Paper-cutting · Chinese Craft Stories

01 · Historical Records

Juxian in Shandong Province has had the custom of pasting guomenjian (door-way papercuts) at the Spring Festival since ancient times; it has been handed down to the present and its history is very long. Before the Qing dynasty, guomenjian consisted only of cut tassels and patterns, and their making was relatively simple. From the early years of the Republic of China to the present, guomenjian have mostly been carved by folk artists following templates.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Juxian guomenjian is an excellent folk art form deeply loved by the local people and a representative work of the papercutting art of the Juxian region. Through the inheritance of folk artists of successive generations, its carving craft has gradually taken on a fairly fixed pattern. Today guomenjian are made on the principle of "borrowing from the past to open up the present": a design is drawn to the agreed dimensions; a template is carved from kraft paper, cardboard, thick paper or sack paper; various cutting tools are made by craftsmen according to the lines of the design; a wax tray is made from a wooden board, paraffin and sawdust; coloured paper is cut to size; the template is laid on the coloured paper and then placed on the wax tray; and the piece is carved with the various tools, sometimes struck with a wooden mallet. The finishing of guomenjian can be divided into single-colour, multi-colour and overprinting processes. In the overprinting method, sheets of coloured paper are stacked together and carved on the wax tray; after carving, the colours, positions and patterns of the papers are swapped so that solid shapes fill the void shapes — a technique known as "huan tangzi" (changing the panels). The back is pasted with paper scraps so that the colours become richer and more orderly. Its subjects are wide-ranging and its forms diverse, with handsome compositions and vivid colours. It is adept at using symbolism, homophony and allegory to express the people's pursuit of and longing for a better life, fully reflecting the ingenuity and aesthetic taste of the working people, and it can provide material for research in history, folk custom, handicraft and other fields. In former times Juxian had numerous people engaged in the making of guomenjian; where practitioners were concentrated, artists were often transmitted continuously through five or more generations. As urbanization has accelerated further, many people in Juxian have moved into apartment buildings, and the custom of pasting guomenjian is fading day by day. Under these changed circumstances the making of guomenjian has become increasingly market-oriented and commercialized, causing some traditional patterns to change or disappear; works of unadulterated flavour are ever harder to find.

Wax pad and carving knives

The main tools: a wax pad of wood board, paraffin and sawdust, a template, and knives carved to the pattern's lines, sometimes struck with a mallet.

Huan Tangzi (swapping the chamber)

The key step of polychrome guomenqian: coloured sheets are cut stacked, then swapped in colour, position and motif so solid shapes fill voids, the back being pasted over.

Making the template and ordering the knives

A design is sized first, then a template cut from kraft paper, board or thick paper, and knives forged to follow the pattern's lines.

Monochrome, multicolour and inlay

Guomenqian work falls into monochrome, multicolour and inlay methods, the last best showing Juxian craftsmen's command of colour.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Juxian guomenjian has its main production area in the county seat and the surrounding townships; in former times there were many practitioners, and artists' families were often transmitted continuously through five or more generations, forming a mode of production organised by household, with work divided according to templates and cutting tools. Guomenjian are pasted along the top of the door lintel, accompanying Spring Festival couplets, door gods and window flowers. In the overprinting craft, sheets of coloured paper are stacked on the wax tray and carved together; after carving, the colours, positions and patterns of the papers are swapped so that solid shapes fill the void shapes, a technique known locally as "huan tangzi". Apart from the Spring Festival, the people of Juxian also paste guomenjian on occasions such as weddings, beam-raising ceremonies and birthday celebrations. Subjects mostly use homophony, symbolism and allegory, and the patterns are suited to the room widths and the door and window dimensions of rural houses.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

From subject matter to artistic form, guomenjian exude a strong local flavour; suited to farmers' aesthetic sense and the characteristics of rural dwellings, they possess wide popularity and a basis in folk transmission. At present most young people in Juxian are unwilling to learn and carry on this ancient folk handicraft; the carving craft of guomenjian lacks successors and is on the verge of extinction, so the moment for rescue is critical.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Paper-cutting (Ju, Shandong) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