年画

• Pinyin: nián huà
• Hanzi breakdown: 年 = pictograph of a person carrying grain (harvest/year); 画 = 凵(frame) + 一 + 田(field) — to draw/picture

Meaning

New Year painting; a traditional Chinese decorative print made for the Lunar New Year, typically depicting auspicious themes and symbols.

An important form of Chinese folk art with distinctive regional styles: Yangliuqing (Tianjin), Suzhou, and Shandong are the most celebrated. Commonly depict door gods, children, fish, and other symbols of good fortune. Hung on doors and walls during the Spring Festival. Listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Examples

1. 每逢春节，家家户户都会在门上贴年画，以求新的一年平安吉祥、五谷丰登。 Every Spring Festival, families paste New Year prints on their doors in hopes of peace and good fortune in the coming year and a bountiful harvest.
2. 这幅来自杨柳青的年画色彩鲜艳，人物造型饱满喜庆，是珍贵的民间艺术瑰宝。 This New Year print from Yangliuqing is brightly colored, with full and festive figures, and is a treasured masterpiece of folk art.
3. 随着时代变迁，传统年画的销量日益萎缩，但不少艺术家正致力于将这一古老技艺传承下去。 As times have changed, sales of traditional New Year prints have steadily declined, but many artists are working to carry this ancient craft forward.

Usage Guide

Context: culture, tradition, folk art, Spring Festival

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 杨柳青年画以其精细的雕版技艺和鲜亮的色彩著称，被列为国家级非物质文化遗产，每年吸引大批国内外游客前来参观学习。(Yangliuqing New Year paintings are renowned for their intricate woodblock carving techniques and vibrant colours; they are listed as a national intangible cultural heritage and attract large numbers of domestic and foreign visitors each year.)
• 年画作为春节文化的重要组成部分，不仅承载着人们对美好生活的祈愿，也是研究中国民俗文化和艺术史的珍贵实物资料。(As an important component of Spring Festival culture, New Year paintings not only embody people's prayers for a good life but also serve as precious physical materials for studying Chinese folk culture and art history.)

Don't Say

• 将'年画'与'壁画'混用 — 年画 specifically refers to traditional decorative prints made for the New Year/Spring Festival; 壁画 refers to murals painted on walls in a general sense, unrelated to the festival

Origin & History

年 (year/New Year) + 画 (painting/picture). A picture made for the New Year.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional (Ming dynasty onward)

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal