Paper was at the heart of artistic creation for long, but its predominance has been challenged by other media in recent times.

Still, some artists continue to explore paper art.

Jilin Normal University in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province, recently announced the establishment of a research institute of Chinese paper art, aiming to give paper a modern revival.

The facility will study the history of traditional Chinese paper and related art forms, based on which it will build a digital database of images and patterns of Chinese paper art.

A museum to display paper artworks created by both ancient and modern artists will likely be built there as well, said Li Hongbo who heads the new research institute.

The institution will hold an exhibition on Chinese paper art at the Massey University of New Zealand in September.

Its first International Paper Art Biennial will be held in Changchun in 2019.