Zhuxian Town New Year Woodblock Prints

Henan
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Zhuxian Town is located in Kaifeng County. From the Ming Dynasty to the middle of the Qing Dynasty, it was a strategic point for the Central Plains business district, with developed commerce and a prosperous economy. It is collectively known as the four famous towns in China, along with Hankou Town in Hubei, Jingdezhen Town in Jiangxi, and Foshan Town in Guangdong. The woodblock New Year paintings of Zhuxian Town are also known as the four major New Year paintings in China, along with the New Year paintings of Yangliuqing in Tianjin, Weifang in Shandong, and Taohuawu in Jiangsu. New Year paintings, as a unique artistic wonder in China, are the essence of ancient folk art in my country. Zhuxian Town woodblock New Year paintings have a history of many years. They were born in the Tang Dynasty, flourished in the Song Dynasty, and reached their peak in the Ming Dynasty. They have a long history and are known as the ancestor of Chinese woodblock New Year paintings. "Dongjing Menghualu" records that "New Year painting workshops have been set up all over Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and a large number of woodblock New Year paintings have been printed." "In December, near the New Year's Day, the market is full of printing and selling door gods, Zhong Kui, peach boards, peach charms, and the God of Wealth, gizzard donkeys, turning back deer, horses, and Tianxing posts." In the early years of the Republic of China, many workshops in the town were engaged in the production of New Year paintings. Customers from Shandong, Anhui, Hebei, Jiangsu and other places came in droves, and the business was very prosperous. The painting shops included Wantong, Jinyongtai, Tianxingde, Deshengchang, Tianyide, Tianchengde, Datiancheng, Ertiancheng, Deyuanchang, Wansheng, Sanchengyi, etc. On the eve of liberation, the economy was depressed and people were living in poverty. The production artists changed their careers one after another, and there were only a few workshops that opened for production. Later, with the change of people's concepts, the use value of New Year paintings has gradually declined. Nowadays, fewer people buy woodblock New Year paintings for the New Year. Those who come here to buy New Year paintings are mainly foreign guests, artists and collectors who come here to buy New Year paintings. At present, the scale of printing of woodblock New Year paintings in Zhuxian Town is very small, and it basically remains in the mode of family workshops. There are only a few artists who master the engraving and printing of Zhuxian Town woodblock New Year paintings. The workshops are simple and there is a lack of successors. The current situation of this folk cultural heritage that is famous overseas in the long river of Chinese cultural history is worrying. Fortunately, after the Central Propaganda Department and the China Folk Artists Association launched the "China Folk Cultural Heritage Rescue Project", our province also launched the "Henan Folk Cultural Heritage Rescue Project" and listed Kaifeng Zhuxian Town New Year Paintings as the first to be rescued. We look forward to seeing the revival of Zhuxian Town New Year Paintings as soon as possible, and hope that this Henan folk art treasure, which is unique in the history of Chinese folk culture, will be rejuvenated as soon as possible.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

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