Each year red colored paper is carved into auspicious patterns to welcome the spring. More than a millennia-old craft, paper cutting is a cultural code ingrained in the Chinese DNA. A thin sheet of paper conveys the folk traditions of generations, emanating the warmth of everyday life. It incorporates yin and yang as well as light and shadow. But how has this ancient art found new meaning in the modern age? The secret lies in the motion of the scissors.
A fine papercut begins first with its design. This small piece of paper must incorporate traditional auspicious patterns with a certain theme — this is a great test of one’s creativity.
Zhou Shuying, Representative Inheritor of the National Intangible Culture Heritage Yuxian Paper Cutting
Zhou Shuying, representative inheritor of the national intangible cultu re heritage Yuxian Paper Cutting, began learning this craft from her father when she was around 5 years old. Yuxian Paper Cutting involves a complex process. From design to completion, it goes through the three major steps of line drawing, engraving, and coloring. These seemingly simple steps include over 20 intricate procedures that are closely interconnected.
As the Spring Festival approaches, paper cutting becomes part of the festive atmosphere. Every year, Zhou creates a zodiac-themed papercut to add rich symbolism and good wishes for the new year. For her, paper cutting is more than a craft, it's a responsibility to pass on this legacy.
Cui Xiaoqing, Contemporary Artist
Meanwhile, this ancient art is being reimagined in new forms hundreds of kilometers away in Beijing. For the contemporary artist Cui Xiaoqing, papercutting is almost second nature for him.
For Cui Xiaoqing, paper cutting is a great treasure. It’s not only an artful decoration for everyday life but also a living repository of cultural heritage. However, as lifestyles are changing and fewer people hang papercuts on their windows, how can this ancient art be reimagined to resonate with contemporary world? Cui has boldly expanded the dimensions of paper cutting. Through a work titled Peach Blossom Tree, he is creating more connections between people and papercuts by bringing this ancient art form into public spaces.
Cui Xiaoqing breaks through the two-dimensional nature of paper cutting. His installation gives this delicate form new resilience, one that stands firm in winter winds and, in the sunlight, seems to release the fragrance of peach blossoms. In this moment, the past merges with the present, revealing the poetic and romantic essence of cultural heritage.
From the window decorations of Yuxian County to the wish-bearing peach blossoms, from a symbol of family reunion to urban public art, paper cutting is like a long, heartfelt letter whose message never fades.
Succeeding generations have preserved this art with their passion and devotion, expanding its value with their unbounded creativity. Looking at the flowers blooming on the paper, can you smell the warmth and fragrance from life itself?
This project is a special feature of China Bouquet x The Chain of Civilization. “Chain of Civilization” (officially titled Chain of Civilization - A Digital Intangible Cultural Heritage Co-Creation Initiative) aims to build a digital bridge for sharing Chinese culture and fostering cross-cultural dialogue. The 2026 Spring Festival event marks the project's global debut. Centered on traditional Chinese paper-cutting and tailored to diverse international audiences, the initiative leverages cutting-edge digital technologies to present China's intangible cultural heritage in innovative ways—inviting people to rediscover the living traditions woven into everyday life.
Producer Xu Rong
Executive Producer Min Lingchao
Line Producer Liu Pengfei
Chief Director Xu Baicheng
Director Feng Nan
Cinematographer Feng Nan Ma Bohan
Screenwriter Fu Lang
Film Editor Feng Nan
Translator Lundquist Zachary Gordon
Proofreader Sun Lei
Publicity Fu Lang
Film Prologue Chi Dawei
Art Designer Si Cheng
Composer Du Mo
Acknowledgements
Civilization Chain Organizing Committee（CCOC）
Beijing Poly Art Co., Ltd.
Nan Chi Zi Museum
Produced by
China Internet Information Center