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Article http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.04.008

A Study on the Artistic Expression and Spiritual Connotation of Zhuxian Town Opera Story Woodblock New Year Pictures

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Pei Yang

Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China.

*Corresponding author: Pei Yang

Published: April 28,2026

Abstract

From the perspective of fine arts, this paper comprehensively employs methods such as literature review, field investigation, and image analysis to explore the visual structure and spiritual connotation of Zhuxian Town opera story wood-block New Year pictures. The research indicates that their figure styling, composition, and color are deeply influenced by opera conventions, representing a planar translation of typical scenes. A comparison with Taohuawu and Yangliuqing New Year pictures further highlights their regional characteristics. The stable visual structure generates spiritual connotations through long-term folk practice: on the level of value ethics, it embodies concepts such as loyalty to the country, punishing evil, and promoting good; on the level of regional culture, it consolidates the collective memory of being the “center of the world” and the Central Plains heritage of “upholding simplicity and valuing virtue.” In modern development, the bidirectional integration of New Year pictures and opera should be upheld, expanding their living space through the translation of communication forms and the reshaping of ritual contexts. The research findings are valuable for understanding the relationship between the visual language and spiritual connotations of opera-themed New Year pictures and for promoting the protection, inheritance, and contemporary transformation of intangible cultural heritage.

Keywords

Zhuxian Town; opera story woodblock New Year pictures; artistic expression; spiritual connotation

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How to cite this paper

A Study on the Artistic Expression and Spiritual Connotation of Zhuxian Town Opera Story Woodblock New Year Pictures

How to cite this paper: Pei Yang. (2026) A Study on the Artistic Expression and Spiritual Connotation of Zhuxian Town Opera Story Woodblock New Year Pictures. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 10(4), 443-447.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.04.008