"In the transition from an agricultural civilization to an industrial one, Westerners have better learned how to adapt history and local flavors to the context of modern society. But the literati and artists did not do well in this transitional process. They should have actively and initiatively incorporated Chinese folk customs like the New Year pictures to the modern way of living," said Feng.

The significance of the New Year pictures is to embody people's psychology, willingness, and diverse pursuits of traditional Chinese New Year events, Feng added.

  The old glory days of the New Year pictures

The New Year picture is a kind of unique painting form that is closely related to the New Year customs. It originated from the peach wood charms hung on the gate early in the Zhou Dynasty (about 11th century-256BC) as part of the Spring Festival celebrations and activities to drive away the evil spirits. The peach wood gradually evolved into writings and paintings as couplets and Door God paintings -- a precedent of the New Year picture -- respectively.

In the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, New Year pictures experienced rapid development. Mundane figures like young maids and Buddhist figures were also added to the paintings that were to hang on the door.

To the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), New Year pictures gradually matured with the development of the commercial economy as well as the citizen culture, providing a huge market. The wide use of engraving painting skills established a solid foundation for the development of New Year pictures. During this period, specific markets and workshops appeared, and New Year pictures evolved into an independent art form.

In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, New Year pictures flourished and production centers were established throughout the country. Also, while the art form matured in the Song Dynasty, the name "New Year picture" appeared only the late Qing Dynasty.

New Year pictures are a folk art form with the most distinctive of local features. Different cultures and different folk customs gestated various colorful New Year pictures. Environmental and customary differences contributed to various local flavors in color, pattern, picture formation, and function.

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