Locals in Yan'an City in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province are welcoming the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year with special paper cuttings featuring elements of Loong, or the Chinese dragon.

Paper cutting, one of the most popular decorative handicrafts during festivals in China, is inscribed on the country's national intangible cultural heritage list.
Wu Yuqin, a local woman in Luochuan County, is an inheritor of such a technique.
This year, she prepared various meticulously crafted paper cuttings on the theme of dragon with auspicious meanings, such as the “Dragon Soaring in Sky” and "Two Dragons playing with Pearl".
"The paper cutting is called 'Dragon and Phoenix Bring Prosperity'. In the middle is a peony blossom, representing a rich and happy life. This one is called 'Happily Welcoming the New Year', which represents people's joy in welcoming the arrival of the Year of the Loong with old Yangko (Chinese rural folk dance) and dragon boats," said Wu.
Wu's work, with simple yet vibrant styles and smooth and exquisite patterns, have attracted many paper cutting-lovers in the county to learn from her creations. They also made some imaginative paper cutting artworks themselves to express good wishes for the new year through the folk art.
"I framed one and hung it on the wall. The Lunar New Year is coming. I'm going to give some paper cutting works to my relatives and friends. This year is the year of the Loong. These papercuts will add to the festivity," said Sun Suqin, another resident.
The upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb 10 this year.