Foreigners enjoy Chinese New Year celebration in NW China’s Gansu

With the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, just around the corner, a special celebration has been held at a community in Xifeng district, Qingyang city, northwest China’s Gansu Province.

Foreigners working in the education sector in the city were invited to make Qingyang sachets, a traditional embroidered handicraft and one of China’s national intangible cultural heritages, as well as paper cuttings at the event.

A foreigner learns how to make paper cuttings in Xifeng district, Qingyang city, northwest China’s Gansu Province, Jan. 15, 2023. (Photo/Pan Xiaomei)

Qingyang sachets are used as auspicious decorations and are thought to keep away misfortune. They also symbolize blessing, safety, happiness, and people’s yearning for a better life.

Foreigners learned how to make Qingyang sachets from Zhao Lijun, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage, and paper cutting techniques from inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage of paper cutting, including Ma Lu and Zhang Ruili.

Michelle from the Philippines learned to make a rabbit-themed sachet pendant from Zhao, while Enny from Cameroon created a paper cutting work themed on the Spring Festival under Ma’s guidance.

“The festival atmosphere prevailed at the event. After learning Chinese paper cutting culture, I think that the art form is very interesting and hope that I can teach children in my mother country how to make paper cuttings in the future if I return home,” said Enny.

A foreigner shows his paper cutting work in Xifeng district, Qingyang city, northwest China’s Gansu Province, Jan. 15, 2023. (Photo/Pan Xiaomei)

Harry from Bangladesh made several paper cutting works of a rabbit under the instruction of Zhang.

The foreigners said they experienced the charm of intangible culture heritages at the event and were astounded by the profound connotation of the local traditional folk culture and the exquisite skills of intangible culture heritage inheritors.