Beijing Wood paintings near the Drum Tower
Chinese New Year’s
woodblock painting is a type of picture commonly posted during the
Spring Festival.
In the past, you may find them on windows and doors of almost every home before the Spring Festival.
The natural and simple strokes, created by simple farmers, express their simple desires for the upcoming year.
Color Together, located in Drum Tower near The Emperor Hotel , is a newly opened shop selling this Chinese specialty.
The shop owner, Mr Yi, developed a love for this art because he was born in a town famous for Spring Festival paintings. He happily shared the paintings’ stories.
I really liked the story of the “Door God”. According to legends, two brothers called Shen Tu and Yu Lei supervised ghosts and monsters.
If a monster wanted to harm a human, the brothers would tie the monster up to feed the tiger. Later people drew portraits of Shen Tu and Yu Lei on windows and doors, to ward off unwelcomed guests.
I found the delicate Chinese doll very attractive. It depicts a smiling Chinese doll with a scroll in her hand. The words on the scroll means harmony.
This design came from the beautiful city of Su Zhou, and one of the most famous wood block paintings in China. This is difficult to find Su Zhou’s painting nowadays.
Prices are modest. Smaller works tend to be under a hundred yuans. While more complicated works cost several hundred yuans.
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