Every year around the Spring Festival, it is the busiest and most fulfilling time for Zhang Lili, the representative inheritor of Wenzhou paper-cutting intangible cultural heritage project.
Lili Zhang is currently teaching at the Confucius Institute in Washington State, USA. For more than 10 years, she has traveled to different universities around the world, and in addition to teaching, she has enthusiastically organized Chinese paper-cutting experience activities to show the world the unique charm of Chinese paper-cutting culture.
The picture shows Zhang Lili's Year of the Dragon paper-cutting experience class. Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
If there is a picture, it must be intentional, and if it is intentional, it must be auspicious".
The art of paper-cutting is one of the oldest Chinese folk arts. A pair of scissors and a piece of red paper shuttled back and forth in his hands. In just a few minutes, the flowing lines cut and pasted together the life experience and hopes of the Chinese people.
In the 70s of the 20th century, paper-cutting was all the rage on campus. Zhang Lili recalls that she used cut lace and patterns to decorate the posters, and every time she won a school award. Since then, paper-cutting has become her inseparable "partner".
Under the guidance of Zhang Lili, foreign people cut out butterfly paper-cuts. Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
Zhang Lili said that if there is a picture, it must be intentional, and it must be auspicious. Every festival or newlywed celebration, people will be beautiful and bright paper-cuts pasted on the windows, walls, doors and lanterns at home, fish wear lotus, pomegranate peony represents newlywed happiness; longevity peach pine tree, turtle crane longevity, symbolizing longevity and health; Magpies and plum blossoms surround the word 'Fu', meaning auspicious and wishful ......
Chinese paper-cutting also pays attention to one go, emphasizing the contrast of yin and yang, the combination of virtual and real in composition, and also paying attention to the dense structure and transparency and balance. Zhang Lili said.
"Celebrate the New Year."
With the theme of the Year of the Dragon, Zhang Lili spent nearly half a month to complete the work "Dragon Soaring Four Seas" - surrounded by auspicious clouds blooming like flowers, the waves churning and the cloud patterns cleverly echo, a lifelike dragon leaping on the paper, and more like a sense of flying in the air.
Zhang Lili's work "Dragon Soars in the Four Seas".
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.
I will participate in the Chinese New Year paper-cutting activity at the library in Pierce County on the 21st, and I will go to Pacific Lutheran University on the 22nd to participate in the Chinese New Year Cultural Activity ......During this year's Spring Festival, I had a total of 9 paper-cutting lectures and experiential activities. Zhang Lili told Xiaoqiao that the zodiac culture is in line with the general psychology of human beings who love animals and are willing to integrate into nature, and it is also accepted and recognized by more and more foreign people. To this end, she combined traditional Chinese elements such as Fu characters, spring characters and dragon patterns to design a series of easy-to-learn paper-cut works, hoping that foreign friends can also do origami and paper-cutting, and experience the traditional culture.
The picture shows Zhang Lili's Year of the Dragon paper-cutting experience class. Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
I want to make friends all over the world through scissors".
In the Year of the Rabbit, I was invited to celebrate Christmas at a friend's house in the United States, and I specially prepared a beautiful paper cut for the Year of the Rabbit. Zhang Lili recalled that her friend happily pasted the paper cuts on the window and enthusiastically introduced the Chinese culture she had learned to the visiting guests.
Last Christmas, I had an unforgettable time with my friend's family again. When I walked into the room, I saw the rabbit window grille at a glance. After asking, I learned that she had been treasured the paper cut-out and re-pasted it until the holidays. Zhang Lili said that when the Chinese New Year arrived, she decided to use a paper cut for the Year of the Dragon to send them her most sincere blessings.
The picture shows Zhang Lili's Year of the Dragon paper-cutting experience class. Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
Watching them put up the window grilles, the sunlight spilled into the house through the paper cuts, and the joy filled everyone's faces. Paper-cutting has brought us closer and deepened our friendship. Zhang Lili said.
*: China Overseas Chinese Network WeChat***ID: qiaowangzhongguo).
Editor: Wang Qin.
Editor in charge: Ma Haiyan.
Arrive at Golden Gate! Two survivors will be picked up.
Taiwanese Internet celebrities were sentenced for filming fake ** in Cambodia, and the Chinese Embassy responded.
Gu Ailing, win the championship!