“The new year came in the sound of firecrackers; The spring breeze brought the warmth to everyone’s house. With the new rising sunshine, everyone is busy with replacing their peach wood charms. (which are believed to prevent evil) Reading the New Year’s Day poetry written by WANG Anshi, Year 4 students started their topic study of New Year’s Picture in Chinese Studies Classes from peach wood charms.
New Year’s Picture is a unique folk art in Chinese tradition and also a common decoration in household which represents fortune. These colorful New Year’s Pictures have brought the happy and prosperous festival atmosphere to households. They also carry the beautiful expectation of the Chinese people on the future. As the time flies, the creation and content of New Year’s pictures have been changed. However, the Chinese people’s appreciation and inheritance on this valuable art remains the same.
Through image and text documents, the students learned the history and development of Chinese New Year’s Picture. Originated from Han Dynasty, New Year’s Picture had its development in Tang and Song Dynasty. With its prosperity in Ming and Qing Dynasty, it has been passed along till now. The students were quite interested in the long history and mysterious stories behind New Year’s Picture. Besides, they watched a video about a traditional craftsman who had been devoting himself to painting New Year’s Pictures. Despite their young age, the students showed their amazement of the traditional technique and admiration of the craftsman’s perseverance. They have gained their own understanding of the meaning of New Year’s Picture to the Chinese people.
In Chinese Studies Classes, the students also made their own New Year’s Pictures to bring fortune to the coming Year of the Pig. Each student was concentrated on color choosing and creation of beautiful New Year’s Pictures. After posting them to both sides of red papers, they skillfully tied red braids below. After being hung in the classroom, these pictures had filled the room with great festival atmosphere.
Y4E Co-Teacher – Ming ZHANG