Traditional Fine Arts

Traditional fine arts are folk crafts passed down through generations and preserved to this day through historical accumulation. Each traditional fine art incorporates the daily habits， religious beliefs， cultural customs， and aspirations of ancestors and generations of local residents. Traditional fine arts are an important category within the intangible cultural heritage protection list. They can generally be divided into four main categories： folk painting， folk sculpture， folk crafts， and folk architecture， encompassing various aspects such as daily clothing， living spaces， and aesthetic decorations. With the rise of intangible cultural heritage protection in recent years， the government and folk artists have increasingly focused on and strengthened the inheritance and preservation of traditional folk fine arts. With its long history and profound cultural heritage， Hunan Province has 13 traditional fine arts listed in the national-level intangible cultural heritage list. Renowned at home and abroad， Hunan embroidery， exquisite Miao paintings， unique stone carvings， and intricately crafted Papier-mache are examples of these splendid and precious traditional fine arts. They embody people’s rich imagination and unique creativity， serving as our wealth and bearing witness to urban heritage and history. In contemporary times， these ancient and mysterious traditional fine arts， after being innovated upon， bring more color and vibrancy to our lives.

Tantou New Year Woodblock Print

Historical Origin

Tantou New Year Woodblock Prints originated in Longhui County， Hunan Province， and have a history of over 300 years. Its production techniques are closely related to the local Meishan culture and the use of paper horses for folk sacrificial activities in Tantou. According to the Annals of Longhui County， during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties， there was a scholar named Wang Dongyuan， also known as “Wang Houzi.” To escape the chaos of war， Wang Dongyuan came to Tantou with his wife and established the first Tantou Woodblock Prints workshop. With his intelligence， advantageous local resources such as bamboo paper and pigments， and his painting talent， Wang created and printed over ten types of New Year Woodblock Prints， including “Qin Shuba” and “Yuchi Gong.” Local merchants marketed and sold these prints to other regions， bringing Wang Dongyuan great fame. By the beginning of the 20th century， the development of Tantu woodblock prints reached its peak， with 108 workshops producing millions of prints each year， which were not only popular in the provinces of Jiangnan but also exported to Southeast Asia. However， many workshops ceased operation and transformed their businesses after 1949. It was not until 1979 that the production of Tantou Woodblock Prints was truly restored， and in 1984， Tantou Town was awarded the title of “Hometown of Modern Chinese Folk Painting” by the Ministry of Culture.

Artistic Features

Tantou New Year Woodblock Prints have a unique characteristic： the entire production process， from material selection， papermaking， woodblock carving， and printing， to the final product， is completed locally in Tantou. The subject matter of these prints is extensive， mainly including portraits of deities， auspicious symbols， and stories from operas and dramas. The deity portraits often depict gods of wealth， kitchen gods， door gods， and Buddhas， symbolizing auspiciousness， happiness， blessings， and wealth. For example， the New Year print Qin Shubao · Yuchi Gong represents peace， auspiciousness， and promotion. The prints with auspicious symbols focus more on expressing specific positive meanings using elements such as gourds， peaches， bats， and Buddha’s hands. They present popular auspicious phrases like New Year Woodblock Prints， such as Inviting Wealth and Fortune and Harmony and Auspiciousness. The prints featuring stories from operas and dramas depict myths， legends， and historical tales， such as The Rat’s Wedding， Oath of the Peach Garden， and The Story of the Western Wing. Almost every Tantou Woodblock Print carries a captivating story regardless of the category. Over time， Tantou Woodblock Prints have developed their unique artistic style characterized by vibrant colors， distinctive shapes， flowing lines， and authentic materials. The exquisite craftsmanship techniques， such as steaming paper， applying adhesive， brushing powder， and “carving the face，” bring the prints to life， resembling intricate reliefs.

Cultural Heritage Value

In Tantou， there is a saying passed down among the locals， “Tantou Woodblock Prints possess great power; evil spirits fear them. Collect a set of Tantou Prints， and your descendants will enjoy a happy life.” Gao Lamei， a representative inheritor， and her husband， Zhong Haixian， were both second-generation inheritors of the Gao Lamei workshop. Although they have both passed away， the Gao Lamei workshop remains the only surviving representative of Tantou Woodblock Prints. For more than sixty years and countless days and nights， the couple had worked together to exchange， improve， print and innovate woodblock prints and have dedicated their lives to the continuation of this art. In recent years， the development of Tantou Woodblock Prints has faced challenges due to various factors. Public enthusiasm has waned， and fewer people understand this culture with the passing of inheritors of the older generation.

Moreover， the lack of innovation in creating new prints has limited their market presence despite their cultural value. Fortunately， with the support and promotion of the government’s policies， Gao Lamei’s sons， Zhong Shimian and Zhong Jiantong， have been able to maintain the original workshop， receive compensation for their craftsmanship， and become the third-generation inheritors of the Gao Lamei workshop. They have mastered the production techniques and core technologies of Tantou Woodblock Prints and are striving to ensure their continuation， gaining recognition in the market.

Introduction to Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hunan Province

Yu Huichun

Central South University Press

August 2021

39.00 （CNY）

Yu Huichun

Yu Huichun serves as the deputy secretary and vice president of the Party Committee at Hunan Vocational College of Art， is an associate professor， and holds a Master’s degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature from Hunan Normal University.