“Sui Chao” refers to the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year.   It is traditional to hang Spring Festival Paintings, as a wish for a safe and auspicious new year.

Spring Festival Paintings typically contain a range of items which would not occur together in reality, such as spring blossom and autumn fruit. The items depicted have significant auspicious meanings, with natural and man-made objects mixed together. For example vases mean peace, firecrackers and teapots signify the arrival of the new year.

More modern paintings by Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi show the continuation of the tradition.