Form 4 science students at St Margaret College Secondary School, Verdala, Cospicua, recently took part in a school project studying the making of Chinese paper cuttings, or Jiǎnzhǐ in the Chinese language. The project was linked to their science study unit about ‘Balancing forces’. The school is this year marking the 10th anniversary of its Science/China Corner.

Chinese paper cutting goes back to the second century AD during the Han dynasty when paper was invented by Cai Lun. The more paper making became popular the more Chinese paper cutting spread and varied in styles and shapes with different regions in China.

Chinese paper cuttings made in flower forms are also referred to as window flowers (chuāng huā), and were used to decorate windows and doors of houses. Chinese people used to glue these flower cut-outs to the outside of their windows so that light from inside the house would pass through the cut-outs. Normally red paper was used as it symbolises luck but other colours were used too.

Paper-cutting artwork remains a popular traditional practice in China. Nowadays it is used to wish good luck during festivals like the Chinese Spring Festival, weddings, birthdays and parties for newborns.

There are two methods of making Chinese paper cuttings: one uses scissors, the other uses knives.

During the project held in class, students had the opportunity to admire beautiful examples of Chinese paper cuttings; they learnt how to make their own cut-outs using the scissors method  and showed their work in class.

Mr Azzopardi and his students thanked the Malta-China Cultural Centre, the Chinese Embassy in Malta and the Malta-Sino Friendship Society for their help and support for this and other school study projects.

LSEs Antoniette Cassar Sare and Ruben Buttigieg also assisted students during this project.