Cao Hongxia, a fifth-generation inheritor of paper-cutting from Yulin, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, was inspired by her mother's skillful hands when she was little and started her journey into papercutting. She has crafted tens of thousands of pieces that reflect the local customs by infusing elements of local farming culture, architecture and wedding customs into her creations. One of her notable innovations is turning folk song lyrics into comic-style paper cuts that tell stories. Cao has also developed colored paper-cutting and pioneered portrait paper-cutting.
Cao Hongxia cuts paper in Yulin, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, September 3, 2024. Chen Hongyu/CGTN
Cao at work, September 3, 2024. Hu Rui/CGTN
Cao Hongxia. Hu Rui/CGTN
Paper cut features a northern Shaanxi's loving couple made by Cao Hongxia. Hu Rui/CGTN
Another love story. Hu Rui/CGTN
A woman and a goat, made by Cao Hongxia. Hu Rui/CGTN
A woman and a tiger. Hu Rui/CGTN
A woman and a dragon. Hu Rui/CGTN
Two pieces of paper cut feature a girl and a boy from northern Shaanxi. Hu Rui/CGTN
A cat. Chen Hongyu/CGTN
Dancing. Hu Rui/CGTN