Fu Zhao'e (first from left) and her family display their paper-cutting works.Â
Fu Zhao'e explains the cultural connotations of the ox to her grandson.
Fu Zhao'e is creating a paper-cutting work.Â
Fu Zhao'e is guiding her grandson in paper-cutting.Â
"Have some sweet rice balls, have some sweet rice balls, my sweet rice balls are round and sweet." Before the arrival of the Lantern Festival, Fu Zhao'e, a national-level representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage from Ningxia, was telling her young grandson the story of reunion depicted in her paper-cuttings.
Fu Zhao'e, 61 years old, is the third-generation inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting. She has been learning the craft from her grandmother and mother since she was 6 years old. "My mother was the 'flower-cutting woman' in the village. During festivals and weddings, she would exchange eggs for red paper and cut a few window decorations to send blessings to our neighbors," Fu Zhao'e said. In her eyes, paper-cutting is not only a festive decoration but also a carrier of people's expectations for a better life, conveying happiness and hope.
In the Year of the Ox, Fu Zhao'e created many works featuring oxen, with images ranging from simple and honest to cute and even majestic. Over the decades of paper-cutting, Fu Zhao'e has explored a wide range of subjects, including characters from famous novels, real-life experiences, and scenic spots in Ningxia, all of which come to life under her skillful hands.
Fu Zhao'e's second daughter, Li Jian, is the fourth-generation inheritor of the family's paper-cutting skills. After graduating from university in 2009, Li Jian returned to Ningxia to start a cultural and creative company, integrating her mother's paper-cutting art into various products. "Greeting cards, refrigerator magnets, keychains—these cultural and creative products can convey the style of paper-cutting art and the connotations of traditional culture in a more accessible way," Li Jian said.
During the Spring Festival of the Year of the Ox, the paper-cutting animation "Celebrating the New Year," which Li Jian participated in planning, was widely popular and broadcast in eight languages worldwide. The short film combines Fu Zhao'e's paper-cutting works with two-dimensional animation to tell the story of the Chinese New Year, conveying the themes of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, as well as gratitude and blessings.
"The widespread dissemination of 'Celebrating the New Year' has made me realize that we must use modern thinking to spread traditional 'living heritage' culture more widely and share our culture of blessings, filial piety, and festivals with the world," Li Jian said confidently when talking about her future plans.
Although Fu Zhao'e and Li Jian sometimes have disagreements over the innovative forms of paper-cutting, their determination to spread Chinese traditional culture remains unchanged. "We must let the culture of paper-cutting shine," the mother and daughter said in unison.