China has many special forms of traditional art. They usually try to show love, beauty and family. The most famous forms are sky lanterns, paper cutting and Chinese clay art.
According to Chinese history, sky lanterns were first used by Zhuge Kongming. He sent them out t o ask for help when in trouble. But today, people light the lanterns and watch them rising into the sky with their wishes.
Paper cutting has been around for over 1,500 years. It sounds easy but quite difficult to do. The paper is usually red. The most common pictures are flowers, animals and things about Chinese history. People often put these art pieces on the doors, windows and walls of their homes to celebrate the Spring Festival.
Chinese clay art is famous because the clay pieces are so small but they look very real. To make Chinese art, the clay is shaped by hand into things such as cute children or characters from Chinese fairy tales and stories. They are then covered with paint.
