View source for Lianhuanhua

{{short description|Early 20th century palm-sized Chinese comic books}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Chinese words and phrases]]}}
[[File:ArrestOfOrchid01R.jpeg|thumb|right|250px|A Lianhuanhua Image from ''"Arrest of the Orchid"'']]
'''''Lianhuanhua''''' ({{zh|s=连环画|t=連環畫|p=Liánhuánhuà}}) is a type of palm-size picture books of sequential drawings popular in China in the 20th century. It influenced modern [[manhua]].<ref name="Wendy">Wong, Wendy Siuyi. [2002] (2001) Hong Kong Comics: A History of Manhua. Princeton Architectural Press. New York. {{ISBN|1-56898-269-0}}</ref>

==Terminology==
The name in Chinese essentially translates to "linked pictures" or "serial pictures". The books were called ''"lianhuanhua"'' or ''"lianhuan tuhua"''; later the "tu" was omitted and the term ''"lianhuanhua"'' became standard.<ref name="Lent">Lent, John A. [2001] (2001) Illustrating Asia: Comics, Humor Magazines, and Picture Books. University of Hawaii Press. {{ISBN|0-8248-2471-7}}</ref>  The official term lianhuanhua was not used until 1925<ref>Lin Su-hsing and Julia F. Andrews, "Picture Books (Lianhuanhua)" (entry), in: ''Encyclopedia of Modern China'', Vol. 3, Charles Scribner's Sons/Gale, 2009, p. 317.</ref> and was first employed by the Shanghai publishing company Shijie Shuju (World Book Company).<ref>Christopher A. Reed, [https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110810105835946 "Shijie Shu" (entry)], In: ''The Oxford Companion to the Book'', online edition, 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2021.</ref> Prior to this, lianhuanhua were separated into different name categories depending on the region.<ref name="Lent" />

{|class="wikitable"
! width=10% | Location
! width=25% | English Meaning
! width=25% | Chinese Name 
|-
| [[Shanghai]] || Little Book || Xiao Shu (小書)
|-
| [[Shanghai]] || Picture Book || Tuhua Shu (圖畫書)
|-
| [[Guangzhou]] and [[Hong Kong]] || Doll Book || Gongzai Shu (公仔書)
|-
| [[Wuhan]] || Children's Book || Yaya Shu  (伢伢書)
|-
| [[Northern and southern China|Northern China]] || Kid's Book || Xiaoren Shu (小人書)
|-
|}

==History==
In the 1880s, Chinese magazines such as Dianshizhai Pictorial experimented with the potential of this art technique. In 1884, ten illustrations to accompany a [[Korea]]n rebellion narrative may be the earliest example of lianhuanhua. In 1899, Wenyi Book Company in [[Shanghai]] published the illustrated [[lithograph]] ''"The Story of the Three Kingdoms"'' drawn by Zhu Zhixuan. The format then was called ''"huihui tu"'' or chapter pictures.<ref name="Lent" />

In 1916 Caobao newspapers bound the pictures to attract a larger audience base of middle and lower class readers. The rise of lianhuanhua's popularity was proportional to the rise of [[lithographic]] printing introduced to Shanghai from the West.<ref name="Lent" /> [[Shanghai]] comics journals in the 1920s featured more artwork, typically depicting traditional stories along the lines of [[Chinese mythology]] or [[Chinese folklore]].  Small publishers in the 1920s and 1930s were mostly located on a street called Beigongyili in the [[Zhabei]] district.  In 1935 street book stall owners and publishers established the "Shanghai Lianhuan Tuhua Promotion Society" at [[Taoyuanli]].<ref name="Lent" />  The illustrated stories were originally targeted to children and marginally literate readers.<ref name="Wendy" />

The books could be rented for a small fee in street [[kiosk]]s. By the 1920s, lianhuanhua were also found in [[Hong Kong]]. These rental stores were common even during the [[Japanese occupation of Hong Kong|Japanese occupation]] periods in the 1940s.<ref name="Wendy" />

In Hong Kong during the 1970s, the format had essentially disappeared as they had become materials associated with the uneducated and unsophisticated.<ref name="Wendy" />

