Inexpensive, colorful and considered extremely auspicious, New Year's prints enjoyed a flourishing period of use both on mainland China and to a lesser extent on the island of Taiwan. Previously, especially in the period immediately preceding New Year's, many streets throughout the country were alive with the cries of vendors peddling a wonderful assortment of these colorful, wood block prints.
據說過去在大陸上，每過臘八，城門附近就擺開「畫棚子」，專賣木刻年畫。