Taiwan · Paper Art / Decorative Craft
剪紙 (Jianzhi)
Jianzhi (剪紙 — 'scissor paper') is the Chinese paper-cutting tradition maintained in Taiwan by Hokkien and Hakka communities — a tradition brought from Fujian Province and adapted to Taiwanese Buddhist, Taoist, and folk religious contexts. Taiwan jianzhi is distinct from northern Chinese paper-cutting in being almost exclusively red (for auspicious occasions) and in the use of layered cutting: multiple sheets of red paper are stacked (typically 8-12 sheets) and cut simultaneously, producing 8-12 identical pieces per cut. The defining technical knowledge is the single-cut folded composition: a complex symmetrical design is first drawn on one folded sheet, then cut through all layers in a single session — the fold providing the symmetry. The critical skill is maintaining the cut's continuity through all 8-12 layers without the paper layers shifting.
Risk level: Endangered · Taiwan national ICH list; China UNESCO inscription (2009) — Taiwan practices independently
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