What are the characteristics of Shaanxi paper-cutting?

Shaanxi is located in the Yellow River valley, where there are the tombs of our ancestors Xuanyuan Huangdi, the sites of Yangshao, Longshan and Shang and Zhou cultures, and many tombs of the Han Dynasty. The Great Wall of Wan Li and the ancient Silk Road, which are famous at home and abroad, also pass through Shaanxi, where cultures of different historical periods have flourished, such as painted pottery in the Neolithic Age, stone reliefs in the Han Dynasty and stone reliefs in the Tang and Song Dynasties.

Sculpture, painting, etc. This period had a great influence on Shaanxi folk art directly. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, due to natural and man-made disasters and traffic jams, the economy and culture of northern Shaanxi were isolated from the mainland, and the influence of foreign economy and culture here was shrinking day by day. The ancient customs and folk arts in northern Shaanxi, including paper-cutting, have been uniquely and completely preserved in this special geographical and cultural environment.

Simple and kind farmers in Shaanxi seek peace in the four seasons and bumper crops. In order to pursue the power beyond nature and conquer natural disasters, people believe in witchcraft and invite gods to dance to exorcise evil spirits. During the Chinese New Year, people will light a social fire, play suona, beat gongs and drums and receive blessings.

Therefore, the paper-cutting style in Shaanxi Yellow River Basin is obviously different from other areas in content and form. Its main function is self-appreciation and decoration and beautification of its own environment, which is not influenced by commodity value and politics. The expression of paper-cutting is concise, which embodies its randomness, imagery and abstraction. Shaanxi paper-cutting is simple, generalized, simple and solemn in artistic style, and pays attention to the cultural connotation of paper-cutting. Among them, the content of folk paper-cutting in northern Shaanxi always revolves around the three major themes of production, life and life. The paper-cut of witchcraft and folk customs circulating in this area and the paper-cut of catching buns and dolls used by the people to ward off evil spirits are typical examples.