A paper cutting created by Li Haifeng welcomes the 2019 China Forest Tour Festival. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Li Haifeng, a paper-cutting craftsman from Nantong, recently created a piece themed on “I love Nantong” to welcome the 2019 China Forest Tour Festival, which will kick off in the coastal city in Jiangsu province on Oct 18.

The work is 36 centimeters long and 20 cm wide and includes such scenes as primary school students saying good-bye to their teachers and school kids helping senior citizens across a street.

Several landmarks of the city, including Langshan Mountain and the Nantong TV Tower, are also depicted in the work.

“I was inspired by my son, a second-grade pupil,” said Li, adding that the work aims to promote traditional Chinese virtues, such as respecting teachers and the elderly.

Nantong-style paper cutting boasts a long history and was included on a list of the city’s intangible cultural heritage items in 2010.

Li inherited the handicraft from his father and is now committed to the creation and innovation of the art.