Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio keeps folk art alive through generations

In the heart of Yangliuqing Town in north China's Tianjin Municipality, a small studio is making a big impact of traditional Chinese folk art. The Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio, rooted in a workshop founded in 1926, continues to breathe life into the centuries-old craft of Yangliuqing woodblock printing.

The studio was revived in 1993 by Huo Qingshun, the sixth-generation inheritor of the Yuchenghao legacy. With him, the workshop not only preserves traditional techniques like woodblock carving and hand-painting but also serves as a folk art museum and teaching space.

To engage younger audiences, his family launched the Yuchenghao Print Experience Studio in 2019, where visitors can watch live demonstrations and try printing classic designs such as “Abundance Year After Year.”

For Huo, keeping the art alive means more than making prints - it’s about sharing a living tradition. He lectures in schools and museums, and his son and daughter-in-law now help run the studio. “These prints carry people’s hopes for a better life,” he says. “That message still matters.”

With its deep and enduring cultural roots, Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio stands as a powerful symbol of heritage passed down, one generation at a time.

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2025, shows traditional New Year prints displayed inside the Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio in Yangliuqing Town, north China’s Tianjin Municipality. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2025, shows Huo Qingshun, the sixth inheritor of Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio, being interviewed inside the studio. He is dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional craft of Yangliuqing new year prints. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2025, shows an artisan hand-coloring a traditional New Year print at the Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio in Yangliuqing Town, north China’s Tianjin Municipality. The meticulous process reflects the skill and care involved in this intangible cultural heritage. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2025, shows an artisan hand-coloring a traditional New Year print at the Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio in Yangliuqing Town, north China’s Tianjin Municipality. The meticulous process reflects the skill and care involved in this intangible cultural heritage. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2025, shows traditional tools used in making New Year prints on display at the Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio. The meticulous process reflects the skill and care involved in this intangible cultural heritage. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2025, shows traditional tools used in making New Year prints on display at the Yuchenghao New Year Print Studio. The meticulous process reflects the skill and care involved in this intangible cultural heritage. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture)