Preserving an art form one cut at a time

 In a modest residential area in Ansai, a district of Yan'an city in Shaanxi province, an artist's hands dance across sheets of vibrant red paper. The rhythmic snip-snip-snip of her scissors fills the quiet atmosphere, creating intricate patterns that tell stories of ancient traditions, family tales and the ever-present beauty of rural China.

Yu Zeling is a master of the ancient art of Ansai paper-cutting, a practice dating back more than 2,000 years.

Her studio is a kaleidoscope of bright reds, with designs layered across the walls like a gallery of delicate, fleeting memories. Phoenixes in flight, blossoming flowers, dragons spiraling in midair, and traditional symbols of prosperity hang alongside one another, a testament to this unique art form's long, proud heritage.

In the middle of a scarlet-covered room, Yu bends over her desk, carefully shaping the paper with the precision of a surgeon, her hands steady despite years of cutting through countless layers.

"The story of Ansai paper-cutting is one of creativity and cultural preservation. This folk art has been passed down from mother to daughter for centuries, embodying the strength of local life, its people and their enduring connection to the land," says Yu, 59.