Shandong's school offers paper-cutting class to Russian students

The Fifth Middle School in Shanxian county – located in Heze city in East China's Shandong province – held an online paper-cutting class for students at a school in Russia on Oct 12. 

Chinese paper-cutting is a traditional folk art with a rich history dating back over a thousand years. In 2009, it was recognized by UNESCO and included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for its cultural importance and craftsmanship. 

During the class, Yu Wei – a teacher from Fifth Middle School – presented several great paper-cut artworks from the county. 

One of them, entitled Hua Hao Yue Yuan – which means "flowers in full bloom and the moon is full" – particularly caught the attention of the Russian teens.

The work features China's beloved peony flower – a symbol of wealth, auspiciousness and beauty in folklore. 

Another artwork that generated great interest combined the Chinese character Fu – or good fortune in English – with a fish, symbolizing the wish for an abundance of wealth and happiness year after year.

Yu Wei presents an exquisite paper-cut artwork during the online class. [Photo by Yu Wei for chinadaily.com.cn]

Also drawing attention was an artwork called Rabbit in the Mao Year. It depicts an adorable rabbit, representing the fourth position in the Chinese zodiac and the earthly branch called Mao.

At the end of the class, Yu emphasized the simplicity of paper-cutting.

"With just a sheet of red paper, a pair of scissors and skilled hands, Chinese paper-cutting artists can create an array of intricate designs to express their sentiments about the joys of life," she said. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)