CHENGDU, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Lanterns are bringing huge business to a small town in southwest China amid the Spring Festival holiday.
In the Chengdu Hongfa Lantern Factory, red lanterns are piled up, waiting to be sold across the world.
"Some of the lanterns will hang along China Town in Singapore," said Chen Hong, head of the factory, as he talked business on the phone with a lantern dealer in Singapore. His phone kept ringing, with orders flooding in for the lanterns churned out in the factory, which is located in Jinlong Township in the city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.
The township is known as the "Town of Lanterns" in China. For generations, people there have passed down the art of making lanterns.
Chen started his own lantern-making factory more than 20 years ago.
"I learned lantern-making techniques from my parents," he said.
As a traditional symbol used during the Chinese Lunar New Year and other festive occasions, lanterns have translated into big business in the township.
Last year, Chen's factory employed more than 200 rural residents in the township. Many people received raw materials from Chen and made the lanterns at home.
"They can take care of their families while working," Chen said.
He Kailan, 40, has been working in the factory since 2016.
"These days, there is less fieldwork to do, so I came here," said He, a villager of Qilong community. "I can make more than 40,000 yuan (about 5,800 U.S. dollars) a year here, which is better than working in big cities."
Local villager Wang Hao chose to make the lanterns at home while also toiling in the fields.
"I can rake in about 30,000 yuan a year while working from home," Wang said.
In the months leading up to the Spring Festival, Chen and his workers worked long hours to create and decorate lanterns by hand.
So far, about five million lanterns have reached homes across the country as well as in Southeast Asia. Another 100,000 went to Europe via the China-Europe freight trains. The annual value has exceeded 30 million yuan.
"Next year, I want to design lanterns with new styles," Chen said. "I want to bring 'China Red' to more places around the world."
