Workshops are equipped with a row of door planks that can be opened freely called "painting doors". Xuan paper, which contains the outline of the needed patterns, is pasted on the doors as the painter stands before the drawing. It usually takes the painter three days to two weeks to complete one picture.
The history of Yangliuqing New Year Pictures
During the reign of Emperor Shundi of the warn-tornYuan Dynasty(1271-1368), a folk artist who specialized in engraving came to take refuge in the town of Yangliuqing. When he first set his eyes on the patches of jujube forests he thought of his special skill since the Chinese jujube tree is the best material for engravings. He then etched some pictures of door gods, kitchen gods andZhong Kui(the protector against evil spirits and demons) to sell at festivals for a living. Later, people in the town followed suit.
In the 13th year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1415), when the Great Canal was dredged, fine paper and watercolors produced in South China were transported to Yangliuqing, breathing new life into the art of engraving and printing in the town.
In the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), about 100 painting workshops emerged in Yangliuqing and over 3,000 people engaged themselves in creating New Year Pictures. The town then became known as the home of New Year Pictures nationwide, where "each of its households was good at painting". By then, two schools of Yangliuqing New Year Pictures came into being - the Qi family, which excelled in painting historical stories, and the Dai family, which mainly painted dramas.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, a new school -- the Huo family, which combined the advantages of the above-mentioned elements -- emerged, forming a triangular balance of power in the circle of Yangliuqing New Year Pictures.
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