Blast from the past

Photo provided to China Daily

Apart from the scarcity of lianhuanhua, the artistic value of the old books has driven prices high on the market.

There are around 6,900 artworks in the lianhuanhua series on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms by some 30 painters, many of whom were famous Chinese artists back then, and the original title for each book was drawn by renowned calligrapher He Tianjian.

In addition, each book has a stamp on its cover in a different shape and font.

Wen Zeyuan, president of Shanghai People's Art Publishing House, told local media earlier that lianhuan-hua as a traditional Chinese art form is relevant now despite the passing of time.

"Just as lyrical poetry of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) cannot replace the classical poems that had flourished during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), the modern picture book, likewise, cannot replace lianhuanhua," says Wen, adding that every year, more than 100 titles of lianhuanhua are reprinted by his publishing house.