The peach and the storks flying above are traditional symbols of longevity. Woodcut New Year's Print. On each of the prints is a Chinese character that appears to be hung from a red ribbon. Woodcut New Year's Print. The sun is a symbol of Communism as personified by Mao Zedong.
Armed women demonstrate the change in female roles brought about by the new society.
The pattern of the waves and rocks in the pictures recalls the design at the lower edge of robes worn by officials when they attended court during the Qing Dynasty. In imperial times it symbolized the emperor's role as mediator between heaven and earth. Here, in the Communist context, waves and rocks represent the multitude of China's people and their homeland. The Spring Ox ceremony had been performed in imperial China during the New Year's Festival, which fell at the beginning of spring. A papier-mache ox was beaten, and this was thought to bring on good harvests.