Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) As Lunar New Year's Eve approaches, the festive atmosphere in Shiba Village, Duanqiaopu Town, Dong'an County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province, is growing stronger. Red lanterns adorn the streets and alleys, and the character "福" (fortune) is pasted on doors and windows. In Song Bingqian's paper-cutting studio in the village, a 146-meter-long multi-colored paper-cutting scroll, "Ten Thousand Horses Galloping," is on display, showcasing ten thousand lifelike horses in various poses, attracting many villagers and tourists to stop and admire it, taking photos.
This New Year's masterpiece, symbolizing "good fortune and blessings arriving immediately," was created by Song Bingqian, a representative inheritor of the Dong'an intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting project, and his wife Tang Wuxiong over a period of 16 months. "To present the most vivid depiction of the horse, we collected hundreds of horse-themed patterns, repeatedly studying its leaping and galloping postures. We also specially incorporated famous Hunan scenic spots and historical sites such as Zhangjiajie and Yueyang Tower, as well as intangible cultural heritage symbols like Dong'an martial arts into the artwork," Song Bingqian explained to visitors. The scroll, using multi-colored paper-cutting art as its medium, not only conveys New Year's blessings but also wishes for the nation's development to be as swift and rapid as a galloping horse.
Song Bingqian, 70 years old this year, is a renowned paper-cutting artist from Hunan, having dedicated decades to this traditional craft. He has broken through the limitations of traditional monochrome paper-cutting, innovatively incorporating modern design techniques such as multi-colored cutting and collage, forming a unique style characterized by vibrant colors and exquisite composition. To date, over 1200 of his works have been published in various newspapers and magazines, he has won numerous national paper-cutting competition awards, and over 30 of his masterpieces have been collected by professional institutions such as the National Art Museum of China. In recent years, Song Bingqian and his wife have consistently created Lunar New Year scrolls themed around the Chinese zodiac, with works such as "One Hundred Tigers," "One Hundred Rabbits," "Ten Thousand Dragons Bringing Auspiciousness," and "The Auspicious Snake Bringing Fortune" emerging one after another, becoming an indispensable cultural feature of the local Spring Festival. Besides the large scrolls, their studio is also filled with small paper-cutting works such as window decorations, the character "福" (fortune), and auspicious patterns. "These are all prepared as gifts for the villagers, so that everyone can experience the charm of intangible cultural heritage in a festive atmosphere," said Song Bingqian.
Even more gratifying is that this ancient craft is attracting the attention of the younger generation. Many young people and children have taken the initiative to come to his home to learn the craft, and Song Bingqian has generously shared his knowledge without reservation. Over the years, he has trained nearly 3,000 paper-cutting enthusiasts. "The young trainees are very creative. They turn paper-cutting into cultural and creative products such as pendants and earrings, and they also try to combine it with popular cultural elements such as animation, games, and film and television, making traditional skills more appealing to young people's aesthetics and truly integrating them into daily life." Song Bingqian said with satisfaction that the vitality of intangible cultural heritage lies in inheritance and innovation, and the participation of the younger generation has given paper-cutting art a new vitality. (End)
