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China is the birthplace of paper cutting. Fuyang is a city with a long history, rich folk customs and fine cultural atmosphere. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the art of paper cutting had already appeared. The city has also been named a "National Paper Cutting City" by the Ministry of Culture.
Paper-cuts can be used in various occasions. During festivals, paper-cuts are used for window decorations, symbolizing good luck and joy. They can also be used in making loose coverings for the chest or bibs with flowers or birds depicted on the cut paper. They are vivid and clear, combining both northern and southern paper cutting characteristics.
Paper-cuts in Fuyang are mostly associated with folk customs, featuring crop harvests and domestic animals. Local art celebrates the joy of life and the environment.
In 2008, a 2008 square feet paper-cut scroll was sent to the National Calligraphy and Paintings Exhibition on behalf of Fuyang, and was donated to the Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games. People also applied to the Guinness Book of Records for the largest paper-cut. The long paper-cut was made over a two-year span by more than 20 folk artists in Fuyang, using specially made, colorful Xuan paper. It has three themes: welcoming the Olympic Games, celebrating traditional virtues and promoting the great unity of all the ethnic groups.
Since 1978, paper-cuts from Fuyang have been exhibited in Hefei, Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing and Tokyo. The paper-cuts have been included in documentary film by the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio.
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