18 scissors, 288 chinese names, 226.93 meters…. The world’s longest paper-cut in Guinness Record came into being in the capable hands of a young girl from GuangZhou. She is Han Yan, Queen of paper-cut in Guangzhou and honored as the youngest master of Guangzhou Arts and Crafts.

Han had interest in paper-cut in young age when she had already made some very beautiful handwork pieces. Later she took courses on painting and arts in college, which inspired her to pick up scissors four years ago. Her first creation was a paper-cut out of a picture of her husband and herself. From then on, she starts her career as a paper cut artist. In the past four years, she had consulted experienced paper-cut artists from Hohhot of Inner Mongolia, Yangzhou, Ningbo, Beijing and Tianjin for techniques of different styles of paper-cut throughout china. Many vivid masterpieces were then created and won her again and again compliments from the public.

Han Yan, Queen of the Guangzhou Paper-cut

Of all her pieces, she is most proud of to introduce “Reunion”. This masterpiece depicted the story of Chinese President Hu Jintao shaking hands with Lien Chan, the Honorary Chairman of Kuomintang (KMT) on Lien’s visit to mainland China in 2006. “I work in the kindergarten daytime so I had to do the paper-cut at night after my son fell asleep and I worked on the piece until the next morning.” The work, with her two-month effort, won her a bronze prize in the Second International Paper-cut Art Festival. She had even received a letter of thanks from Lien Chan in Taiwan.

To help this traditional art to pass down, Han had written two books. To pay the publishing fee, Han and her husband even sold their wedding rings. However, when the book came out, she donates 2,000 copies to libraries and kindergartens. “I hope young readers can fully appreciate our traditional culture and folk arts.” She said.

With her teaching experience in kindergarten, she had held successful paper cut classes to local children. Some now can make beautiful artworks, and had won more than 50 prizes in international and national paper-cut competitions.