China has just announced 100 candidates for its "Artist of the year" award, with Gao Qinghong, a paper cut artist in the city of Datong, Shanxi province, joining the select few. Gao has had exhibitions in China and abroad over the years and has claimed many titles and awards and her works have been used as gifts for participants of the International Ecological Safety Collaborative Organization she did one very large piece, "China Celebration", in 2009, for China's 60th anniversary. In 2010, she made a paper cut copy of the "Qingming Festival by the Riverside" from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), which is considered the most famous Chinese paintings in the world, for the Shanghai Expo 2010 and in which has joined the permanent collection at Shanghai's World Expo Museum.

For the "Artist of the year"ther will be 10 finalists chosen from the 100 candidates, by national online poll and professional judges, according to the Datong Evening News.

Edited by Fang Sha and Roger Bradshaw