Outside the window lay a world of pure white snow, while inside stood graceful verdant bamboos. On January 15, the cultural experience event of “Artistic Depiction of Hongshan Culture” hosted by Liaoning International Communication Center was underway in the lovely and elegant courtyard of Guyue Linxi culture and art space in Shenyang. International students from Russia, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, and Zambia gathered to make paper pleats of the jade pig-shaped dragon.
Before they got started, Li Xue, the intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Li’s traditional paper pleating of Shenyang, introduced the representative artifact of Hongshan Culture and unique craftsmanship of paper pleating to international students. “The art of paper pleating dates back to 1890, with a history of more than 100 years. It involves six main processes, including paper selecting, cutting, pleating, shaping, pasting, and assembling, with pleating being the most challenging.” Li has attended numerous events for the international spread of Shenyang’s intangible cultural heritage. She captured the attention of the students by using the paper pleating technique to create a three-dimensional jade pig-shaped dragon for the first time. They were eager to try it, attentively learning how to craft the three-dimensional jade pig-shaped dragon with thin pearl paper.
The nine international students participating in this event come from China Medical University, Liaoning University, and Shenyang Normal University. Among them, the Lebanese student, Martine, has attended the cultural experience event of “Artistic Depiction of Hongshan Culture” twice in a row. “Last time I learned to make a dough figurine of the jade pig-shaped dragon. This time I need to master the more challenging technique of paper pleating.” Under the guidance of Li Xue, Martine successfully created a vivid and lifelike jade pig-shaped dragon through careful study. “I feel that this three-dimensional paper pleat of the jade pig-shaped dragon is very similar to the white one I saw at the Liaoning Provincial Museum.” She exclaimed excitedly, “Two cultural experience activities of ‘Artistic Depiction of Hongshan Culture’ have helped me gain a deeper understanding of the jade pig-shaped dragon as the representative artifact of Hongshan Culture. This time I also discovered the unique charm of the paper pleating technique, which is amazing.”
Chichi from Zambia couldn’t keep her hands off the paper pleat of the jade pig-shaped dragon made by herself. “I think that paper pleating is a distinctive handicraft with a lot of fun, despite being a bit difficult.” This activity has sparked her desire to explore more about Hongshan Culture. “Hongshan Culture is so mysterious that I plan to visit the Niuheliang Archaeological Site Museum in Chaoyang during the winter vacation to personally witness the marvelous land that holds precious cultural relics.”
This is an activity where international youth can experience China’s Hongshan Culture in an art form, marking an encounter between Shenyang’s intangible cultural heritage and Hongshan Culture. By learning the art of paper pleating, these international students have comprehended the representative artifact of Hongshan Culture, delving into the origins of Chinese civilization and understanding the essence of Chinese civilization from this artifact.
