Yanchuan Survey | Archive | Samples from the Survey

Name: Yang Qirong

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Han 

Date of Birth: 7/4/1929 

Level of Schooling: Elementary school

Spouse’s Name:

Number of Family Members: 12 

Mother’s Hometown: Gecao

Family’s Main Source of Income: Farming

Family’s Annual Income: 6000RMB

Date Started Paper cutting: When 40 

Date Received Training:

Teacher: Self-taught 

Primary Topics: Window flowers

Other Special Skills: Bitterness

Address: Yanchuan County, Majiehe District, Gecao Village 

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: When I was 24, I learned to heal illnesses. During the Cultural Revolution, I was listed as a counter-revolutionary. Originally, I was a cadre. At that time, I was the district government secretary. Simply because I made some cuttings of things I used to cure illnesses, I was criticized by the Red Guards. From then on, I stopped making them, and have not treated anybody since. In the end, no one cared, so I privately began to revive our religious culture.

Have you sold or displayed your works?:

Name: Yang Hui

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: Han

Date of Birth: 2/7/1989

Level of Schooling: 8th grade

Spouse’s Name:

Number of Family Members: 4

Mother’s Hometown:

Family’s Main Source of Income:  

Family’s Annual Income:

Family’s Annual Income:

Date Received Training:

Teacher: Self-taught

Primary Topics: flowers and animals

Other Special Skills: Singing and dancing

Address: Yanchuan County, Yancao Company

从Briefly describe your paper cutting history: I saw other people making paper-cuttings and I really liked them, but I never had time. This year, I graduated from middle school, and I was very happy to participate in this paper-cuttign survey. I’ve seen old women from the villages who have made huge works that are very beautiful. I also have continued to use scissors, to cut and cut. After a month, everytime I make a new paper-cutting, I can see that they are getting better and better. I will definitely make paper-cuttings as my outside hobby.

Have you sold or displayed your works?:

Name: Hao Bianling

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: Han

Date of Birth: July 1974

Level of Schooling: Elementary school

Spouse’s Name: Feng Xiangyang

Number of Family Members: 3

Mother’s Hometown: Muhe Village

Family’s Main Source of Income: Masonry

Family’s Annual Income: 5000RMB

Date Started Paper cutting: When 16

Date Received Training:

Teacher: Mother

Primary Topics: Window flowers, flowers for shoe soles 

Address: Yanchuan County, Yangjiage (Tutai) District

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: When I was 15 or 16, I began to learn to make window flowers and shoe sole flowers from my mother. All my four younger sisters can make them too. Including our mother, our entire family can make paper-cuttings.

Have you sold or displayed your works?:

Name: Liu Herong

Gender: Female

Ethnicity:

Date of Birth: 1968

Level of Schooling:

Spouse’s Name:

Number of Family Members:

Mother’s Hometown: Fu Si

Family’s Main Source of Income:

Date Started Paper cutting: 1982

Date Received Training: 1982

Teacher: Self-taught

Primary Topics: Window flowers

Other Special Skills:

Address: Yanchuan County, Yanshuiguan District, Xinshenggu Village

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: I’ve loved papercuttings and velvet drawings from when I was small. I really hope to be able to receive some input from a real paper-cutting master about my works. I’ve participated in a few activities. I wish to have more art masters give their precious comments about my work. I also wish to be able to meet Professor Jin, and have him give me some advice and comments. I wish that my works will get better and better.

Have you sold or displayed your works?:

Name: Lu Fenglan

Gender: female

Ethnicity: Han

Ethnicity: Han

Level of Schooling: Elementary school

Spouse’s Name:

Number of Family Members: 5

Mother’s Hometown: Xinshenggu

Family’s Main Source of Income: Red dates

Family’s Annual Income: 4000RMB

Date Started Paper cutting:

Date Received Training: None

Teacher: self taught

Primary Topics: Window flowers

Other Special Skills:

Address: Yanshuiguan Town, Shangsanggu

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: Elementary school level education, learned paper-cuttings from aunt

Have you sold or displayed your works?:

Name: Gao Guilian

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: Han

Date of Birth: August 1925

Level of Schooling: illiterate

Spouse’s Name: Deceased

Number of Family Members: 44

Mother’s Hometown: Longshijiagou Village

Family’s Main Source of Income: Farming

Family’s Annual Income: blank

Date Started Paper cutting: For 70 years

Date Received Training: None

Teacher: Taught self

Primary Topics: Folk customs

Other Special Skills: Embroidery

Address: Yanchuan County, Maijiahege Village

Telephone: none

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: I liked paper-cuttings from since I was little. When I was 4, I got sick and both my legs were paralyzed. My father wanted to throw me in the river and have me drown to death, but my grandfather said: “Being unproductive is still one life, there will still be someone to marry her.” At 12, I was given to a man who was sixteen years older than I to be his servant/wife. I received a lot of the families physical and verbal abuse. The husband died as a soldier when he was young. I have 2 sons and 6 daughters, and my life has been very difficult and hard. Despite this hard life, I still make flowers. Most ideal are “Mrs. Wang Stuffs a Chicken Doll” and “Shiliusaitedan.”

