Paper cutting can be seen in many parts of China during the Spring Festival. People paste
patterns on the window, door lintel or desks for the festival atmosphere.
Its difficult to tell when it originated. One saying is that it originated from the religious ceremony or offering sacrifices. The ancient people cut papers into animals or people. They either buried them with the dead or burned them on the funerals, wishing that things that paper stand for could be with the dead. A thousand years ago, paper cutting was used for decoration. According to historic books, women in the Tang Dynasty used paper cut as headdress. In the Song Dynasty, it was the decoration of the gifts. People pasted on windows or doors or used it as decorations on walls, mirrors or lanterns. Some people made a living by it.
 Paper cutting is all made by hand. It is easy to learn the rudiments. Non-craftsmen need only  knife and paper. For craftsman, they need knives and gravers of various types to make complicated patterns.
Paper cutting covers nearly all topics, from flowers, birds, animals, legendary people, figures in classic novels, to types of facial make-up in Beijing opera. Paper cutting has various styles in different parts of China.
At present, there are factories and associations for paper cutting in China. Exhibitions and exchanges are held regularly and books of this kind are published. Paper cutting has changed from decoration to a kind of art. At the same time, paper cutting also appears in cartoons, on stage, in magazines or in TV series.