Archaeological finds trace the art back to the 6th century, or even as far back as the invention of paper in China. Art pieces from paper cutting are mainly used as decoration nowadays, although they used to be made for religious purposes as well. Paper cutting art ranges from clipping complicated patterns using a pair of tiny and sharp scissors to making cutouts into wall ornaments and windows decorations. Paper cutting is usually practiced by women and girls. It used to be one of the crafts that every girl was to master and that was often used to judge brides.
Paper cuttings are particularly significant during festive seasons and Lunar New Year.
Entrances to houses are decorated with pieces of paper cutting in red which are thought to bring good luck. In the modern time, paper cutting has gained new foothold through the creativity and study of Mrs. Linda Pu-fei Sun Yeh. Through her creative style and insurmountable cutting skills, she has transformed the art from an ordinary folk handicraft to works of a dynamic, sophisticated cultural art standard. Her creations have been on display in many personal exhibitions in various cultural centres and museums of the world. She has managed to inject three-dimensional liveliness into the art, producing art pieces which undoubtedly appear animating and fascinating.