Papercutting

Papercutting is the art of cutting paper designs. The art has evolved uniquely all over the world to adopt to different cultural styles.

Jian zhi, is a traditional style of papercutting in China. Jian zhi has been practiced in China since at least the 6th century A.D. Jian zhi cut outs for have a number of distinct uses in Chinese culture, almost all of which are for health, prosperity or decorative purposes. Red is the most commonly used color. Jianzhi cuttings often have a heavy emphasis on Chinese characters symbolizing the Chinese Zodiac animals.