Festive Painting has a long tradition in China. With their auspicious characters and bright colors, you can see plenty of these jubilant paintings during the Spring Festival holiday season. As one of the four well-known festive painting styles, Mianzhu Painting has long been hailed as a treasure of Sichuan Province.

As one of the four well-known festive painting styles, Mianzhu Painting has long been hailed as a treasure of Sichuan Province.

Mianzhu painting is good at using colors. Sharp contrast between the dark and bright creates a unique style that carries the folk features. Lines run smoothly on the paper until fresh colors light up the whole character. Before long, vivid figures come to life.

It remains a mystery when Mianzhu painting first appeared. But it's clear that it took the form of wall sculpture during the Han Dynasty. Passed down for over two thousand years, the folk art saw its spring in the time of Emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty. At that time, there were thousands of Mianzhu Painting artists in Beijing.

Instead of moulding and printing like other famous festive painting styles, Mianzhu artists prefer controlling the brush with their bare hands. It is much quicker and freer.

Hu Guangkui, curator in Mianzhu Painting Museum, said, "Mianzhu festive painting is usually done very quickly. In the past, after finishing delicate works, artists would paint with the leftover pigments using as few brush strokes as possible. The quick painting gradually evolved into a unique genre for being simple and vivid."

The city of Mianzhu was severely damaged by the earthquake of May 12, 2008. Apart from building new homes and paving new roads, reviving folk arts is also part of the Mianzhu people's reconstruction program.

Mianzhu festive painting style has been applied to embroidery, porcelain and other cultural products. But its theme has never changed. It expresses a joy for life in the festive season.

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