Zhang Duotang

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Zhang Duotang, Male, Han, from Guangling, Shanxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Paper-cutting (Ⅶ-16). The tradition is documented in Guangling, Shanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Paper-cutting in Guangling, Shanxi: In local towns and villages, Guangling dyed paper cutting has become an indispensable interior decoration; people use it to adorn doors, windows, walls, and furniture, expressing their hopes for a better life. Guangling County is located in northeastern Shanxi Province, under the jurisdiction of Datong City, and has long been called the “Pearl Beyond the Great Wall.” Local people use the largest quantities of paper cutting at New Year festivals and weddings; the works are mostly made by family workshops and, apart from home use, are sold in neighboring counties. Guangling dyed paper cutting has a long history; according to research, it already took embryonic shape in the early Tang dynasty, developed a distinctive style by the Ming dynasty, and has been handed down to the present day.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Zhang Duotang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Paper-cutting in Guangling, Shanxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Paper-cutting in Guangling, Shanxi: Guangling County, which belongs to Datong City in northeastern Shanxi Province, has long been praised as the “Pearl Beyond the Great Wall”; Guangling dyed paper cutting stands in a class of its own with its brilliant colors, vivid forms, slender lines, expressive power, and fine knife work. Guangling dyed paper cutting is made chiefly by a knife-cutting and dyeing technique, passing through numerous process steps such as designing the pattern, smoking the template, cutting, trimming, and dyeing. By form of expression it can be divided into positive-line cutting, negative-line cutting, folded, dyed, multi-color, washed-color, and monochrome types. Guangling dyed paper cutting covers a wide range of subjects: the twelve zodiac animals, flowers, birds, fish and insects, opera masks, myths and legends, modern figures, natural scenery, cultural landscapes, and scenes of labor and life — rich, detailed, and all-inclusive. Guangling dyed paper cutting was founded by the Zhang family and has now been passed down to the fourth generation. This distinctively local paper cutting is exacting in its dyeing and lifelike in its representation, with unique production methods and materials; it has made an important contribution to enriching and refining the art of Chinese folk paper cutting. The process of Guangling dyed paper cutting is fairly involved: first the pattern is designed, then a smoked sample is used to obtain the base draft; next a knife is used to cut through xuan paper; then dyestuffs are applied dot by dot, layer upon layer, and where necessary multi-color or washed-color techniques are added. Cutting and dyeing are carried out separately; the dyeing proceeds from light to dark in successive layers, so that the colors of the picture are bright without becoming muddy. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Records of Process Steps": Guangling dyed paper cutting is made chiefly by a knife-cutting and dyeing technique, passing through numerous process steps such as designing the pattern, smoking the template, cutting, trimming, and dyeing. By form of expression it can be divided into positive-line cutting, negative-line cutting, folded, dyed, multi-color, washed-color, and monochrome types.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Zhang Duotang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Paper-cutting, with Guangling, Shanxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Paper-cutting in Guangling, Shanxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Guangling, Shanxi as its declared area, and Guangling County Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Zhangduotang (Guangling, Shanxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Zhangduotang · China ICH Official Archive