Yangliuqing woodblock New Year Prints are a traditional folk art from Tianjin, China, and are recognized as one of the national intangible cultural heritages. The engraving for these prints are often carved from local pearwood, and the production combines traditional woodblock printing with hand-coloring techniques. The prints are known for their delicate details, bright colors, wide range of themes, and auspicious meanings, symbolizing the people's wishes for a better life. Yangliuqing Woodblock New Year Prints flourished during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Although they faced decline due to wars, natural disasters, and the impact of lithograph, they began to revive with the support of national policies.
Huo Qingyou, an inheritor of Yangliuqing Woodblock New Year Prints, with the artistic name Gu Yizhang, was born in Tianjin in 1952. Growing up in a family environment rich in artistic influence, he developed a deep passion for New Year Prints  from a young age. Starting in the 1980s, Huo Qingyou dedicated himself to studying and inheriting his father’s craft, becoming one of the few Yangliuqing artists skilled in all aspects of the art—outlining, engraving, printing, painting, mounting. His efforts helped revive the nearly extinct woodblock hand-painted Yangliuqing New Year Prints, allowing them to continuously innovate and develop. Huo places great emphasis on the quality of his creations and the preservation of folk culture, while also blending traditional craftsmanship with modern market demands. Through this, he actively passes down and promotes the folk culture, helping more people understand and appreciate Yangliuqing New Year Prints.