{"id":129080,"date":"2026-01-20T18:02:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T18:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/how-a-small-town-in-hunan-keeps-ancient-chinese-folk-art-alive\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T18:02:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T18:02:50","slug":"how-a-small-town-in-hunan-keeps-ancient-chinese-folk-art-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/how-a-small-town-in-hunan-keeps-ancient-chinese-folk-art-alive\/","title":{"rendered":"How a small town in Hunan keeps ancient Chinese folk art alive"},"content":{"rendered":"

BEIJING, China, Jan 20 \u2014 As the Chinese calendar ushered in layue, the 12th month, on Monday, preparations for the Chinese New Year began in earnest. In Tantou, a quaint town in Hunan province, this season is marked by the creation and display of vibrant\u00a0nianhua<\/em>, or New Year paintings, a tradition that breathes life into the community\u2019s cultural tapestry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visitors strolling through Tantou during the festive period are greeted by a spontaneous exhibition of art. Many doors become a canvas showcasing vivid depictions of gods of fortune, tigers with flamboyant stripes, and whimsical scenes such as mice in wedding processions.<\/p>\n

These artworks, however, are more than mere decorations. They are talismans believed to ward off misfortune and invite prosperity, a custom deeply rooted in Chinese New Year celebrations.<\/p>\n

Tantou\u00a0nianhua<\/em>, with a history of more than three centuries, are renowned across China for their radiant colors and expressive designs. This acclaim has earned Tantou the title of \u201cHometown of Modern Folk New Year Paintings\u201d. The esteemed writer Lu Xun (1881\u20131936) nostalgically recounted in\u00a0Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk<\/em>, a collection of his essays, how a Tantou\u00a0nianhua<\/em>\u00a0depicting a \u201cmouse wedding\u201d had adorned his bedside during childhood.<\/p>\n

The meticulous craft of creating\u00a0nianhua<\/em>\u00a0is beautifully captured in a recent documentary series,\u00a0Ancient Crafts of Hunan<\/em>, that was aired on Mango TV, which is based in Changsha, the capital of Hunan. The series employs macro lenses and slow-motion cinematography to delve into the intricate process behind the artworks.<\/p>\n

What makes Tantou\u00a0nianhua<\/em>\u00a0truly exceptional is the comprehensive, local production process, in which every step, from papermaking to the finished artwork, is completed in the town. This self-contained production cycle is a rarity in the world of\u00a0nianhua<\/em>\u00a0and underscores the deep-rooted cultural and artistic heritage of Tantou.<\/p>\n

The process begins with the crafting of the paper itself, using locally sourced bamboo. This paper, known for its flexibility and unique texture, forms the perfect base for the vibrant prints.<\/p>\n

The heart of Tantou\u00a0nianhua<\/em>\u00a0lies in its woodblock carving, a skill that demands precision and artistry, and is particularly renowned for its \u201csteep knife upright line\u201d technique. This method involves carving with a consistent angle and controlled pressure, ensuring that the lines remain steady and precise even at intersections and turns \u2014 skills that rely on the artisan\u2019s intuition and expertise.<\/p>\n

Artisan Liu Guoli said the delicate art of woodblock carving requires focus and inner calm.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour personality and temperament shape the carving, making each block unique,\u201d said Liu, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Tantou\u00a0nianhua<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The vibrant palette of each\u00a0nianhua<\/em>\u00a0is achieved through a multistep printing process, by which each color corresponds to a separate woodblock. These blocks are inked and pressed onto paper in layers, culminating in a final block that outlines the image with defining lines. The characters\u2019 facial features, such as eyes, cheeks, lips and beard, are then painted by hand, infusing them with lifelike detail.<\/p>\n

Tantou\u00a0nianhua<\/em>, which in 2006 became one of China\u2019s first entries inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list, are celebrated for their bold and vivid colors. The palette, featuring tangerine reds, brilliant yellows and rose pinks juxtaposed with cool cyan and deep charcoal, creates a dynamic interplay of hues that imbues each piece with fiery vitality.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe motifs and symbols in these\u00a0nianhua<\/em>\u00a0represent a practical aesthetic shaped over centuries by countless families,\u201d said Wu Yuqing, a professor at the Fine Arts Academy of Hunan Normal University.\u201dThe more deeply art is rooted in the lives of ordinary people, the more vibrantly its brilliance can unfold.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more visit\u00a0China Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

For subscriptions on news from China Daily, or inquiries, please contact China Daily Africa Ltd on +254 20 6920900 or write to enquiries@chinadailyafrica.com<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BEIJING, China, Jan 20 \u2014 As the Chinese calendar ushered in layue, the 12th month, on Monday, preparations for the Chinese New Year began in earnest. In Tantou, a quaint town in Hunan province, this season is marked by the creation and display of vibrant\u00a0nianhua, or New Year paintings, a tradition that breathes life into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129080\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}