Chongqing- Invite the God of Door, hang New Year paintings, paste Spring Festival couplets...Every Spring Festival, it is right these folk customs we are still observing now that give us a strong air of festivity. Among them, the New Year painting is the most influential folk painting genre which is rooted in the fond childhood memories of several generations.

As the Spring Festival draws near, Hometown and Far Away — Chinese National ICH New Year Painting Exhibition is declared open at Bijin Art Museum. In total, more than 100 high-quality New Year paintings from all over the country will be displayed to provide citizens with more insights into traditional Chinese culture and convey good wishes for the new year. Hosted by Yubei District Commission of Culture and Tourism Development and organized by Bijin Art Museum, Yubei District Calligraphers' Association, and Chongqing Yuannian Folk Art Museum, it will open free to the public until February 28.

All the exhibits come from places known for New Year painting such as Chongqing's Liangping District, Tianjin's Yangliuqing Town, Hebei's Wuqiang County, Jiangsu's Taohuawu Subdistrict, and Fujian's Zhangzhou City, including 18 ones inscribed on the National ICH List. By and large, there is a certain understated charm and a vivid kaleidoscope of regional characteristics. So these works are not only a continuation of China's historical folk culture but also offer a glimpse into China's social and cultural changes in different times and regions.

Among others, the Five Boys Vying for a Lotus Flower from Tianjin's Yangliuqing Town whose features, figures and structures are all hand-painted with chalk lines and renderings is incredibly lifelike. Besides, there are also some featured by woodblock hand-painting and other traditional crafts, which have attracted many viewers.

  "New Year painting not only embodies people's good wishes for the new year but also folk artists' wisdom and craftsmanship." According to a relevant person responsible for Bijin Art Museum, New Year paintings from South China are delicate and elegant, while those from North China are magnificent and bold. At the exhibition, there are works from both South China and North China, offering visitors a more intuitive insight into traditional New Year paintings and a deeper feeling of the good wishes behind them.