Themes and Features
The themes expressed in New Year pictures cover a wide range, from plump babies to the Old God of Longevity, from landscapes to birds and flowers, from the ploughing cattle in spring to the rich harvest in autumn. Human figures often show artistic exaggeration, but the message in all pictures is always good luck, festivity or other nice things such as the crane or the peach which symbolizes a long life, the plum or peony which is a mark of good fortune and happiness.
Thanks to its rich themes, elegant patterns and comely colors, the Yangliuqing New Year pictures are very popular in the countryside, where just before the Spring Festival, every household will be busy doing spring cleaning and pasting colorful pictures or paper cuttings on their doors, windows, walls, even wardrobes and stoves.
One main variety is the chubby and lovely babies with either lotus in their hands or carps in their arms. The picture Liannianyouyu features a boy holding a lotus in his hand and a goldfish in his arms. “lian“ in “lianhua“ (lotus) stands for its homophone “lian“ in “liannian“( successive years) and “yu“ (fish) for its homophone “yu“ (surplus). Taken together, “lianianyouyu “gives the meaning of “enjoying prosperity year after year.
The woodcut New Year pictures of Yangliuqing also have a strong life flavor People in the Yangliuqing village and 32 villages nearby, 20 kilometers to the west of Tianjin City proper, are all engaged in making New Year pictures. The New Year pictures are a unique art form with even arrangement, forceful stokes, elegant colors and beautiful shapes.
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