New Year Spring couplets
It is said that spring couplets originated from Tao Fu (some say its "peach wood charms," another says it's a regular board made of cherry wood, even others say it's written or carved on walnuts wood board!) with door gods painted on wood charms in earlier times.
As for the origination date, some people say it's during the Five Dynasties (907-960), the Emperor Meng Chang inscribed an inspiring couplet on a peach slat. But other say, during the Tang Dynasty, the use of tao fu has gradually disappeared and was replaced by two rows of corresponding couplets each written on a piece of red rectangular paper. Others hod that during Song dynasty, people start to use red paper for New Year couplets.
But all agree that Spring Couplets are mounted on either side of the door, and GRADUALLY evolved into today's popular custom of displaying spring couplets.
New Year Spring couplets are pasted on each side of the door and propitious words across the lintel at the top. In China, scholars would set up the tools and compose auspicious couplets for friends, relatives, and the publics.
A couplet is made up of two lines of verse which are called the "head" and "tail", which should correspond with each other phonologically and syntactically word for word and phrase for phrase. In the past time, children would be given this kind of test or practice.
Chinese people have a lot of different kinds of spring couplets. For businessmen, they will have special words for earning more money, and gain good reputation around the world. For usual families, they would get some for good fortune and luck.
Others reflect more recent concerns. For example, the CCTV New Year Gala usually promotes couplets reflecting current political themes in mainland China.