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Preface

The Chinese New Year Prints (Nián Huà in Chinese) are a time-honored art form of significant standing among the many traditional folk arts in China. New Year Prints often use subjects and motifs reflecting historical and social themes, village and town life, and people’s aspirations and
beliefs.

Employing a woodblock printing technique, the New Year Prints enjoyed glory and popularity during its heyday in the past. As an art form with unique features developed over the past centuries, it is deep rooted in folk traditions and popular for festive decorations. And in comparison with court
artisan or literati paintings, they are much closer to life, more vigorous and fun. New Year Prints have also played multiple roles in satisfying ordinary folks’ amusement and spiritual impulses, their aspirations for renewal, new beginning and need for festive decorations. Their extensive,
all-encompassing subjects have covered contemporary life, historical stories, Chinese myths, legends, novels and drams, often including heroic personalities, beauties and plump babies. Out of this great variety, those reflecting ordinary people’s everyday life with simple moral instructions and
edifying themes are the most prevalent.

Artisans for woodblock printing often have rural and farming background and the craftsmanship is perfected and passes on through apprenticeship over generations. During and after the 1940s, academy-trained artists also joined folk artisans in creating fine quality New Year Prints, depicting
people fighting in revolutionary wars, defending the country and building a new socialist China, which became an outstanding phase of the development of Chinese woodblock printmaking.

With fundamental social transformation and changes in people’s living conditions, the traditional Chinese New Year Prints no long enjoy the popularity as they did in the past. The 100 woodblock New Year Prints of this exhibition depict life and pursuits of the common people in rich and diverse
dimensions, spanning many centuries, from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to modern times, reflecting the impressively long lineage of a folk and cultural heritage.

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