Liu Yinling

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Liu Yinling, Female, Han, from Pizhou, Jiangsu, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Paper Effigy Craftsmanship (Ⅶ-66). The tradition is documented in Pizhou, Jiangsu. Within the regional tradition and school record of Paper Effigy Craftsmanship in Pizhou, Jiangsu: In some places, straw stalks are used in place of bamboo splints for the armature, with plain cloth, silk, or bark paper as the surface; the colorful cloth platform craft (caibu ningtai) of Handan, Hebei, is mounted directly with various colored fabrics. Color decoration also takes on different characteristics from region to region. The Pizhou paper-molded lion head is a paper-molding craft that arose along with wedding, funeral, and festival customs in northern Jiangsu (Subei). Its forms are mostly based on the lion-head caizhai seen at local temple fairs and private performances, being shaped from paper pulp with a bamboo-spline armature and finished by molding and painting. Pizhou was formerly a key hub of north-south canal transport and a commercial center in the lower reaches of the Yi and Shu rivers; the paper effigy trade gradually took shape with the concentration of population and the demands of the New Year and festival seasons, and in modern times the transmission of the Shi family has been the most continuous.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Liu Yinling is anchored in the documented technical standards of Paper Effigy Craftsmanship in Pizhou, Jiangsu. Within the documented technical tradition of Paper Effigy Craftsmanship in Pizhou, Jiangsu: Caizhai (colored paper-and-bamboo mounting) is a traditional folk craft widely practiced throughout northern and southern China. It is inseparable from folk activities such as sacrificial rites, festivals, and entertainments, and through continuous development it has exerted enormous influence among the people. The caizhai technique is based primarily on a bamboo-spline armature covered with paper, supplemented by painted decoration on the surface. Because customs and local products differ from place to place, the specific materials used also vary. In general, northern caizhai is bold and unrestrained with strong contrasts, while southern caizhai is refined and delicate, lively and lovable. Caizhai products take a rich variety of forms, including festival lanterns, lion heads, opera stages, and models of historic architecture. When crafts such as lion heads are made, they are usually modeled on the opera facial makeup of their place of origin; once completed, they are fitted with cloth, hemp, silk flowers, and other ornaments, often achieving a remarkably lifelike and vividly expressive effect. The Pizhou paper-molded lion head is a folk caizhai art form practiced in the Pizhou area of Jiangsu Province. According to records, the making of paper-molded lion heads in Pizhou already has a history of more than five hundred years. It integrates sculpture and painting, and is connected by a common root to local Pizhou arts such as folk dance, painting, and clay sculpture. Pizhou paper-molded lion heads are used mainly for folk lion-dance performances; they come in various forms and in large, medium, and small sizes, suiting the requirements of different dance routines and movements. They are made with a bamboo-spline armature, paper applied to build up the form, colored-pen outlining, and qingma (Indian mallow) hemp ornamentation, bearing a strong northern Jiangsu local character. The structure is slightly trapezoidal in form, with exaggerated modeling that is vivid and expressive. The five facial features are outlined in color — bright, with strong contrasts. The coloring draws on traditional woodblock New Year prints and imitates traditional opera facial makeup, reflecting the bold, unrestrained, and humorous character of northern caizhai art, in sharp contrast to the refined delicacy of southern lion-head masks. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Shi Rongsheng and the Shi family": Shi Rongsheng comes from the family line and, having studied local modellers and painters, has absorbed many hands into the inherited technique. "The northern Jiangsu manner": His boldly coloured, exaggerated heads are distinctly northern Jiangsu in style; hundreds of his pieces are held by museums and private collectors. "Temple-fair lions as models": Lion heads are modelled on local opera faces and temple-fair lions, then dressed with cloth, hemp and silk flowers until they seem alive.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Liu Yinling was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Paper Effigy Craftsmanship, with Pizhou, Jiangsu as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Paper Effigy Craftsmanship in Pizhou, Jiangsu: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Pizhou, Jiangsu as its declared area, and Pizhou 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. Liuyinling (Pizhou, Jiangsu) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Liuyinling · China ICH Official Archive