Chinese paper-cutting boasts a long history. As early as the period of the Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty over 2，100 years ago， records show that someone made a paper-cut of the image of Li Furen， the late favourite concubine of Emperor Wu Di， so as to comfort him in his sorrow. During the Southern Dynasties （420-589） it became a custom to paste well-cut thin silk in the shape of a person on screens for festivals. In springtime， during the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， people would cut coloured pieces of silk， paper or gold foil into various shapes such as swallows， flowers or butterflies， which were presented as gifts， pinned on the hair， hung on willow branches or pasted on screens. It added colour to the early spring. Today this custom is carried on in most households， particularly during the Spring Festival， by hanging streamers on the door jambs and sticking paper cuts to the windows for decoration. Even as a plastic art the paper-cut has its unique charm. It is extremely concise in its artistic form sim...
