Craft: How to make Chinese paper cuts

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What is Chinese paper cutting?

Chinese paper cuts of a rabbit, dragon and horse.

Chinese paper cuts (jiǎn zhǐ) are used to decorate (zhuāng shì) windows during the Chinese New Year (Chūn Jié).

They are usually red (hóng sè de) because the colour red symbolises happiness (kuài lè) and good luck (hǎo yùn).

Chinese paper cuts of a rabbit, dragon and horse.
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You will need:

A4 card, safety scissors and coloured pens or pencils.
  • a sheet of A4 thin card (kǎ piàn)

  • a pair of safety scissors (jiǎn dāo)

  • coloured pens (shuǐ cǎi bǐ) or pencils (qiān bǐ)

A4 card, safety scissors and coloured pens or pencils.
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Instructions

  1. Print out (dǎ yìn) the template onto an A4 sheet of thin card.

  2. Colour in the template – try adding in some red.

  3. Carefully cut (jiǎn) along the dotted lines.

If you don't have a printer, why not try cutting your own shape?

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide1 of 3, Print out the template onto an A4 sheet of thin card., Step 1 Print out <strong>(打印 dǎ yìn)</strong> the template onto an A4 sheet of thin card.
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Download the instructions and template

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Key Mandarin words

MandarinPinyinEnglish
Chūn JiéChinese New Year
hǎo yùngood luck
hóng sè dered
hóu zimonkey
jiǎn zhǐpaper cuts
kuài lèhappiness
lǎo shǔrat
lóngdragon
horse
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Play Dash and Blink: Missing Mandarin! game

Construct simple phrases and develop an understanding of vocabulary and grammar with this KS2 Mandarin game.

Play Dash and Blink: Missing Mandarin!
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