Changes of Chinese Spring Festival under the lens of foreign photographers

Chinese New Year custom has more than 4,000 years of history, but in the 1839 years before the invention of photography, China has been in the form of ideas, customs and other forms in the ancestors of the blood flow. Into modern times, with the opening of the ancient Chinese country, foreigners began to use the lens of curiosity to record the most important festival in China, Chinese culture with these old photos into the Western world ...

"In the first month, do not shave; "This ballad, sung for more than 360 years, the years have been dim the original meaning, to the nine Kyushu on the earth, the Master Barber, one months a year of" annual leave. Nowadays, most people still abide by the custom of not entering the barber in the first month.

When the last night of the old year is about to pass, it means that the New years will come soon. Next, welcome the gods to stay at home in the celebration ceremony will be held, everyone will put on holiday costumes and sit down to enjoy a luxurious feast, happy dialogue around the family.

In the late Qing Dynasty, China still retains quite a lot of red tape, on the eve of the Spring Festival, people will hold ceremonies to meet the god of wealth and kitchen, people think these gods will inform the Jade Emperor in the sky of the bad things and vices. This photo shows a Manchu businessman set up an altar in the courtyard of Yingkou, Liaoning, to greet the arrival of the god of wealth.

Foreign photographer Morrison Hedda photographed in 1933-1946, this picture seems to be the Baiyun view of today's temple can also see this scene: The gang with copper coins to the bridge hanging on the bell, if the coins just sounded the bell, that is a good luck, will be all right in the coming year.

After being trampled by the Japanese soldiers, the Spring Festival of 1941 is not a big war, compared with other war zone more calm. During the Spring Festival, the villagers in the surrounding areas will save their eggs, vegetables and pork to the local anti-Japanese troops to show their thanks. Photo of the 1941 Chinese New Year on the streets of foreign journalists.

Liaoning elderly Li Lianju recalled the anti-Japanese New Year, said "Eve, according to the folk custom of our children to the elders." Though I am a high school student, I will do the ritual of kowtowing to my elders. More happy is, my family from the village trustee bought a few Jin Rice, on New Year's Eve this morning secretly eat ...

1946, the anti-Japanese war just won, devastated China ushered in a new year, people organize dance dragon, stilts, rocking, play the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. At this time, the people, with war wounds, thought that finally can live a peaceful day, but they could not imagine that this summer, the third domestic war broke out completely. It will be a long time before the real peace arrives.

Although color photographs have been invented for many years, the photo in China are rare. This is a group of anti-Japanese during the United States Flying Tigers shooting photo, reflecting the domestic public sentiment style, precious. Like many other cities in the world, current news, historical events and the people involved are the subject of wide public concern.

Photographer John Gutman photographed the Spring festival in Kunming, China's southwestern city of 1950, just after the war. In contrast to the present, the pilgrims in Kunming often like to hike to the Buddhist temples on the hilltop of Kunming, in this way to celebrate the spring, the pilgrimage road in the land winding.

In the March 2003, Zhejiang Rural New Year, people like to wear red clothes in order to good luck. (German photographer Mack Wolf works)

In the 80 's China Spring Festival, French photographer Chanley shot. The picture is 1985, Beijing station waiting room.

Performers wear traditional costumes to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in a small village in Wuhu, Anhui Province, February 8, 2008. (Reuters/jianan Yu)

February 3, 2011, Hong Kong. The year of the rabbit, people wearing "rabbit ears" decorated to watch the new Year's performance, there are many foreigners sitting. Before the reunification, Hong Kong had been a bridge between the mainland and the world for the relatively closed mainland, whether it was economic or cultural. (Lane Turner)

Pilgrims are praying for the Spring Festival in Shanghai in 2011. (Lane Turner)

A worker is setting off firecrackers in Beijing February 3, 2011. (Lane Turner)

2013 Chongqing, the Pilgrims during the Spring Festival.

January 9, 2013, Beijing Longhu Park, a folk artist ready to perform on stilts at the Spring Festival Fair.

A diver in the Beijing Aquarium dances the dragon in the water during the Spring Festival January 10, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Pictures)

January 31, 2014, Hong Kong, The actors Dance Dragon Celebration Chinese New Year. (Vincent Yu, US website today)