Yānlíng

South-west of Kaifeng, Zhuxian stood on the Jialu River and served as an outer port for the provincial city. Its waterways and roads carried merchants and goods across the central plain. During the Ming and Qing, the town became known for woodblock New Year prints. Workshops produced brightly coloured door gods and scenes from stories and opera; merchants carried the prints away by river boat and cart to markets far beyond Kaifeng.