Research shows that rural households from the Ming and Qing dynasties used stoves made of mud and bricks.

In the time of the Republic of China, there was a craftsman named Ma Du in Hengli, Ludu who specialized in building and painting stoves. In 1946, he took Lu Jiahong from the Hongxin village as an apprentice. In 1971, he accepted Qian Wenlong as an apprentice of stove paintings. Currently, Qian is 53 years old and Ma and Lu have died of illnesses.

Stove painting is a type of handicraft. Its content includes landscape, flowers, birds and still life. The paintings are also complemented by inscriptions of Chinese characters with auspicious meanings such as fortune, prosperity, longevity, harvest, and good luck.

The style of stove paintings is simple and bold. The building and painting of stoves was normally done in one day so the paintings could not be too complicated.

Stove paintings fit into the reality of rural life. When a stove is constructed, it will be washed white with lime. Stove paintings are usually drawn on white walls and this form of art has elevated the aesthetic tastes of farmers while giving them a sense of comfort and happiness.