Chinese traditional woodblock new year printing faces extinction

World
Europe

Derived from portraits of the Door Gods, Chinese New Year painting is regarded as a kind of Spring Festival mascot. It is an old handicraft, going back thousands of years.

The paintings are mainly watercolor block prints, but with different styles. Woodblock new year paintings originate from a small town named Zhuxian in central China's Henan Province.

Craftswoman engraves on woodblocks. /CGTN Photo

The process to make these woodblock paintings is not easy. According to Zhuxian’s tradition, there are 32 complex steps, including sketching, engraving, printing, and airing. It requires highly skilled craftspeople at each step.

As some traditional arts, woodblock new year painting has its worries of inheritance. Old craftsmen are getting old, but not many young people are willing to learn.

Craftswoman print woodblock paintings. /CGTN Photo

As an inheritor of woodblock printing, Ren Helin has spent two decades to preserve and develop this traditional craft. But it's no simple feat.

These days Ren has to shave and polish woodblocks by himself, besides drawing, engraving, and painting. Ren admitted that it’s a huge task for only one person. "The craft is facing extinction, " Ren said helplessly.

A w‍oodlbock. /CGTN Photo

How do we pass down the brilliant craftsmanship of woodblock new year paintings from generation to generation? That is a problem yet to be solved.

596km