The monkey is the cleverest sign of the Chinese zodiac — quick, playful, and immortalized by the Monkey King, the best-loved trickster in Chinese storytelling.
This page offers a traditional folk monkey pattern as a free printable template. Download the PDF below, print it at 100% scale, and cut your own monkey.
A traditional folk pattern, restored for printing. Free for personal and classroom use. Print at 100% scale.
What the monkey means in paper cutting
The monkey is the ninth sign of the Chinese zodiac, paired with the earthly branch Shen (申). No animal in the cycle is more admired for sheer cleverness. Monkeys are quick, curious, and famously good imitators, and folk tradition treats them as the witty animal — the one that thinks its way out of trouble instead of fighting its way out. People born in monkey years are traditionally thought bright, inventive, and fond of a joke, with a gift for solving problems in unexpected ways.
The most beloved monkey in Chinese culture is the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, hero of the sixteenth-century novel Journey to the West. Born from stone, armed with an iron staff, and bold enough to challenge heaven itself, he somersaults across thousands of miles and masters seventy-two transformations — yet spends the story slowly learning patience and loyalty as he guards the monk Xuanzang on the long road west. The Monkey King fixed the monkey's image for good: mischievous, fearless, and smarter than everyone else in the room.
The monkey also stars in one of the craft's classic puns. A monkey shown on horseback is read as 马上封侯 — "may you be made a marquis at once" — because 猴 (monkey) sounds like 侯 (marquis), and 马上 (on horseback) also means "immediately." Monkeys with peaches are another favorite, the peach being the fruit of long life. Monkey paper cuts go up in monkey years and are given to students and office workers alike, as a wish for quick wit and quick advancement.
About this template
This template is a single-piece traditional folk pattern in red. The monkey sits at the center of a peach-shaped roundel — the peach being the classic emblem of long life — one long arm raised, with blossoms and scrolling leaves around it and the whole design resting on a leafy branch. It is the lively, playful style of folk cutting: bold outer shapes filled with fine interior detail.
The pattern is moderate in difficulty. The outer contour is smooth and scissor-friendly, but the fine interior cuts around the monkey's face, raised arm, and the surrounding blossoms are best done with a craft knife. The template is a traditional folk pattern restored for printing, and it is free for personal and classroom use.
How to print and cut
Print the template at exactly 100% scale — no fit-to-page, no shrinking. You get two PDF versions, A4 and US Letter, so pick the one your paper tray holds. For the traditional finish, print straight onto red paper; or print on white and back the finished cut with a sheet of red.
Cut the outer contour first with small, sharp scissors, following the round frame. Then move inside with a craft knife on a cutting mat. The rule for this red-on-white pattern: red stays — it is the finished design — and white is cut away. Start the interior cuts in the middle and work outward, so the sheet stays strong and supported until you finish.
More zodiac templates
The monkey is part of our full set of twelve Chinese zodiac paper-cutting templates. Each sign comes as a free printable PDF with its own meaning and cutting notes:
- Chinese zodiac paper-cutting templates — the complete set of all twelve signs
- Goat paper-cutting template — the eighth zodiac sign, gentle and auspicious
- Rooster paper-cutting template — the tenth sign, a herald of good luck
FAQ
Can I use this template for commercial projects? The template is free for personal and classroom use. For commercial use, please contact us for licensing terms.
What kind of paper works best? Thin red paper is traditional, but ordinary printer paper, origami paper, or craft paper also work well. Thinner paper gives cleaner cuts.
Should I use scissors or a craft knife? Use both. Small, sharp scissors are best for the outer contour, while a craft knife handles the fine interior cuts around the face and blossoms. Beginners can do the whole cut with scissors, though the interior will be rougher.
Why is the monkey a symbol of promotion? Because of a pun. A monkey on horseback reads as 马上封侯 — "be made a marquis immediately" — since 猴 (monkey) sounds like 侯 (marquis) and 马上 (on horseback) also means "right away." Monkey designs are classic gifts for anyone hoping to rise in their studies or career.
Author
This article was prepared by the team at ChineseFolkCrafts.com. We are not intangible-cultural-heritage inheritors or museum researchers. Our job is to find authoritative Chinese sources, understand them, and explain them clearly for international readers.
If you spot an error — a date, a translation, a misattributed custom — please let us know and we will correct it. Last updated 2026-08-02.
