Gaomi's guru of centuries-old New Year painting

Before Gaomi became famous as the hometown and setting of the books by Nobel Prize-winning author Mo Yan, the agrarian community was already known for master Lunar New Year painter Lu Zhenli.

The 60-year-old is a sixth generation master of the "flapping-ash" style and has been in the business for four decades. He incorporates techniques from various local schools and has been designated as a national-level intangible culture inheritor.

The "flapping-ash" style has been a signature of Gaomi for more than three centuries. It uses willow twigs burned to charcoal to draw the drafts. Charcoal is a difficult medium to work with because it smudges easily.