Have you sold or displayed your works?: no

Name: Miao Caixiang 

Gender: Female 

Ethnicity: Han 

Date of Birth: August 1940 

Level of Schooling:

Spouse’s Name:

Number of Family Members: 1 

Mother’s Hometown: Hejiahe Village

Family’s Main Source of Income: Selling shoes

Family’s Annual Income:

Date Started Paper cutting: when she was 50 

Date Received Training: 

Teacher: self taught

Primary Topics: window flowers, shoe flowers, animals 

Other Special Skills: embroidery 

Address: Majiahe District, Xiafuowu Village

Telephone:  

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: My mother’s family was very poor. At 13, when I began school, I learned to help my mom sew and make thread. Afterwards, my mom had me stop school and help her with house work. When I was small, I liked to use scissors to cut flowers. I’ve cut flowers all my life, for windows, shoes, pillow cases, and as decoration. I once made 48 embroidered pillowcases for someone. After making so many, it just came naturally. Now I am just used to it, like it is just something I do.  

Have you sold or displayed your works?:

Name: Liu Zhenrong

Gender: Female/span>

Ethnicity: Han

Date of Birth: January 4, 1964 

Level of Schooling: Middle School

Spouse’s Name: Hao Wenfu

Number of Family Members: 4  

Mother’s Hometown: Fushi 

Family’s Annual Income: 7,000-8,000RMB

Date Started Paper cutting: 2 years ago

Date Received Training: none 

Teacher: self taught 

Primary Topics: Window flowers 

Other Special Skills: Computer graphics

Address: Yanchuan County, Yanshuiguan Town, Yanshuiguan village

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: When I was young, I often made paper-cuttings. After getting married, until now, I haven’t been making them. Two years ago, Feng Shanyun asked me to help with a clothe painting. This survey has renewed my interest in paper-cuttings.

Have you sold or displayed your works?:

Name: Gao Fengmei

Gender: Female  

Ethnicity:

Date of Birth: 9/26/1954

Level of Schooling:

Spouse’s Name:

Number of Family Members:

Mother’s Hometown: Shifo

Family’s Main Source of Income:  

Family’s Annual Income:

Date Started Paper cutting: When small

Teacher: Self taught  

Primary Topics:  

Other Special Skills: Whatever 

Address: Yanshuiguan town, Suya Administrative Village

Telephone: 8449510

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: When I was small, I loved to make paper-cuttings. 40 years go by like a day, everyday I cut them, always practicing, expressing my own thoughts and ideas. I also saved a few of them that I used in my everyday life, things that I see in front of me everyday. Where I am from, I am known as a “master with the scissors.”

Have you sold or displayed your works?:  

Name: He Xiang 

Gender: Male 

Ethnicity:

Date of Birth: April 11, 1952

Level of Schooling:  

Spouse’s Name:

Number of Family Members:

Mother’s Hometown: Suyahe Village

Family’s Main Source of Income:  

Family’s Annual Income:

Date Started Paper cutting: 

Date Received Training:

Teacher:

Primary Topics:  

Other Special Skills:   

Address: Yanshuiguan Town, Suyahe Administrative Village

Telephone: 8449510

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: I know a little bit about art, and I can also say that “A match made in heaven,” I found a great wife. Under her influence, I began to like paper-cuttings. In my village, my wife has is called “the husband sings and the wife follows,” skilled paper-cutter.

Have you sold or displayed your works?

Name: Gao Zhengmei

Gender: Female 

Ethnicity: Han 

Date of Birth: June 1961

Level of Schooling: High school

Spouse’s Name: She Qinghai

Number of Family Members: 7

Mother’s Hometown: Tugang District, Liujiashan Village

Family’s Main Source of Income: Oversee road work

Family’s Annual Income: 5000

Date Started Paper cutting: 31 years 

Date Received Training: none 

Teacher: Mother

Primary Topics: Window flowers, folk customs

Other Special Skills: embroidery

Address: Zhengshuiguan Town, South village

Telephone: 8442822

Briefly describe your paper cutting history: When I was thirteen, I began learning paper cuttings from my mother for fun. My father did not allow me to learn paper-cuttings, he said that they would disrupt my studies and refused to give me money to buy paper. So, I sold the flowers in my window and used the money to buy paper, and continued to practice. I won a third place award at the Yanyuanhui competition.

Have you sold or displayed your works?: My works “Staring at Chenglong” and “Hundred Ravens Fight for Food” won third place at the Yayuanhui competition.