Portraits of fortune

Spring Festival is when Mianzhu Lunar New Year block prints trace the historical images of seasonal celebration in Sichuan province. Huang Zhiling reports in Mianzhu.

People like Li Fangfu give color to the Spring Festival. The holiday and its leadup is the busiest time for Lunar New Year block print artists. So the 84-year-old, who learned his trade from age 12, creates and sells the traditional paintings in the central square of Sichuan province's Mianzhu city from 8 am until 7 pm."This is what I'll do every day until the festival is over," he says. "Business is booming in the square."

The city's government is sponsoring the 13th Mianzhu Lunar New Year Block Print Festival until Feb 14 to brighten the holiday festivities. There are lanterns with block prints, tents belonging to artists like Li and the city's print museum is staging exhibitions.