| As a culture, fork paper-cut has centuries-old history, and is passed down through oral teaching inspires true understanding. Its contents include folktales, drama characters, flower, bird, fish and insect, etc. all-embracing and profound.
In Ningxia 1950s, Ningxia folk paper cut was pushed to art palace and got quiet great development. In 1960s and 1970s, more and more people began to participate in paper cut. At Spring Festival, wedding ceremony or other holidays, people show more various paper cut to express their happiness, including old grandmas and little girls.
In 1980s, culture department |
 |
| organized these paper cut artists to |
New Farmer |
participate nationwide paper cut competition. "Spotted Deer and Camel" work from Ningxia Hui nationality woman Hu Fengying was also given an opportunity to give living performance on CCTV. Farmer Zhang Wei had been cutting paper for more than 50 years. His work “Feitian Yuanmeng” etc had been published by many media abroad and home and he ever compiled and printed “Longde Folk Paper Cut” and “Haiyuan Folk Paper Cut.
Paper cut is an epitome of farming culture of China Nation, it ever brought never-failing happiness to people. However, when building becomes higher and higher, paper window is replaced with glass window, paper cut has become a memory. “Cutting Lady” who likes paper cut becomes less and less.
Shao Deshun is a member of China Folk Art Committee and director of Ningxia Paper-cut Association. He said, Ningxia was a place with many nationalities, is cultural mixture. Ningxia paper cut with the subjects of returing one's native place and Huanghe culture developed a school of its own. Now, like many other folk art, it is changing and vanishing with industrial modernization and urbanization.
Many other paper cut artists make great efforts to continue it. For example, Fu Zhaoe edited a book named “How to learn Paper-cut”. Zhang Lixue supplies a gap of Ningxia dyeing paper cut. In 2007 September (Chenfang) China Century Collect Folk Songs, his dyeing paper cut “ New Type Farmer” got first prize again. His wife got second prize with the work “Life Tree”. They make new contributions to Ningxia.
Paper-cut is splendid culture heritage, is spirit fortune created by human. As Ningxia people who love hometown so much, we should make effort on NIngxia paper cut culture. We should preserve, pass on and develop this national culture heritage. |
