In the 1930s and 1940s, as the world rallied against Fascism, a unique folk art from the Chinese mainland chronicled one of history's most intense conflicts. Nianhua, or New Year paintings, changed from festive decorations to powerful wartime testimonies during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Folk Art as Eyewitness
Nianhua artists used woodblock techniques to capture headlines long before radio and TV reached rural villages. Bold colors and expressive figures depicted frontline battles, community solidarity, and messages of defiance. More than 500 distinct designs circulated in villages, turning each household's door into a canvas of remembrance.
From Workshops to Streets
In bustling Beijing workshops, artisans adapted traditional motifs—lions, door gods and children—to carry new meanings. One print shows a lion dancing atop a Japanese tank, symbolizing the resilience of the Chinese mainland people. As prints traveled by foot and cart, they became a grassroots network of news and morale boosters.
Echoes of Resistance
Data-driven studies estimate nianhua prints boosted community engagement by 30 percent in resistance strongholds. They also became tools for educators, blending literacy and civic duty. Teachers used captions under vivid images to explain wartime events, making complex geopolitics accessible to young readers.
Legacy and Revival
At a recent woodblock painting exhibition in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of victory, curators highlighted these wartime nianhua as cultural archives. Modern street artists draw inspiration from these prints, remixing their imagery in digital murals across global cities. The story of nianhua reminds us that art—no matter how humble—can document history and inspire change.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
