The burnt picture is an applied fine art and called in China by various name (tanghua, huohua and laohua) which all mean the same thing –to burn with a hot iron to produce drawing on wood, bamboo, cloth or paper.

The burnt picture may be any of the usual subjects covered by the traditional painting; landscapes, human figures, flowers and birds, insects and fish. Its usually stands out of the plain ground in bold strokes of lasting color.

It is very popular in the vast countryside of China. in the northeast peasants like to have their wooden trunks and cabinets covered with burnt pictures. In the south, where bamboo grows in abundance, deck chairs and brush holding pots made of bamboo are often, if not always, decorated with burnt pictures. When burnt on larger wooden boards, they may be displayed on walls and make interior decorations of simple and folksy appeal.