Peek into Chinese folklore: Yangzhou New Year painting

With Spring Festival impending, the Yangzhou Museum is hosting an exhibition featuring several colorful Yangzhou woodblock New Year paintings until Feb 28.

Yangliuqing New Year painting depicts menshen, or Door God, who is said to guard households from evil spirits. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]

Chinese New Year paintings are believed to serve a wide array of functions, such as bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new, warding off evil spirits, welcoming fortune and blessings, and conveying moralistic preaching. The origin of these cultural antiquities can be traced back to the primitive religions in ancient times. However, the earliest woodblock New Year paintings emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Yangzhou New Year woodcut print depicting caishen, or God of Wealth, is collected in the Yangzhou Museum. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]

During the mid-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Yangzhou gave rise to deep-rooted historical and cultural heritage, advanced woodblock printing techniques, and superb illustration artistry, all contributing to Yangzhou woodblock New Year paintings' being.

Two primary techniques are employed in the creation of these paintings. The first technique involves carving various colored sections into plates of predetermined sizes, which are then printed successively onto a single sheet of paper. The second technique consists of printing the outline on woodblocks and meticulously filling the details by hand.

A colorful New Year painting pays tribute to a mythical Chinese creature and expresses a wish for fertility. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]

Thanks to Yangzhou's location at the convergence of the Grand Canal, these cultural treasures incorporated elements from northern and southern China, presenting a unique blend of secular and elite cultures.

In recognition of their immense cultural significance, Yangzhou woodblock New Year paintings were included in the extended list of the fifth batch of representative items of Jiangsu provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in November 2023.