Pingtan Island is home to kind, guileless and diligent inhabitants. Since ancient times, folk customs in Pingtan are of distinctive insular features. Specifically, folk cultures like diet, marriage, birth and upbringing, festivities, socializing, and beliefs have much in common with Han Chinese elsewhere while the locals keep their own uniqueness. Meanwhile, there are slight differences of customs throughout the Island, some even varying from islet to islet and from village to village. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Customs differ even in a quite short distance.”

Dongxiang Papercutting

In early days, women from Dongxiang Islet were all experts at papercutting, some elderly females were even able to make various interesting patterns out of different seasons. Paper cuttings are mainly used to make gorgeous lanterns instead of window decorations because locals believe lanterns represent happiness, jubilance and flourishing population. When a married daughter first comes back to her parental home, she should bring two lanterns with her to imply the new family will have a baby soon. Besides propitious paper cuttings of lanterns, there are other likable handiworks such as colored ribbons and tassels.