Guangling paper-cutting has a long history, and its origins can be traced back to King Zhou Cheng who cut the tung leaves into "gui" shapes and gave them to his younger brother Shuyu, and named him the king of Tang Dynasty. This tung leaf "Gui" is the earliest paper-cut product that appeared in the land of Sanjin and has a history of more than 3,000 years. According to expert research, the prototype of Guangling paper-cutting can be traced back to the early Tang Dynasty. "The gold-engraved work was popular in Jing customs, and the ribbon-cutting introduced Jin style to people." This is exactly the poet Li Shangyin's true portrayal of Guangling paper-cutting at that time. Its formation was around the Ming Dynasty. The unique style matured during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, and it was passed down and became the epitome of Shanxi paper-cutting.
Guangling paper-cutting, commonly known as window grilles, evolved from the traditional embroidery craft of the Han people. In Guangling countryside, almost every common person can cut window grilles. When I am busy with crops, once I have some free time, I pick up my scissors and carve out the paper-cut works that have already been formed in my mind. For many years, during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival, when local people paint their houses and put on new window paper, in order to add some festive color, many families have to cut window grilles to decorate the windows to express their longing for a better life. Although Guangling's paper-cutting is famous far and wide, she is still like a beautiful girl "hiding in the boudoir" and cannot step out of the curtain to show her unique artistic charm. Before 2006, there were only two workshop-style paper-cutting companies, Zhang Duotang and Gao Qinghong, struggling to maintain the survival and inheritance of Guangling paper-cutting. The inheritance and development of Guangling paper-cutting is difficult and is in danger of being lost. In 2006, the Guangling County Party Committee and County Government included the paper-cutting industry into the county's cultural construction plan and the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan", and took effective measures to increase the discovery, protection and inheritance of paper-cutting art, making Guangling paper-cutting This folk art treasure has been rediscovered.
Zhang Duotang, the fourth generation descendant of the founding family of Guangling paper-cutting, shouldered the heavy responsibility. He took the lead in establishing Guangling Paper-cutting Culture and Art Development Co., Ltd. and built China's only national-level intangible cultural heritage industrial park for paper-cutting. ——China Guangling Paper-cutting Cultural Industrial Park and China’s first Paper-cutting Art Museum. Guangling paper-cutting has gradually formed a complete cultural industry chain from research and development, production, packaging, training, observation and sales. This builds a platform for Guangling paper-cutting to go out of Shanxi and go global.
In response to the shortage of paper-cutting talents, Guangling County established China's first paper-cutting training school - Datong Guangling Paper-cutting Vocational and Technical School, effectively solving the problem of a shortage of artists. A series of preferential policies have been introduced to encourage and support young people to actively participate in the paper-cutting industry. Guangling paper-cutting training class has trained more than 700 students, laying a talent foundation for the inheritance and development of Guangling paper-cutting art.
With the establishment and growth of paper-cutting art companies such as Qinghong Paper-cutting Company and Huihua Art Development Company, Guangling Paper-cutting has gradually formed product research and development, production, exhibition and sales, talent training, paper-cutting art museum, and paper-cutting. The new cultural industry pattern of the cultural experience park. Driven by the "company + base + farmers" business model, Guangling County has 1,480 households and more than 2,500 farmers engaged in the paper-cutting industry, with an average household income of more than 8,000 yuan. In 2009, Guangling County's paper-cut sales revenue reached 35 million yuan, accounting for 3% of the county's GDP.
In June 2006, "Guangling Paper-cutting" became a registered trademark, and the development of Guangling paper-cutting industry had a protective umbrella. "Good wine is also afraid of deep alleys." In order to let Guangling paper-cutting go out of the house and have greater influence, Guangling paper-cutting has participated in China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Expo, Shanxi (Shanghai) Economic Cooperation Project Promotion Conference, Shanxi (Hong Kong) Investment Fair and Shanxi Province Intangible cultural heritage protection achievements exhibition and other large-scale exhibitions, and extensive folk cultural exchanges with Germany, the United States, Japan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. At the same time, Guangling County, CCTV Tourism TV and Shanxi Satellite TV produced programs such as "Guangling Paper-cutting" and "Guangling Paper-cutting Cultural Industrial Park" respectively, created the "China Guangling Paper-cutting Art" website, and registered a mobile domain name network. It has greatly improved the popularity of Guangling paper-cutting.
The successful holding of the 3rd China·Datong·Guangling International Paper-cutting Art Exhibition in 2007 made Guangling paper-cutting famous at home and abroad. The brand effect of Guangling paper-cutting was highlighted. Guangling County was praised by Eastern and Western artists. The association awarded it the title of "Hometown of International Paper-cutting Art".
In 2010, Guangling paper-cutting, a Chinese art treasure, finally appeared at the Shanghai World Expo. Through displays, performances and sales, people all over the world have appreciated the artistic charm of Guangling paper-cutting. After the famous scholar Yan Chongnian saw Guangling paper-cutting, he wrote "Guangling paper-cutting shines on the world". The most important thing about art is innovation. Art without innovation lacks vitality. Guangling paper-cutting is moving forward in innovation and exploration. The modern new realistic multi-layer paper-cut developed by Guangling County Huihua Folk Culture and Art Development Co., Ltd. integrates various art forms and greatly expands the expression space of paper-cut art. This innovative form has obtained a national intellectual property patent. The company's carefully designed and produced paper-cut portrait of U.S. President Obama was highly recognized by Obama. Guangling Paper-cut Collection Volume "Eight Major Cultural Brands of Shanxi" won the Special Award, the highest award at the 5th International Paper-cut Art Festival.
Based on market demand, Guangling paper-cutting continues to introduce new ones. The varieties, styles, and specifications have expanded from dozens to thousands. The content has also developed from posting decorations to fashion crafts, tourist souvenirs, and paper-cut scrolls. Art treasures and national-level gifts with ornamental, collection and practical value.
In 2009, Guangling Paper-cutting signed an 8 million yuan supply and marketing agreement with Hong Kong Yuhua International Trade Co., Ltd.; at the 6th China International Cultural Industry Expo in 2010, Guangling Paper-cutting not only signed a supply and marketing agreement with Hong Kong Yuhua International Trade Co., Ltd., In addition to signing a subscription contract worth 3.2 million yuan, Beijing Exlen Cultural Development Co., Ltd. also signed letters of intent for cooperation with six gift companies. Guangling paper-cutting has been exported to more than ten countries and regions including Japan, Singapore, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. Relying on Guangling paper-cutting, the Guangling Modern Paper-cutting Research and Development Center construction project has been listed as a national key promotion project by the Chinese Paper-cutting Art Committee, and the Guangling Paper-cutting Cultural Industrial Park has been listed as one of the eight top quality projects in Datong City and Shanxi Province's "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" Cultural Development Planning key industrial base construction projects, the Guangling paper-cutting project was listed as a key export project of China's cultural industry in 2010.