Though lianhuanhua production decreased in mainland China during [[Cultural Revolution]], many books were still produced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lianhuanhua 连环画 - Picture Storybook|url=http://digicoll.manoa.hawaii.edu/storybook/index.php?c=1|website=University of Hawaii Digital Collection|access-date=19 April 2017}}</ref> From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, lianhuanhua made a major comeback. As in previous eras of lianhuanhua production, many of the books were adaptations of other films or television shows.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stember|first1=Nick|title=Chinese Lianhuanhua: A Century of Pirated Movies|date=23 May 2014|url=http://www.nickstember.com/chinese-lianhuanhua-century-of-pirated-movies/|access-date=19 April 2017}}</ref>

During and after the Cultural Revolution, the communist party adopted the medium for [[propaganda]] and education purposes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Propaganda and ideology in everyday life: Chinese comic books - Asian and African studies blog|url=http://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2015/05/propaganda-and-ideology-in-everyday-life-chinese-comic-books.html|website=blogs.bl.uk|language=en}}</ref>

From the late 1980s to the 1990s, demand for lianhuanhua decreased dramatically, and today, comic books such as [[manhua]] and translations of Japanese [[manga]] are much more popular than lianhuanhua.<ref>China.org.cn. "[http://china.org.cn/english/LI-e/26574.htm]." ''Allure of illustrated booklets.'' Retrieved on 2011-12-13.</ref>

Renmin Meishu Chubanshe (People's Fine Arts Publishing House), Shanghai Renmin Meishu Chubanshe (Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House) and Tianjin People's Renmin Meishu Chubanshe (Tianjin People's Fine Arts Publishing House) have republished some of their popular lianhuanhua books.

==Present==
Currently there is a resurgent interest in this format. The [[Shanghai Museum of Art]] has inaugurated a permanent exhibition of lianhuanhua as a popular [[grassroots]] [[fine art]] form.

Lianhuanhua was adapted for animation in the 2024 video game ''[[Black Myth: Wukong]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Xu |first1=Wanyang |last2=Li |first2=Xinran |title=Animating tradition |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202410/30/WS67218152a310f1265a1ca595.html |website=China Daily |pages=1-2 |date=30 October 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|China|Comics}}
* [[Banhua]]
* [[Chinese animation]]
* [[Comic strip]]
* [[Jiang Weipu]], the "patron god" of lianhuanhua
* [[Manhua]]

===Lists===
* [[Lianhuanhua listed by year]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* 阿英：《''中国连环图画史话'' (History of Lianhuanhua in China)》. 山东画报出版社, Aug 2008. {{ISBN|978-7-80713-490-9}}.
* {{cite web |author=Lent, John A |title =Lianhuanhua | url =http://www.revistas.usp.br/nonaarte/article/view/99714| publisher = [[ECA-USP]] | date = September 2012}}
* {{cite web |author=  Martin, R. Orion|title = Lianhuanhua: China's Pulp Comics | url = http://www.tcj.com/lianhuanhua-chinas-pulp-comics/ | publisher = [[The Comics Journal]]| date = 17 October 2014}}
*"[https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/2015/06/chinese-illustrated-books/ Linked Pictures: A Genre of Chinese Illustrated Books]", by Minjie Chen, 19 June 2015.
*"[https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/2020/11/donated-lianhuanhua/ Alumnus Donates Chinese Comic Books to the Cotsen Children’s Library]", by Minjie Chen, 22 Nov 2020.
*"[http://www.nickstember.com/chinese-lianhuanhua-century-of-pirated-movies/ Chinese Lianhuanhua: A Century of Pirated Movies]", by Nick Stember, 23 May 2014.

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050124022137/http://english.eastday.com/epublish/gb/paper1/455/class000100006/hwz54899.htm History of Lianhuanhua]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070427121218/http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/exhib/ccomic/comindx.html Lianhuanhua Pictures]
* [https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/2015/06/chinese-illustrated-books/ Lianhuanhua Collection at the Cotsen Library, Princeton University]
* [http://digicoll.manoa.hawaii.edu/storybook/index.php Lian Huan Hua (连环画) Collection, Asia Collection, Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii at Manoa]

{{Manhua}}
{{Comics}}

[[Category:Arts in China]]
[[Category:Chinese art]]
[[Category:Chinese culture]]
[[Category:Culture of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Hong Kong comics]]
[[Category:Manhua]]