Creative block

Guo Jinwei, 32, came here in 2011 after graduating from college. He is one of this year's winners. His new design mixes styles and themes that were often seen in imperial paintings and some former offset prints.

"Though my main job is to mount the pictures," he says, "I cannot restrict myself to one position. I have to frequently communicate with other people to get inspired."

More than 100 people have joined the workshop since 2005, but only around 30 have remained.

"Sometimes, we keep carving and drawing the same design again and again," says Gao Yan, 38, who is now a leading painter among the new generation in the workshop. "A layperson may consider it boring, but it's our job, like office work. Fortunately, it's a job that interests us."

Gao says he tries to add more shading and lighting effects in his designs to make the pictures more vivid-and even computer-aided design has been introduced to the process.

However, some cultural anthropologists have denounced such evolution, arguing that only the original styles, which look rough, can represent Yangliuqing.

"When more and more privately-owned picture workshops come up again in Yangliuqing town, which follow our new style, I think our exploration to prolong the life of Chinese New Year pictures will get the required result," Wang retorts, although he confesses that the most popular pieces are still classic themes.

"No matter how creative we want to be, people still love lian nian you yu pictures the most, just as much as the first day I came here," he says.