Contemporary translation of local new year print symbol - Taohuawu door god creative design and communicate

Against the backdrop of traditional cultural revival and the growth of the cultural and creative industry, the transformation of local New Year painting symbols has become an important issue. The Door God images in Suzhou Taohuawu woodblock New Year paintings have distinctive visual features and cultural value, but current products suffer from superficial design, weak cultural expression, and fragmented communication.This study takes the Taohuawu Door God symbol as its object. Using literature analysis, case study, survey, interview, and design practice, it deconstructs the visual and cultural system of the symbol, explores pathways for transforming folk symbols into contemporary creative language, and proposes design solutions and communication strategies for modern life scenarios. The aim is to provide a practical and cultural reference for the translation of Taohuawu and other local New Year painting symbols, promoting creative transformation and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage

Regional New Year Paintings, Taohuawu Woodblock Prints, Door Gods, Cultural Innovation, Design-Driven Heritage Communication

1. Chen, J. (2022). A study on the living inheritance and development of Taohuawu New Year prints in the post-intangible cultural heritage era. Art Market, (11), 107-109.6. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Chen, X. (2022). Cultural creative development and design of traditional New Year paintings: Taking Suzhou Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints as an example[Master's thesis]. Soochow University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Cheng, C. (2013). The color characteristics and application of Suzhou Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints* [Master's thesis]. Yangzhou University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Gu, Z., & Gu, S. (2025). Innovative application of traditional New Year painting symbol language in cultural creative product design. Screen Printing Industry, (2), 56-58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Guo, H. (2022). "Full of five colors and abundant joy" - The coloring of Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints and its influence on my figure painting creation[Master's thesis]. Minzu University of China. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Huang, Q., & Ghazali, M. M. M. (2024). Research on narrative design of creative products based on regional cultural elements. Journal of Contemporary Educational Research,8(1), 112-119. https://doi.org/ 10.26689/JCER.V8I1.5971 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Liu, Y., & Yin, J. (2022). Digital cultural creative design of Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints based on cultural translation. Packaging Engineering, 43(10), 312-318. https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2022.10.039. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Li, J., Cheng, X., & Zhang, D. (2024). Research on cultural creative design strategy and application of "Fu Character Picture" in Taohuawu New Year prints. Beijing Cultural Creativity, (6), 17-28. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Li, T., & Li, M. (2025). Analysis of cultural creative product design of Zhuxiantown woodblock New Year prints from a semiotic perspective. Hunan Packaging, 40(1), 102-105. https://doi.org/10.19686/j.cnki.issn1671-4997.2025.01.037 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Li, C., Sun, F., Jiao, Y., et al. (2021). Research on regional cultural creative product design based on Morris semiotics. Packaging Engineering, 42(20), 88-93. https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2021.20.019 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Li, J. (2025). A study on the door god images in traditional Chinese folk crafts: The guardians on the door. Journal of Art Design, (9), 87-89. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Meng, X., & Li, H. (2024). Intelligent design and application of traditional cultural and creative products based on digital art elements. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1), 1-14. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Ren, G., & Wu, X. (2020). The everyday aesthetic of cultural creative products. Mingrifengshang, (20), 23-24. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Russo, A. (2021). The value of design in cultural heritage communication: A framework for evaluation. Design Management Journal, 16(3), 78-91. https://doi.org/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Sima, J. (2020). Design semiotics and cultural innovation: A framework for analyzing visual translation. Design Studies, 71, 100-115. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Vassallo, S. (2024). From tradition to trend: Heritage branding strategies for fashion and design. Fashion Practice, 16(1), 45-67. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Wang, Y. (2023). Research on the innovative expression of the Door God schema in Taohuawu New Year prints in Suzhou embroidery [Master's thesis]. Suzhou University of Science and Technology. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Wang, G. (2018). Brief discussion on Door Gods: On the development origin and nature evolution of Door Gods. Art Work, (4), 89-93. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Yao, W. (2010). A socio-cultural history study of modern Suzhou Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints[Master's thesis]. Soochow University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Zhang, A. (2018). Exploration of visual design translation of intangible cultural heritage. Packaging Engineering, 39(20), 121-125. https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2018.20.019. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Zhang, H. (2025). Research on cultural creative product design of Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints. Packaging Engineering, 46(2), 88-93. https://doi.org/10.27267/d.cnki.gqfsu.2025.000386 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Zhu, L. (2024). Research on innovation strategies for Suzhou Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints in the digital age. Journal of Suzhou Art & Design Technology Institute, 22(4), 45-49. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Zhang, W. (2024). Research on the realization path of modern transformation of "Door Gods" in Liangping woodblock New Year prints. Art and Design (Theory), 2(3), 67-70. https://doi.org/10.16824/j.cnki.issn10082832.2024.03.014 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Zhong, S., Zheng, W., Zhao, W., et al. (2021). Research on cultural creative product design based on regional cultural elements. Art and Design (Theory), 2(8), 92-95. https://doi.org/10.16824/j.cnki.issn10082832.2021.06.027 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Zhang, C. (2023). Research on cultural creative product design in the context of regional culture [Master's thesis]. Jilin University of the Arts [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Reflective Sandwich Method: A Cognitive-Dialogic Framework for Enhancing Research Competence among Pre-service Teachers in Negros Oriental State University (2023–2025)
• Determinants of the Monkey King’s Character Design in Contemporary Chinese Animation
• Stitching the Future: Exploring the Role of Augmented Reality in Revolutionizing Fashion Design
• Application of Genetic Algorithm for Optimal Design of Portal Frame Structures
• Design Strategies for Coastal Cultural and Creative Tourism Brands Targeting the Elderly