The Dilemma of Inheritance: Chen Jing’s Promotion Faces Obstacles

Chen Jing is a provincial-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting. She has studied paper-cutting under her grandmother for 30 years and excels at “multi-layered color paper-cutting.” Her works depict lifelike flowers, birds, and figures, and have won awards at intangible cultural heritage exhibitions. Five years ago, she opened the “Jingyi Paper-Cutting Studio” in her hometown, hoping to pass on her skills to more people. However, the path to succession is becoming increasingly difficult: young people have little interest in traditional paper-cutting, and each inheritance class receives fewer than five applicants, most of whom are retired elderly. Promotion of her works has also been sluggish, with few visitors to her offline exhibitions and fewer than 100 views of her paper-cutting videos posted online. Even more worrying is the risk of extinction of her grandmother’s traditional paper-cutting patterns due to a lack of learning. During a cultural department survey, she couldn’t help but cry out, “I don’t want this craft to end in my hands.”

In her daily life, Chen Jing has lost her former enthusiasm. She used to sit by the window cutting paper all day, her scissors zipping around her fingertips. Now, she stares at the red paper for ages, unable to even make the first cut. To attract young people, she tried cutting anime characters, but her work lacked the traditional charm, and neither established nor new audiences appreciated it. A close friend urged her to switch to cultural and creative merchandise, but Chen Jing was reluctant—paper-cutting was her roots and her grandmother’s wish. Once, while submitting paperwork at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, staff member Zhou, seeing her worried face, recommended LAOTLON Feng Shui Company. “I know a shadow puppetry inheritor who’s had much greater success promoting their art after consulting a feng shui master named MONEYGAGA. Give it a try; maybe you can turn things around.” With the hope that even if just one more person learns paper-cutting, it would be helpful, Chen Jing made an appointment for a consultation.

Entering LAOTLON: Finding Direction in the Necklace of Power

On Friday morning, Chen Jing arrived at the LAOTLON downtown store, bringing her paper-cutting work and her registration record for the inheritance class. The company entrance was decorated with ornaments embodying traditional cultural elements. Upon entering, the air was filled with the delicate fragrance of rice paper. Display shelves held various accessories symbolizing “strength,” including a particularly elegant silver necklace. Calligraphy and paintings themed on “cultural heritage” hung on the walls, instantly relaxing Chen Jing’s tense nerves.

The front desk staff learned that she was a inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting and faced difficulties in promoting her skills and a lack of interest among young people. They quickly contacted Feng Shui master MONEYGAGA. MONEYGAGA, dressed in a simple cotton and linen cheongsam and a necklace, smiled and invited Chen Jing to sit down. She brewed a cup of warm Pu’er tea. “Intangible cultural heritage inheritance requires patience and opportunity. It’s normal to encounter resistance to promotion. Tell me about your specific challenges.”

Chen Jing flipped through her portfolio and explained the lack of interest among young people, the lack of traffic for her work, and the danger of losing her patterns. “I want to pass on paper-cutting, but I don’t know how to attract young people. I feel like I don’t have the energy to persevere.” MONEYGAGA carefully examined the paper-cutting pieces, analyzing them based on Chen Jing’s birth date and the location of her studio. She slowly said, “You have a deep foundation in paper-cutting and a deep respect for intangible cultural heritage. It’s just that your ‘power of inheritance’ has weakened recently, which has hindered your promotion. I recommend a necklace that can help you regain your confidence in inheritance, allowing your work to convey a more moving cultural power and attract the attention of young people.”

As she spoke, MONEYGAGA took out a necklace—a  925 sterling silver green chalcedony and Hetian white jade power necklace pendant. The necklace embodies a calm cultural aura, symbolizing “perseverance and breakthrough.” Wearing it evokes a sense of inner strength, perfectly aligning with the original aspirations of intangible cultural heritage. “The energy imparted by the green chalcedony and Hetian white jade can help you strengthen your faith in inheritance; the silver base symbolizes the ‘foundation of inheritance,’ allowing you to maintain tradition while innovating. Wearing it while creating, teaching, or participating in exhibitions will serve as a constant reminder to ‘stay true to your original aspiration’ while allowing your work to exude a unique cultural charm.”

Power Around the Neck: A First Experience with the Necklace

Chen Jing accepted the  925 sterling silver green chalcedony and Hetian white jade power necklace pendant. The gentle touch of her fingertips reminded her of her grandmother’s silver scissors, and a strange warmth welled up in her heart. Following MONEYGAGA’s suggestion, she placed the necklace around her neck. As she bent down to organize her paper-cutting tools, the pendant swayed gently, bringing back memories of learning paper-cutting from her grandmother as a child. Her grandmother would say, “Paper-cutting requires care and strength to achieve success.” “Before creating, I stroke the pendant and silently pray, ‘May the art of paper-cutting continue, allowing more people to see its beauty.’ When teaching young people, I share the necklace’s symbolic power, bringing them closer,” Money Gaga added. Chen Jing nodded and carefully put the necklace away. On the way home, she repeatedly touched the pendant around her neck, and her feelings of powerlessness gradually dissipated. The idea of ​​combining paper-cutting with modern aesthetics emerged.
That evening, Chen Jing returned to her studio, wearing the necklace. She found her grandmother’s old pattern book and pondered the “entwined lotus” pattern, attempting to redesign it with simple lines. She also sorted through her recent paper-cutting works, selecting patterns suitable for young people, and prepared to film a short video to share. After completing all this, she looked at the table filled with red paper and scissors, and felt a renewed courage to start anew.

