To deeply implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and respond to the call of "advancing cultural confidence and self-strengthening, and building a strong socialist cultural country," on July 10, 2024, the "Inheriting Millennia, Shining Intangible Cultural Heritage" cultural practice team set off for Gongyi with great enthusiasm. This practice activity aims to uncover the mysteries of intangible cultural heritage from a unique youthful perspective, allowing the younger generation to experience the unique charm of intangible cultural heritage up close, enhancing their sense of identity and pride in Chinese excellent traditional culture, while also promoting the inheritance and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage.
In Gongyi, the team visited Cao Huizhen, a representative inheritor of Henan Province's intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting art. Teacher Cao Huizhen is not only a master of paper-cutting but also a loyal guardian of the Heluo paper-cutting culture. Over the years, she has been committed to the public welfare inheritance of paper-cutting. She has collected and organized a large number of precious materials, edited and published several paper-cutting textbooks and technique books, and showcased the unique charm of Heluo paper-cutting on international cultural exchange platforms. In addition, her weekly public welfare paper-cutting lectures, as well as her active promotion of intangible cultural heritage entering schools, communities, and rural areas, all demonstrate her firm determination and unremitting efforts to inherit and promote this skill. In the interview, she said, "The love for paper-cutting seems to be etched in my genes; it is unforgettable and irreplaceable."
Under Teacher Cao's guidance, everyone gained an in-depth understanding of the historical development of Heluo paper-cutting. Subsequently, under the teacher's leadership, the team completed a simple paper-cutting work—a simplified version of ethnic unity. The work, with five pomegranates as the main body, cleverly integrates fish and peony elements. It symbolizes the close unity and harmonious coexistence of the 56 ethnic groups, as well as the sincere wishes for a prosperous and auspicious life. Holding scissors, everyone followed the teacher step by step to cut out the outlines of pomegranates, the shapes of fish, and the patterns of peonies on the folded red paper. As the scissors moved up and down, a vivid paper-cutting work gradually emerged, allowing everyone to deeply experience the joy of paper-cutting. Many participants expressed that they would bring this precious cultural memory home and share it with more people.