In China, the Door God is said to be able to protect a family if his portrait is pasted on the gate or door to the family's home. It's been thousands of years since the first portraits of the Door God were pasted on people's doors but in modern China this figure is synonymous with Chinese New Year Pictures. The Door God has remained one of the important themes for Chinese New Year Pictures. However, the images of the Door God have differed between regions and eras in China. The Door God was soon no longer the only theme for pictures pasted on doors. Other themes came to include a plump baby holding a fish, the Old God of Longevity, landscapes, birds and flowers, even common human figures. The messages in the pictures are usually good wishes or seasons greetings. The pictures are not only pasted on doors, but also in other places in Chinese homes. More, pictures are usually painted on to colorful paper, usually red which is seen by the Chinese as an auspicious color. And Portraits of the Door God always appear in couples pasted on both door leaves.