Donghan Village is well-known for its Chinese painting art and Chinese paper art. Travel to Donghan village, you will find your trip is not only interesting but also culturally rewarding. And it will be interesting to enjoy lunch at the locals' family and learn about Chinese painting and paper cutting.
Chinese Painting Art
Chinese Painting Art , also known as Guo Hua, meaning national or native painting. It is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditionals in the world. The earliest paintings were not representational but ornamental. They consisted of patterns of designs rather than pictures. In Stone Age, the potteries were painted with spirals, dots, zigzags and animals.
The traditional Chinese painting Art is very beautiful that involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black or colored ink; oils are not used. As with calligraphy, the most popular materials on which paintings are made of are paper and silk. The finished work is then mounted on scrolls, which can be hung or rolled up. Traditional painting also is done in albums and on walls, lacquerwork, and other media.
Chinese Paper Art
Chinese Paper Art, also called Jianzhi, is a folk art enjoying great popularity among Chinese people. The cut outs are also used to decorate windows and doors, so they are sometimes referred to "chaunghua" meaning Window Flower. By the historical records, the paper-cut appeared and developed in the Southern Dynasty, thanks to the region's thriving economy and frequent exchanges with the outside world.
As years of development, the paper cuts now feature various patterns, including flowers, birds and beasts, theatric figures, legends and landscape. They are so beautiful and vivid. Now the art form is also very popular among some parts of the world and integrate their unique cultures.
A brief history
Chinese paper art with a long history that has existed for thousands of years. It is a unique art form featuring both national and regional themes. Paper began as a precious commodity in the Han Dynasty. And the oldest surviving paper cut out is symmetrical circle from the 6th century. The paper cutting became popular from the 7th century, especially during the Chinese holiday festivals.
The art spread to the rest of the world in the 14th century. Throughout the Qing Dynasty many papercutting skills were developed including drafting and the use of smoked papers, and the new art forms were being introduced during this period. The Republic of China later tried to revive the art in the 1980s.
Chinese Paper Art have been a traditional form of decoration in China at Chinese New Year and all year round for thousands of years, especially in the rural area. Traditionally, the papercutting is female's activity in the countryside in mainland China. In the past, every girl was expected to master it and there were some competitions to judged their skills. While the professional papercutting artists are, on the other hand, usually male and have guaranteed incomes and work together in workshops.
