The Historical Origin of Zhongyang Paper-cutting

According to historical records, Zhongyang folk paper-cutting is related to painting in Han Dynasty. During the period of 1984- 1985, Zhongyang County Cultural Center found many Han portrait fossils in the process of inspecting the Han tombs unearthed in Daotang Village of Luojin Town. Experts have proved that many of them are portraits of the Han Dynasty, and there are many patterns about paper-cutting in the portraits, which can prove that there were Zhongyang paper-cutting in the Han Dynasty. In addition, a large number of Song Dynasty costumes were found in Shuiyu Village of this county in the 1980s. The patterns on these costumes are the same as those cut by modern Zhongyang folk paper-cutting artists, which also shows that Zhongyang paper-cutting has reached a quite developed level in the Song Dynasty.

After the Tang and Song Dynasties, due to inconvenient transportation and seclusion, Zhongyang had less and less contact with the outside world, but at the same time it was rarely impacted by foreign cultures, which made the ancient art of Qin and Han Dynasties well preserved here. This simple style is still fully reflected in the works of local folk paper-cut artists. Paper-cutting in the above period is mainly an art form enjoyed by the upper class, which is rarely involved by ordinary people.

Zhongyang County is located in the Yellow River Basin, with fertile land and concentrated population. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there has been a scene of economic prosperity and cultural development in the local area, and Buddhist culture and opera art once flourished. Coupled with the full development of the local commodity economy, the civic class gradually emerged, which gave birth to the rich and colorful local folk art. Of course, folk paper-cutting in this period was more influenced by secular market culture, paying attention to its interest and appreciation value. Paper-cutting skills are more exquisite, reflecting the needs of decoration, and its style is exquisite, gorgeous and fascinating. It can be said that the paper-cutting skills in this period began to move from the upper level to the daily life of ordinary people and began to play an important role in people's daily life.

In the 1940s, the New Culture Movement in the Jin-Sui Border Region injected new blood into Zhongyang folk paper-cutting. During this period, all kinds of folk art brought forth the old and brought forth the new, and folk paper-cutting showed new vitality and style. Everyone is slowly researching and creating new paper-cuts. The types and themes of paper-cuts are constantly expanding, and new varieties are constantly being developed. It can be said that the art of paper-cutting showed an extremely active and prosperous state during this period. Since the reform and opening up, with the attention and support of the county party committee and government to Zhongyang folk paper-cutting, the development of paper-cutting art has entered an unprecedented stage of prosperity. Paper-cutting in this period was not only used to meet the needs of people's daily life, but more importantly, it embarked on the road of industrial development and began to create economic benefits as a cultural industry, and also played its own cultural functions. 1985, Zhongyang county established the paper-cutting association; 1986 National Folk Paper-cutting Research Association (on-site meeting) was held in Zhongyang; 1986 Zhongyang was awarded the title of "Hometown of Paper-cutting Art" by the Ministry of Culture; 1992, Zhongyang county was named "the hometown of Chinese folk art" by the Ministry of Culture.

In 2002, Zhongyang folk paper-cut was included in the key cultural protection project of the county, and the county party Committee set up special funds to protect it. Paper-cut window grilles were circulated in primary schools throughout the county as a manual class. In September 2007, Zhongyang County successfully held the first Zhongyang paper-cut art festival, which made Zhongyang paper-cut art go abroad and go to the world. The county party committee and government have established Zhongyang folk art exhibition hall, and plan to establish Zhongyang folk paper-cut museum. The County Cultural Bureau has also established the Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd. to protect and develop Zhongyang paper-cutting. Over the years, dozens of old, middle-aged and young paper-cut artists have emerged in Zhongyang County. Among them, 1 person became a national successor and director of China Folk Paper-cut Research Association, 2 people became consultants of Shanxi Folk Paper-cut Artists Association, and 8 people became members of Shanxi Folk Paper-cut Artists Association.

These artists' paper-cut works have won many awards in national and provincial competitions, and thousands of works have been sent to more than a dozen countries such as Japan, the United States, South Korea and Germany to participate in foreign cultural exchanges, which have been well received by foreign friends. Wu Yisheng, the former director of the Cultural Center and one of the top ten paper-cut artists in Zhongyang, not only compiled the first paper-cut in Zhongyang, which comprehensively reflected the works of paper-cut in Zhongyang, but also founded a university for the aged, inviting famous local paper-cut artists to give lectures to young people interested in paper-cut in Zhongyang, which made great contributions to the inheritance and development of paper-cut in Zhongyang. Especially in recent years, Zhongyang folk paper-cutting has played an active role in cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, and artists enjoy a higher and higher reputation at home and abroad.