Paper-cut of Yi Ethnic Minority in Shiping County, Honghe

The Yi paper-cutting art in Shiping County—especially the traditional Huayao Yi craft of the Nisu subgroup—has been passed down through the ages. This art not only carries the aesthetics of apparel but also concretely expresses the Yi ancestors’ cosmology, philosophy of life, and ethical values. Every cut of the scissors on paper is a testament to the spiritual dialogue between people, nature, and ancestors.

I. Historical Origins: Civilization’s Codes Embedded in the Folds of Time

1. Ancient Culture and Ethnic Migrations

• Ancient Origins: The history of Huayao paper-cutting can be traced back to the Dian culture of the Pre-Qin period, rooted in the agrarian civilization and primitive beliefs of the Yi ancestors.

• Archaeological Evidence: The totemic patterns found on Han Dynasty bronze wares, which bear a striking resemblance to contemporary paper-cut designs, confirm the continuity of the art as “engraving bronze patterns onto paper.”

2. Traditional Methods of Transmission

• Mother-Daughter Co-Cutting: In Huayao villages, the craft is passed on from mothers to daughters. From around the age of seven, girls learn by observing their mothers carve patterns on cigarette box paper or scratch outlines on pear bark. By around twelve, they are capable of independently completing complex designs.

• Inheritance Rituals: During the annual “Huajie Festival” on the 8th day of the second lunar month, unmarried girls embroider patterns (such as magpies perching on branches or butterflies adoring flowers) they have paper-cut onto aprons. These are then presented at a banquet for elders’ evaluation, with the quality of the work directly influencing the girl’s social reputation.

II. Artistic Features: Primitive Religion Embodied in Knife Work and Symbolism

1. Knife Technique: The Yin-Yang Layered Cutting Method

• Tool Use: Utilizing specially designed 10-centimeter curved “crescent scissors” along with engraving knives and awls, the craft allows for both delicate 0.2-millimeter hairline patterns and robust 2-centimeter thick block areas.

• Yin and Yang Approach: The method starts with “yang cutting” to outline the shape, followed by “yin cutting” to remove the inner layer. This process creates multiple layers of “interplay between void and solid,” as exemplified in works like Divine Bird by the Fireplace, where the yang-cut lines of the bird’s feathers contrast vividly with the yin-cut blocks of flames.

• Stylistic Principles: The craft adheres to an exaggeration rule of “big head, small body” and “eyes larger than the mouth.” For instance, butterfly antennae are always drawn longer than the wings to symbolize acute sensitivity to nature, while the antlers of a sika deer branch out into nine parts, echoing the ancient belief in the supremacy of the number nine.

2. Symbolic Motifs and Color Implications

• Botanical Totems:

  • Huya Flower: A five-petaled, spiky design, often embroidered on headscarves, symbolizes the descendants of the tiger clan. Legend has it that its petals can ward off evil.

  • Gourd Flower: Featuring vines intertwined with seven leaves and a central cluster of five seeds, this design resonates with the Yi creation myth of the “gourd nurturing all things.”

  • Flame Flower: With its twelve serrated petals typically rendered in red and black, it represents the blessings of the fire god “Ayi.”

• Animal Symbolism:

  • Fish-Butterfly Symbiosis: A composite image combining the body of a fish and the wings of a butterfly, commonly seen on wedding attire, symbolizes fertility and the cycle of life.

  • Four-Legged Snake (Lizard): Often depicted in a posture of supporting the sky with its four legs, this motif is used in funeral paper-cuts to signify the connection to the ancestral land as the soul returns.

• Color Coordination:

  • Although the paper-cut templates are typically plain, when applied to clothing they must be paired with colorful embroidery. The five colors—red (fire), black (earth), yellow (grain), green (forest), and white (cloud)—correspond to the five elements. For example, yellow peonies on black paper represent “earth generating metal,” praying for a bountiful harvest; while green patterns accented with red butterflies symbolize “wood generating fire,” implying family prosperity.

III. Functional Dimensions: Dual Narratives of Daily Apparel and Spiritual Sacrifice

1. Writing History on Apparel

• Headwear: Hats are adorned with “Double Phoenix Protecting the Forehead” paper-cut designs, complemented by 36 micro-cut “sunwheel” patterns symbolizing the 36 hours of the ancient Yi calendar.

• Clothing Fronts: The right lapel is often decorated with “Twelve Zodiac Round Flowers,” each representing an age that is renewed annually. For example, a 24-year-old might wear a “Tiger and Horse Together” design as a talisman for their birth year.

