Artform that binds China and Vietnam gets Shanghai showing

An exhibition that display more than 100 pieces of nianhua, or New Year paintings, from both China and Vietnam has opened at East China Normal University in Shanghai, showcasing the charm of Chinese intangible cultural heritage as well as the close cultural ties between the two nations.

The majority of the pieces are New Year woodprint pictures, an artform that was listed among China's first batch of national intangible cultural heritage back in 2006. The folk tradition employs woodblock printing techniques and typically features auspicious and celebratory themes, acting as vivid expressions of people's hopes for a better life.

New Year woodprint pictures are found across China, and have also had an extensive influence in Southeast Asian nations. Bordering China, Vietnam has long been a center for the practice of the folk art.