Family in NW China's Ningxia carries forward paper cutting culture

Fu Zhao’e from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is a third-generation inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of paper cutting. Fu began learning the craft at the age of six from her mother and grandmother. Now 61 years old now, she has created a rich series of paper-cutting works covering a wide range of subjects, including characters from classical literature and tourist attractions in Ningxia.

Fu believes that paper-cutting works not only serve as festival decorations, but also express people’s hopes for a better life.

Like her mother, Fu’s second daughter Li Jian has also devoted herself to promoting the art form, by opening a cultural and creative product company that rolls out products such as greeting cards, fridge magnets and key rings with paper-cutting designs.

During the Chinese New Year in 2021, Li participated in the making of a cartoon related to paper cutting, which tells the story of the Chinese New Year. The cartoon was translated into eight languages, and its growing popularity has made her more confident and determined to carry forward the intangible cultural heritage and spread Chinese culture in modern ways.