After more than a year of hard work, Wang finally mastered the art of silhouette cutting, able to quickly produce expressive portraits. To support his family, he worked at a local pharmaceutical factory during the day and ran his paper-cut silhouette stall in the evenings and on holidays.

"Facing my first customer, I was extremely nervous and my hands were trembling," he said. "Fortunately, sensing my anxiety, the customer kindly reassured me. She encouraged me to cut freely and said she didn't care whether it looked like her. Her kindness helped me calm down. After taking a deep breath, I successfully completed the work. When she said it looked good, it gave me immense encouragement."

One of Wang's most memorable experiences was a request from a Russian tourist who lingered at his stall for a long time.

"She tearfully expressed how much she missed her mother, who had passed away years earlier, and hoped I could create a silhouette based on her description," he said. "Having never seen the subject, the task was challenging for me … but I was moved by her sincere emotions and decided to have a try."

Wang listened intently to the woman's descriptions of her mother's facial shape, hairstyle and age, using the customer's own profile as a base to adjust the details.

When he handed the finished silhouette to her, she was overwhelmed, saying it really looked like her mother. "She hugged me tightly in gratitude," he said. "The cross-border trust and emotion have remained etched in my memory."

In recent years, Wang began posting his silhouette-cutting videos on the short-video platform Douyin, and one of his works unexpectedly garnered over four million views.

During holidays, long lines form in front of his stall, with young people eager to experience the traditional craft. "Silhouette cutting art has improved my life and become my spiritual refuge," he said. "I will never give it up."

However, Wang also has his concerns. "Fewer people are familiar with or interested in learning silhouette cutting, a craft that holds the memories of several generations but is gradually being forgotten," he said. "It is a traditional folk craft with significant cultural value. I sincerely hope it can receive support from relevant authorities to ensure its continuation."

To introduce more people to silhouette art, Wang has worked to share his creations online, hoping to reach a younger audience.

"I am heartened to see that many visitors who come to experience silhouette cutting art are young people and parents with children who are eager to appreciate the charm of traditional crafts," he said.

"Young people don't dislike traditional crafts; they just need someone to present the beauty to them. My greatest hope is to pass on the craft so it won't disappear in our generation.

"As I get older and eventually can no longer run my stall, I plan to take on apprentices, sharing my silhouette cutting techniques and experience without reservation, ensuring the continuation of the traditional craft," he said.

zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn