Chinese New Year prints on show at Shanghai History Museum

An exhibition of Chinese New Year prints kicked off on Dec 27 and will run till Mar 1 at the Shanghai History Museum in celebration of the New Year and the upcoming Spring Festival.

The exhibition showcases 87 types of artwork from the collections of the Shanghai History Museum and the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum.

Posting pictures that bear auspicious meanings in the home has been a custom for more than 1,000 years in China, says Hu Jiang, head of the Shanghai History Museum.

Popular subjects include historical tales, legends, happy children and patterns representing good wishes. It was only in the 1930s that new images appeared, portraying contemporary issues and social life. After 1949, prints about depicting urban lifestyle and the close ties between Chinese leaders and the people emerged.

The museum will host interactive events involving print-making and New Year games during the exhibition.

(Cover: New Year prints from the collections of the Shanghai History Museum and the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum will be featured at an exhibition on Chinese New Year prints at the Shanghai History Museum.)

(CHINA.ORG.CN)