Chinese Paper Cutting Experience

Mandarin Learning Center @ Chinese Culture University is hosting Chinese Culture Seminars once a month for free. For the month of May is Chinese Paper Cutting using paper cutter. I remember 5 years ago, I attended the same seminar in NTNU but we only used the scissors.
Before the hands on , the facilitator told us the history (handed from generation to generation through oral sayings) of Chinese Paper Cutting. Long time ago, there was a man who lost his wife and he was really, really lonely. A friend gave him a gift, a lady made of paper cutting that sticks to the lamp. When the lamp is on, there’s a huge image of a woman, pretending that’s his wife. From then on, Chinese Paper Cutting became famous.
It was started 2000+ years ago by Chinese, offering it to their ancestors in heaven, or offered to a person who just passed away.
Nowadays, people use paper cutting for giving as a gift any time of the year, use as a decoration for windows or doors, and even accessories for body, umbrella, bags, and  clothes. Artists may now use different colors unlike before, the only color is red!

I learned a lot today! I thought using paper cutter is harder than using scissors. It was a nice experience!

The figure pattern, cutter, and board. The white in the pattern will be removed.

The facilitator, she’s helping me to cut the face… it was difficult for a beginner like me!

My finish product, time to stick it in a colorful background using a spray glue.

Chinese paper cutting is one of the oldest livin arts of the Chinese Culture.

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