Foshan woodcut New Year pictures

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Foshan woodcut New Year pictures

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Item No.: 308

Project No.: Ⅶ - 9

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Protection unit: Foshan Folk Art Research Society Co., Ltd

Introduction to Foshan woodcut New Year pictures:

Applicant: Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Foshan City is located in the central and southern part of Guangdong Province, the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta, east of Guangzhou, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, the geographical location is very superior. As early as the song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of carving door gods was popular in Guangzhou and Foshan. In the early days, these door gods painted and engraved on the door board directly. Later, they painted and engraved on another board, made a large number of copies, and sold in the city for people to post.

The production of Foshan woodcut New Year pictures flourished in Qianjia period of Qing Dynasty, and gradually declined after 1930s. According to skill, Foshan woodcut New Year pictures include three types: original pictures, woodprints, and woodprints. According to subject matter, there are three types: door paintings, statue paintings, and Sui Shi custom paintings. Their main functions are offering sacrifices, praying for blessings, and decorating the environment, reflecting people's desire to exorcise evil spirits and accept blessings.

As a special form of local activities, Foshan woodblock New Year pictures reflect the historical roots of Foshan local culture and some basic conditions of Foshan traditional folk painting and printing technology.

At present, only the Feng family is the inheritor of Foshan woodcut New Year pictures. It is urgent to take effective protection measures to make this valuable new year picture production process continue.