---
title: '恭賀新禧 (Happy New Year): Chinese soldier as door god, Chinese-language poster stamped Office of War Information'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/owi-new-year-door-god-chinese-poster-1945/
description: 'A New Year door-god (menshen) print in woodblock style: a giant Chinese soldier in Nationalist uniform, bayonet raised, stamps on a Japanese soldier…'
section: Collection
---

[Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)

**Content note:** Giant Chinese soldier stamping on a Japanese soldier; the text calls the Japanese 'devils' (日本鬼). This object is shown as it was published. [Why](https://propagandaarchive.org/about/#as-it-was)

[![恭賀新禧 (Happy New Year): Chinese soldier as door god, Chinese-language poster stamped Office of War Information](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/owi-new-year-door-god-chinese-poster-1945.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/owi-new-year-door-god-chinese-poster-1945.jpg)

# 恭賀新禧 (Happy New Year): Chinese soldier as door god, Chinese-language poster stamped Office of War Information

A New Year door-god (menshen) print in woodblock style: a giant Chinese soldier in Nationalist uniform, bayonet raised, stamps on a Japanese soldier marked with the rising-sun badge. The tell: the traditional door-god image is borrowed to carry a request for help for Chinese and American troops, and the text calls the Japanese 'devils' (日本鬼). Small print tells Chinese in occupied areas not to display the sheet where Japanese can see it.

## Text on the object

Original (Chinese (traditional)) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
恭賀新禧

這個中國兵把日本鬼趕出了中國的陸地——援助他！

舊時的門神已疲憊的睡着了。日本鬼的恐怖浸入了千百萬中國人的家，他們已經擋不住了。這個新中國的戰士，他的精神會保住你們全家老小的平安。可是他和美國的士兵還需要你們的援助。在他們受傷，失迷路途，或饑餓時，他們就需要你們的安慰和友情了。援助他們，他們是替你們打仗的！

淪陷區的中國盟友注意：
請不要把這張門神放在讓人看見的地方。日本人看見了就會兇狠的對付你們。

[Stamp:] U.S. Government / Office of War Information / New York / FEB 23 1945
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
Respectful New Year greetings.

This Chinese soldier has driven the Japanese devils out of the land of China: help him!

The door gods of old have grown tired and fallen asleep. The terror of the Japanese devils has seeped into the homes of millions of Chinese, and they can no longer hold it back. This soldier of the new China, his spirit will keep your whole family, old and young, safe. But he and the American soldiers still need your help. When they are wounded, lose their way or go hungry, they will need your comfort and friendship. Help them: they are fighting for you!

A note to our Chinese allies in the occupied areas: please do not put this door god where people can see it. If the Japanese see it they will deal harshly with you.
```

Read from the Library of Congress master scan. The first line of the long paragraph runs '舊時的門神已' and the next line begins '疲憊的睡着了'; whether a character such as 經 sits between them is not clear, so the text is given as it appears. Translation is FRAME's own literal rendering, machine-assisted and not verified by a fluent reader.

[← Mulher portuguesa: a Salazar o deves! Votai por Salazar (Portuguese woman: you owe it to Salazar! Vote for Salazar)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/mulher-portuguesa-votai-por-salazar-1945/) [The Little Jap Is a Big Job! (U.S. Army Official Poster) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/the-little-jap-is-a-big-job-army-1945/)

## Using the same techniques

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- [Gold solidus of Justinian I, reverse VICTORIA AVGGG with Victory holding a Christogram staff](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/solidus-justinian-i-victoria-avggg-0538/) (Byzantine Empire · 0538 · Transfer, Glittering generalities)
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- [Mughal gold coin of Jahangir, dated 1028 AH, with a bull inside a ring of sun rays](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/jahangir-gold-zodiac-coin-sun-rays-1619/) (Mughal Empire · 1619 · Transfer)
- [Frontispiece to Eikon Basilike, The Pourtraicture of His Sacred Majestie in his Solitudes and Sufferings (Hollar, 1649)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/eikon-basilike-frontispiece-hollar-1649/) (Dutch Republic · 1649 · Transfer, Glittering generalities)
- [Consult of the doctors on the grave illness of the Grand Sultan (Consult vande medicijnen inde swaere siekte vanden grooten Sultaen)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/consult-of-the-doctors-sick-sultan-antwerp-1683/) (Spanish Netherlands · 1683 · Transfer, Bandwagon)
- [The Highlanders Medley, or The Duke Triumphant (A Loyal Song)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/highlanders-medley-duke-triumphant-1746/) (Great Britain · 1746 · Name-calling, Transfer)