Let's take a look at the "tiger" folklore of Inner Mongolia

[Commentary] In people's impressions, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is famous for its grasslands and is not famous for tigers, but there are many folklore and history related to tigers in this land. Recently, Duan Jianjun, a paper-cutting artist born and raised in Inner Mongolia, told reporters about the folklore related to tigers in Inner Mongolia.

【At the same time】Representative project of national intangible cultural heritage and Representative inheritor of Lingle paper-cutting Duan Jianjun

The pattern of the tiger in the Inner Mongolia paper-cutting has a long history of inheritance and development, the tiger is regarded as a "yang beast" in the folk, it has the function of town house, ward off evil spirits, and NaFu.

Duan Jianjun told reporters that the elements related to tigers in Inner Mongolia are not limited to paper-cutting. Tiger patterns have been found in early Yinshan petroglyphs; there are also tiger shapes in han Dynasty Xiongnu ornaments unearthed in Ordos City.

The tiger in the north has been a symbol of the northern nomads advocating martial arts, courage and strength since ancient times. Therefore, in the folk, the tiger gradually became a kind of worship of life force. In many of our folk customs in the central and western regions of Inner Mongolia, the tiger (element) is used a lot during the Spring Festival. Especially in the paper-cutting, people cut the tiger, love the tiger, paste the tiger, and paste the tiger's paper cut on the most important position on the window, hoping that through the tiger can protect the family peace, bless the next year's wind and rain.

According to Duan Jianjun, the tiger paper-cutting in Inner Mongolia also contains the remains of many ancient cultures.

When we cut the tiger, we must cut a cross pattern in the center of the front of the tiger's head, and this cross pattern is a living remnant in folklore after the combination of many experts and scholars, which is a very old Jingjiao culture, including some other religious cultures.

【Commentary】During the interview, Duan Jianjun showed reporters the "Tiger with Immortal Grass" paper cut that he created for the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger.

The tiger's mouth contains grass, which means "with a root grass in the mouth, the fate of the gods and people to protect." And this "grass" is also a characteristic of grassland culture. Grass is considered by many experts and scholars to be an ancient cultural relic of our plant pattern worship, and a precious knot in paper-cutting. Therefore, hancao is a form of expression with distinct regional characteristics in our Inner Mongolia paper-cutting, especially in tiger paper-cutting.

【Commentary】It is worth mentioning that the British Jersey Post recently launched a set of "Tiggo Yingchun" stamps with Chinese paper-cutting elements, which are issued to the world. The paper-cut pattern of the stamp was designed by Duan Jianjun. In an interview with reporters, Duan Jianjun also cut out a traditional tiger pattern paper cut on the spot to express his wishes for the New Year of the Tiger.

(Reporting by Ma Zhiyuan from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia)

Source: China News Network