An introduction to Oroqen folk paper-cutting

The Oroqen people have been hunting in the dense forests of the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains for generations. They are good at carving various paper-cut patterns on birch bark. Women often use carving knives made of animal calf bones to carve buckets and baskets made of birch bark. Various patterns and patterns are carved on utensils such as bowls and boxes, and they are painted with colors and brought to her husbands house by the woman when she gets married. The patterns and colors carved on birch bark products have certain meanings. For example, the "Zhu Ledu" pattern symbolizes the couples never separation, red symbolizes the girls joy, and yellow symbolizes the mans joy. The Oroqen peoples birch bark, baobao bark and paper-cut works reflect the Oroqen peoples living customs, shamanism culture, hunting and production, food, clothing, housing and transportation and other aspects.

In early clan society, shamans were gods, and the embroidered patterns and paper-cuts on their robes and hats required great care. The Oroqen people believe that all things in nature are animistic, and the paper-cut window grilles fully reflect the rain god, mountain god, fire god, grass god, sun god and other natural gods. In terms of production of daily necessities such as robe hats, cradle, robe leather gloves, backpacks, robes and the covering "eldon" on the fairy pillar (housing), the pattern style also adds flowers, pine trees, plants, etc., which is full of to meet people’s good wishes and expectations