This article**[China News Network];
China News Service, Beijing, February 13 (Reporter Jin Xu) The silver knife dances, the red paper flies, and the Chinese paper-cuts add a festive atmosphere to the Spring Festival. For overseas travelers, paper-cutting to the world is a continuation of the flavor of the New Year, a footnote to multicultural exchanges, and endless nostalgia.
With the theme of the Year of the Dragon, Zhang Lili, the representative inheritor of the Wenzhou paper-cut intangible cultural heritage project, spent nearly half a month to complete the work "Dragon Soaring Four Seas" - auspicious clouds are surrounded by flowers blooming, the waves are churning and the cloud patterns are cleverly echoed, and a lifelike dragon leaps on the paper, with a sense of wanting to fly in the air.
How to show the spirit of the Chinese dragon to forge ahead? Zhang Lili pondered the dragon's Shen Yun posture, polished the sketch over and over again, and then expanded it onto a larger size of red paper according to the base sample.
Zhang Lili said that the process of paper-cutting and carving needs to be done in one go, and the overall effect and details of the picture need to be constantly adjusted. A dragon with a vigorous posture and bright eyes is a good omen.
Zodiac paper-cutting is very popular with foreign people. Zhang Lili, who teaches at the Confucius Institute in Washington State, told reporters in ** that during the Spring Festival this year, her schedule has been full, with a total of 9 paper-cutting lectures and experience activities. "I have designed a series of easy-to-learn paper-cut works by combining traditional Chinese elements such as Fu characters, spring characters and dragon patterns, hoping that foreign friends can also use their hands to fold and cut paper, experience the traditional culture of the New Year, and celebrate the Chinese New Year together. ”
Last Christmas, I had an unforgettable time with a family of American friends. When the Spring Festival arrived, I decided to send them my most sincere blessings with a paper cut for the Year of the Dragon. Zhang Lili said that watching them paste the window grilles, the sunlight sprinkled into the house through the paper-cutting, and the joy was overflowing on everyone's faces. "Paper-cutting has brought us closer and deepened our friendship. ”
At the Sino-Italian International School in Italy, a Chinese paper-cutting art class is offered every Thursday afternoon. "The joy of creating paper-cuts piqued the students' interest and their enthusiasm to participate was high. Zhao Yingchun, a teacher at China-Italy International School, said.
To welcome the New Year, I took my children to design a window flower called 'Auspicious Dragon Xianrui'. Zhao Yingchun said that the paper-cut "dragon" is cute and cute, shuttling between auspicious clouds, implying auspiciousness. "While entertaining and educating, I will tell them the historical stories and customs related to the Spring Festival, and appreciate the charm of Chinese culture together. ”
While teaching the children paper-cutting skills, I also share my childhood memories of the Chinese New Year. Zhao Yingchun said that every Spring Festival, she and her younger siblings carefully pasted the paper-cuts in the style of magpie climbing branches and peacock opening to the window, "The house has a new look, carrying our vision of a better life."
Bai Yi, secretary general of the All-Mexico Overseas Chinese Association, said that in the list of New Year's goods, decorations such as Spring Festival couplets, blessing characters, and paper-cutting are indispensable. In Mexico, the Year of the Dragon paper-cutting is a subtle blend of local birds, plants and other motifs into traditional Chinese elements, and the charm of the ancient Chinese New Year complements the warmth and vitality of Mexico.
Mexico also has paper-cutting, which is often known for its bright colors and intricate patterns, and has many similarities to Chinese paper-cutting. Bai Yi said that with the art of paper-cutting as a bridge, he expects foreign people to have more opportunities to understand the celebration of the Chinese New Year and feel the flavor of the Chinese New Year. (ENDS).