As the Chinese New Year approaches, the demand for the Yangjiabu New Year woodblock paintings is surging. Local folk artists are busy making the New Year woodblock prints to meet the demands of the national market.

Yangjiabu village in Weifang, Shandong province has been a Chinese New Year painting production center since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). As a national intangible cultural heritage, the art form is one of China's three traditional New Year folk painting styles, along with Tianjin's Yangliuqing and Suzhou's Taohuawu.

A folk artist hangs woodprint New Year paintings in Yangjiabu village. [Photo/IC]

After the three stages of drawing, engraving and printing are completed, a series of exquisite New Year paintings are created. [Photo/IC]

Derived from portraits of the Door Gods, the Chinese New Year painting is regarded as a symbol of the Spring Festival. [Photo/IC]

Villagers make Yangjiabu New Year woodblock paintings to meet the surging demand during the Spring Festival season. [Photo/IC]

A folk artist engraves the printing woodblock for Chinese New Year paintings in Yangjiabu village. [Photo/IC]

Folk artists are busy making Chinese traditional woodprint Chinese New Year paintings in Yangjiabu village for customers throughout China. [Photo/IC]