As part of Chinese paper cutting, Shanxi folk paper cutting is an ancient traditional folk art, with most of its themes and subjects based on local customs and daily needs.

Folk paper cutting originated among the working people and has been passed down through generations. It is continually recreated through the creators' direct or indirect interactions with their geographic, natural and social environments, as well as their daily lives. 

The people of Shanxi, nurtured by the Yellow River, possess a bold, unrestrained and honest character. They embed their emotions, talents and aspirations for a better life in their daily paper cuttings, creating a unique regional custom with humanistic mindset and imbued with high aesthetic value.

The artistic style of Shanxi folk paper cutting generally features the bold, robust, simple and unpretentious characteristics of northern China. However, due to differences in regional environments, living customs and aesthetic concepts, there are variations in paper cutting across different areas. 

For instance, paper cuttings from southern, central, southeastern, and northwestern parts of Shanxi and the Lyuliang Mountains are mostly monochromatic, with a simple and bold style. In contrast, the dyed paper cuttings popular in the Yanbei area are more luxurious and delicate. 

Paper cutting artist Zhang Yongzhong has enhanced the characteristics of paper cuttings from various regions of Shanxi and created many excellent works.

Zhang, also known as Shuijing, was born in 1968 in Gaoping, Shanxi. Coming from a family with a long tradition of papermaking, he was immersed in traditional culture from an early age and learned paper cutting from Li Baoying, the fourth-generation inheritor of the Han Shantang in Shanxi. In his youth, he studied painting under Liu Zhanjiang at the Beijing Fine Art Academy and later received guidance from Zha Liangyong, or Louis Cha, the contemporary master of martial arts fiction, enhancing his cultural literacy.

Zhang was also taught by Nan Huaijin, the master of Chinese studies. In March 2021, he established the Zhang Yongzhong Art Museum, where he studies classics, writes books, teaches for public benefit and promotes the art of paper cutting. He is currently a member of the China Folk Literature and Art Association, deputy director of the association's lantern art committee, and has been awarded the title of Master of Arts and Crafts in Jincheng, Shanxi.

Paper cutting is popular among the folk, often accompanying blessings, customs, life rituals, festivals and daily life. These living customs promote the development of paper cutting as a social factor, while also forming rich content and various styles of paper cutting. 

In September 2009, Chinese paper cutting was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.