Haikou City's historic Qilou Old Street recently became a vibrant stage for innovation in cultural preservation, as artisans unveiled a runway show merging traditional Chinese paper-cutting art with contemporary design. The event, held in the capital of Hainan Province, highlighted efforts to revitalize intangible cultural heritage through modern market engagement.
Dozens of models showcased intricate paper-cut patterns reimagined as wearable art, drawing crowds of tourists, local residents, and cultural preservation advocates. Organizers emphasized the project's goal to bridge generational gaps by demonstrating how ancient crafts can adapt to 21st-century aesthetics while retaining symbolic meanings tied to Hainan's coastal traditions.
The show coincided with guided tours of Qilou Old Street's preserved arcade buildings, a fusion of Southern Chinese and European architectural styles dating to the early 20th century. Cultural experts noted that such initiatives align with broader strategies to position Hainan as both a tourism hub and living museum of China's diverse heritage.
