A sugar painter demonstrates his craft during a cultural activity held in celebration of the Spring Festival in Shinan district on Jan 9. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]

In order to welcome the Spring Festival and the Year of Rat, Shinan district in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province held an activity to promote traditional culture and folk customs on Jan 9.

Many intangible cultural heritage items and foods produced by China’s time-honored brands, including sugar paintings, paper cuttings, crisp fried chicken, and more, were showcased during the activity, and residents were given a chance to interact with cultural inheritors and try their hands at a variety of crafts.

In addition, folk performances helped create a jubilant atmosphere for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.

Liu Junchang, a paper-cutting artist, was invited to present paper-cutting works that he made in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Placing paper-cuttings on windows is believed to bring good fortune and was once an important Spring Festival custom, said an artist who has been making paper-cuttings for 10 years.