A Celebration of Friendship

The reunion of long-lost friends, with enduring sentiments…..

I remember that time when my sister and I brought the children to her (Georgia's) home in Beijing. Even after going to work, she would still come back home to prepare meals and wait for us to return so that we could have dinner together. That sense of warmth still lingers in my heart. Thirty years have passed quickly, and we have both become grandmothers. However, our friendship has become even clearer and more profound as time has gone by.

Listening to her recount her life over the years, I learned that her foreign partner had actually gone to the Wenchuan earthquake site as a volunteer. At that moment, I felt immense respect for him. He deeply cherished Chinese culture, could speak a few words of Chinese, and his demeanor was always gentle and sincere. He showed us videos of their wedding and skiing activities, and in those videos, one could see the most tender expressions of happiness over time.

The sentiments are conveyed through red paper, and culture spreads its fragrance…..

She (Georgia) came across my paper-cutting artwork online and was both surprised and delighted by it. Although I wasn't yet very skilled, in that moment, I decided to take action and create some pieces for her, making it a gift that would bridge the distance across the ocean.

Under the light, the red paper is gently laid out, and the sound of scissors opening and closing is like the soft humming of autumn insects. Based on their zodiac signs, I carefully composed and created the dragon and sheep zodiac-themed paper cutouts, and then recreated "The Celestial Maiden Distributing Flowers," making the fairy's streamers appear even more ethereal. I imitated the style of the old artist Zhao Jing'an's work on "Grasshoppers and Chinese Cabbage" and added a peony among the leaves. As the final cut was made, pieces of paper fluttered around, and before my eyes appeared a dynamic and fragrant work. It was as if I could hear the sounds of autumn and smell the fresh aroma of vegetables.

Some netizens jokingly mentioned that my work had "gone beyond national borders" this time. However, I felt deeply grateful—grateful for the return of my old friend, which gave me the opportunity to convey emotions through paper cutting; and grateful to her husband, who helped this ancient art find new life and warmth under the sun of a foreign land. The opening and closing of the scissors represent the rhythm of time; the fluttering pieces of paper signify the essence of human life. Every stroke of the scissors is imbued with sentiments of longing and well-wishes. That delicate shade of red is not just the colour of the occasion but also a letter sent from the East, carrying friendship, cultural exchange, and the deepest feelings of tenderness from within me.

Footnote: In classical Chinese art, such as Zhao Jing'an's work on "Grasshoppers and Chinese Cabbage", grasshoppers and other insects hidden in Chinese cabbage signify fertility and abundance, representing a wish for many children and grandchildren.

• Fertility: The insects hidden within the leaves are symbolic of a desire for children and descendants.

• Prosperity: The cabbage is a symbol of wealth because of the phonetic similarity of the Chinese word for cabbage ( 白菜 - bai cai), which sounds like (白财 - also bai cai) meaning "one hundred (types of) wealth" in Chinese.

• Combined symbolism: When combined, the insects and the cabbage create a powerful symbol of both material wealth combined with a large, prosperous and happy family.

October's Glimpse, Warm Feelings in the Golden Autumn

The joy of autumn was accompanied by a wonderful reunion. After not seeing each other for ten years, an old friend returned from New Zealand, accompanied by her husband. When we met again, we smiled at each other, as if the time of thirty years ago had suddenly returned......