Hailing district, Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu province, has launched a set of 12 woodblock prints, a Chinese intangible cultural heritage item, this year to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang.
A set of 12 prints depict classic characters portrayed by Mei Lanfang in his performances, with distinct facial contours and well-proportioned figures. [Photo/WeChat account: weihailing0523]
These prints depict the classic characters portrayed by Mei in his performances, such as Farewell to My Concubine, The Legend of the White Snake, The Drunken Concubine, and Fairy Gives Flowers to the Earth.
All of them were designed and created by Song Baowang, a new-generation inheritor of woodblock prints.
The 62-year-old man, who lives in Shuanglie village, Huagang town, Hailing district, has been creating woodblock prints for over 40 years. Many of his works have been selected for the National Library of China, and some have even shone on the world stage, earning him international acclaim.
Song Baowang uses a carving knife to create a woodblock print. [Photo/WeChat account: weihailing0523]
"This set of prints was completed from the beginning of this year to October, with eight hours of carving each day," said Song .
The woodblock printing technique used in these prints boasts a history of over a 1,000 years and serves as the precursor to modern printing methods. It is known as a "living fossil" in the history of printing.
Woodblock printing has deep cultural roots, but inheritors in the new era wish to innovate while also preserving tradition.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of Mei Lanfang's birth, and the Hailing Federation of Literary and Art Circles proposed the idea of using traditional techniques to create this series of artworks. This combines the Mei school of art with modern aesthetics, bringing intangible cultural heritage and traditional theater culture to life in a vivid way, according to Song.
"Hailing district is hosting a series of events to commemorate the 130th anniversary of Mei Lanfang's birth this October, and I also want to help preserve Mei's cultural legacy," said Song.