Cutting remarks: The hidden meanings of festive decorations

A tradition of the upcoming Spring Festival is to stick paper-cut decorations on windows and doors, and hang lanterns to usher in blessings and good luck for the coming year. The all-red effect in the house creates a joyful atmosphere for family gatherings.

Paper-cutting was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006 and made UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

The simple combination of scissors and paper, after folding, drawing and cutting, can create sophisticated pictures in mere minutes in the hands of craftspeople - a skill passed down from generation to generation for more than 1,500 years.