Cultural gene decoding: digital protection of intangible paper-cut and construction of gene bank.

The article focuses on the digital preservation and cultural gene bank construction of Chinese paper-cutting, an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) facing challenges such as aging practitioners, skill loss, and market decline amid globalization. It proposes a dual strategy combining high-precision data acquisition, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to document, decode, and classify the cultural genes—basic elements like patterns, symbols, and techniques—of paper-cut art, thereby supporting its preservation, innovation, and dissemination. A case study on Tonglu paper-cutting illustrates the technical framework involving image processing and AI-based classification, while addressing challenges including data standardization, intellectual property, and cultural integrity. The article also discusses future prospects emphasizing technological innovation, cross-cultural collaboration, multidisciplinary research, social participation, and market-oriented applications to enhance the global transmission and sustainable development of paper-cutting art.