Painting Horses in the Year of the Horse: Intangible Cultural Heritage Crafts Weave Auspicious New Year Scenes
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- February 24, 2026
- 8:08 pm
During the Spring Festival in the Year of the Horse, several intangible cultural heritage (ICH) crafts in our city have been deeply integrated with zodiac culture. A series of new ICH creations—combining traditional charm with contemporary creativity—have been unveiled, bringing renewed vitality to traditional culture amid the festive atmosphere.
Brush and Ink Convey Blessings, Woodblock Prints Add Festive Spirit.
On February 16, at the Woodblock New Year Painting Exhibition Hall in Daokou Ancient Town, Huaxian County, representative inheritor Geng Jianshe introduced innovative horse-themed works such as “Blessings Arrive Immediately” (a play on words with “horse”).
“This one shows the God of Wealth riding a horse and holding a gourd, symbolizing ‘instant prosperity.’ And this ‘Everything Goes Well’ character for fortune hides two persimmon patterns inside,” Geng explained.
Visitors can not only admire the exquisite New Year paintings but also experience the traditional technique themselves by making rubbings under the guidance of the inheritor.
(Horse-themed embroidery pieces from the Anxiu Huaxian Embroidery Base.)
Needle and Thread Carry Blessings, Embroidery Celebrates the New Year.
Echoing the lively spirit of the New Year prints, horse-themed embroidery pieces from the municipal intangible cultural heritage project An Embroidery (Anxiu) Huaxian Embroidery Base have also been warmly received.
“This is our newly launched gold couching double-sided embroidery ornament,” said Feng Feiyan, general manager of Henan Anxiu Cultural Industry Group Co., Ltd., on February 15. “The designs ‘Blessings Arrive with the Horse’ and ‘Horse Stepping on Auspicious Clouds’ look festive and elegant when displayed at home.”
In addition, an exquisite embroidered reproduction of the Tang Dynasty painting Polo Match, which took more than 40 days to complete, has also attracted attention for its remarkable craftsmanship.
(Horse-themed sugar painting created by Su Xiaonian. Photo by Chang Zhongzheng)
Inheritance Means Innovation as Well as Preservation.
Su Xiaonian, inheritor of the Su-style sugar painting tradition, drew inspiration from the Year of the Horse, incorporating auspicious phrases such as “Blessings Arrive Immediately” and “Good Fortune in the Year of the Horse” alongside oracle bone script motifs into sugar painting designs. By using 3D techniques, the flowing strands of sugar are given a three-dimensional effect, breathing new life into the ancient craft.
(Chen Yanqing intricately carves a horse motif on red paper.)
As a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage project, Zhangde paper cutting has also welcomed new horse-themed creations. Fifth-generation inheritor Chen Yanqing uses a knife as a pen, intricately carving galloping horses into red paper. With swirling auspicious clouds surrounding the running horses, the works embody the traditional concept that “every image carries meaning, and every meaning conveys good fortune,” while also expressing a spirit of progress and vitality through delicate cutting techniques.
From woodblock New Year prints to silk-thread embroidery, from three-dimensional sugar paintings to intricate paper cutting, intangible cultural heritage artisans paint horses with craftsmanship and convey blessings through their skills—making this Spring Festival richer in festive flavor and deeper in cultural charm.