Chinese Paper-cut Art
Paper-cut is a kind of artwork cut out from paper. People paste finished patterns on lintels, windows, lanterns and so on, to express joy and feelings of life. Therefore, paper-cut is also called "window decoration".
Paper-cut patterns are mostly drawn from animals, figures, festivals, harvests and folk opera stories. Beautiful and interesting, it is widely popular among Chinese people.
The art of paper-cut can be traced back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It appeared along with China’s papermaking technology, and has flourished all over China to this day.
Southern paper-cut is delicate and elegant, while northern paper-cut is bold and vigorous. Paper-cut art is a splendid treasure in the art treasury of the Chinese nation.
12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
The earliest records of zodiacs: "Sheng" means birth, and "Xiao" means resemblance.
The Chinese zodiac, also known as animal signs, is a traditional Chinese year-numbering system that matches 12 animals to different years. It also formed the concept of "Benming Nian" — the year of one’s own zodiac animal.
The 12 zodiac signs in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
The 12 animals rotate every 12 years, endlessly. Everyone is assigned one zodiac animal based on their birth year. It acts as a unique cultural symbol and carries beautiful blessings.