• Skirt Hems: The “River Pattern” at the hem of pleated skirts comprises continuous “vortex water patterns” that record the ancestors’ migratory routes across rivers. The varying curvature of these water patterns among different villages forms a unique “ethnic identity code.”

2. Medium for Communication in Rituals

• Money Tree Ceremony: Constructed with 12 layers of handmade paper, the money tree is intricately carved with images such as “coin strings,” “grain bins,” and “horses,” and features 7 “soul-guiding birds” on its trunk. During rituals, it is dismantled layer by layer from the bottom up, symbolizing the ascent of the soul.

• Jade Bucket Ceremony: This circular paper-cut jade bucket, 30 centimeters in diameter, is decorated on the outside with depictions of “five grains and six livestock” and contains fragments of the deceased’s clothing inside. As it burns, a “Soul-Sending Scripture” is chanted, with the bucket being deliberately cut after each passage until it breaks, symbolizing the soul’s passage beyond boundaries.

• Ritual Taboos: For sacrificial purposes, the paper-cuts must be done with “reverse cutting” (with the scissors pointing inward), and complete human figures are avoided to prevent trapping the soul within the paper. Instead, only symbolic elements such as crowns or shoes are used to represent ancestors.

IV. Cultural Decoding: Revitalizing Traditional Symbols in Modern Transformations

1. Educational Innovations and Cultural Gene Implantation

• Intangible Cultural Heritage Classrooms: In the central primary school of Shaochong Town, an “Intangible Cultural Heritage Classroom” allows children to use modified plastic scissors to cut out the “New Twelve Flower Deities.” Their works are then scanned and transformed into lampshades and bookmarks via 3D printing. Heritage bearer Pu Qinghua observed that children creatively integrate anime elements—such as crossovers with Ultraman and the Fire Phoenix—bringing a youthful twist to traditional symbols.

2. Industrial Integration and Cross-Sector Practices

• Cultural Tourism Experiences: The “Paper-Cut Workshop” in Shiping Tofu Town enables tourists to press paper-cut molds onto tofu wrapping cloth. After steaming, the cloth reveals light brown patterns, achieving an innovative integration of taste and vision in cultural heritage.

• E-Commerce Innovations: Heritage bearer Li Naalu, from the post-95 generation, has designed silver ornaments incorporating paper-cut motifs, such as “Huya Flower Earrings” and “Gourd Pattern Bracelets.” In 2024, these items sold over 100,000 units, with 30% of the consumers being Generation Z.

3. Academic Research and International Fashion Fusion

• Iconographic Studies: A team from the Ethnology Department of Yunnan University discovered through image analysis that the “seven-petal flower” in Huayao paper-cuts bears a remarkable resemblance to patterns on the bronze trees of Sanxingdui, suggesting a cultural marker of ancient Diqiang ethnic groups migrating southward.

• Fashion Collaborations: The Design Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts extracted elements such as “spiral patterns” and “serrated edges” from traditional paper-cuts to create a Yi-themed exhibition at the 2024 Paris Fashion Week, reviving these traditional motifs in high fashion.

V. Inheritance Challenges and Solutions: Constructing a Living Chain of Cultural Transmission

1. Inheritance Challenges

• Aging Heritage Bearers: Among the current 87 heritage bearers, 72% are over 60 years old.

• Cultural Disconnect: While younger generations can master the technique of paper-cutting, they often struggle to grasp the profound cultural meanings and symbolism behind it.

2. Proposed Measures and Strategies

• Pattern Gene Bank: By scanning over 2,000 traditional paper-cuts using AI technology, a comprehensive database is being established. Each pattern is annotated with its mythological origins and associated taboos to prevent commercial misuse.

• Apprenticeship Points System: A points system is in place to encourage villagers to teach paper-cutting techniques to tourists. These points can be exchanged for agricultural supplies, thus linking skill transmission with economic benefits.

• Ritual Scenario Theater: The “Money Tree Burning Ceremony” is being re-enacted in an Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, where heritage bearers perform live paper-cutting and chant the Soul-Sending Tune. This immersive experience helps audiences understand the profound spiritual essence behind the art.

From the intimate mother-daughter exchanges by the fireplace to its presentation on an international cultural stage, Huayao Yi paper-cutting art has steadfastly safeguarded the spiritual roots of the Yi people. Every snip and every cut not only records the passage of time but also imprints faith and civilization—a cultural legacy continually rewritten in the modern era.

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