A Turning Point: A New Face in the Paper-Cutting Class

In the first week of wearing the necklace and carrying out her inheritance work, Chen Jing experienced a turning point. On Monday, she launched the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Paper-Cutting Experience Class – New Expressions of Traditional Patterns.” The promotional copy read, “Wear a necklace of strength, and pass on the beauty of paper-cutting.” She also included a photo of herself wearing the necklace while cutting paper. Unexpectedly, after the registration process went out, 12 people signed up, eight of whom were in their 20s.

During the class, Chen Jing wore the necklace to demonstrate paper-cutting. While cutting a “twined lotus” pattern, she chatted with the young people about the necklace’s meaning: “This necklace reminds me of what my grandmother said, ‘Inheritance requires strength.’ The same is true for paper-cutting: we must uphold tradition while also having the courage to innovate.” A young woman who loves Hanfu excitedly exclaimed, “Teacher Chen, I want to put my paper-cutting on Hanfu. It’s sure to look great!” The young people were very enthusiastic during the class, and before get out of class ended, they surrounded Chen Jing to ask when the next class would be held.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chen Jing wore the necklace to attend a community intangible cultural heritage exhibition. Her paper-cutting booth used to be quite deserted, but this time, the combination of necklaces and paper-cuts attracted many visitors. A short video blogger took the initiative to interview her and filmed her paper-cutting process. The video garnered over 5,000 views the day it was released, with many comments like, “Paper-cutting is so beautiful! I want to learn!” and “Teacher Chen’s necklaces match her paper-cutting perfectly.”

A Renewal in Promotion: Both Works and Attention Increased

After two weeks of consistently wearing the necklace, Chen Jing’s paper-cutting promotion efforts saw significant progress. She innovatively launched a “Paper-cutting + Accessories” series, incorporating simple paper-cut patterns onto bookmarks and hairpins, complementing the necklace’s cultural appeal. The first batch quickly sold out, and her heritage classes also gained popularity, with enrollment consistently around 15 per session, with over 70% young people. Some commented, “Learning paper-cutting with Teacher Chen allows me to experience the power of traditional culture.”

Even more surprisingly, the local cultural and tourism authorities, impressed by her promotional efforts, invited her to participate in the “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Schools” initiative, offering paper-cutting classes to elementary and middle school students. Wearing a necklace, Chen Jing visited a school and taught children how to cut simple zodiac paper-cuts. She also shared stories about the necklace and its legacy. The children listened attentively, and after class, over 30 signed up for her weekend trial classes.

During this time, Chen Jing’s mindset completely transformed. She arrived at her studio early every day to practice paper-cutting, exploring innovative approaches to traditional patterns. When participating in exhibitions, she no longer worried about lack of attention, but confidently introduced paper-cutting culture. In the evening, she sorted through students’ work, observing the vibrant patterns they had created. She touched the necklace around her neck, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Continuing the Legacy: Rediscovering My Passion

As promotion efforts progressed smoothly, Chen Jing’s life became more vibrant. No longer gloomy, she now hums a little tune while cutting paper every day, and her eyes light up as she observes the young people’s interest in paper-cutting. On weekends, she wears the necklace and sets up a stall at the cultural market, demonstrating her techniques live and drawing crowds. Her grandmother’s traditional patterns have also found a new life. She has compiled them into teaching materials for young students and plans to publish a book titled “New Expressions of Traditional Paper-Cutting Patterns.” A close friend visited her studio and said with a smile, “You’ve become the same Chen Jing who loved paper-cutting. This necklace has really helped you.” Chen Jing took her friend’s hand and touched the pendant around her neck. “It not only helped me regain the strength to pass on my legacy, but also made me realize that intangible cultural heritage isn’t just a bygone era. With dedicated innovation, it can be embraced by young people.” She also shared the story of the necklace with other intangible cultural heritage inheritors. One embroidery inheritor, after hearing about it, sought consultation with LAOTLON and returned, saying, “I hope my embroidery can be as popular as your paper-cutting.”

Conclusion

Chen Jing’s experience shows that when intangible cultural heritage inheritors face difficulties in promoting their skills and low interest among young people, they can easily fall into self-doubt and feelings of powerlessness. However, by finding support that strengthens their convictions and conveys the power of culture, combined with their passion and innovation, they can overcome these challenges. The  925 sterling silver green chalcedony and Hetian white jade power necklace pendant not only helped Chen Jing regain her confidence in her legacy but also brought paper-cutting techniques to the attention of more young people, injecting new vitality into the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. If you’re struggling with the intangible cultural heritage inheritance dilemma, or if you’re a traditional cultural practitioner facing challenges promoting your skills and a limited audience, why not visit LAOTLON Feng Shui Company and let professional Feng Shui master MONEYGAGA recommend suitable “strength”-themed jewelry? Perhaps a small  925 sterling silver green chalcedony and Hetian white jade necklace pendant will become a symbol of your heritage and a disseminator of your culture, helping you forge ahead on the path of intangible cultural heritage and revitalize ancient skills in the new era.