BEIJING: Red paper products such as couplets and paper squares bearing the Chinese character fu, which symbolizes good fortune, used during the Lunar New Year have driven the development of a town in Shandong province as villagers integrate tradition with innovation.
People in villages in the town of Xiazhuang in Gaomi produced 8,000 metric tons of red paper products last year for the Year of the Dragon, including traditional couplets, the town government said.
Production is centered in the village of Donglijia, which has been making red paper products since the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Sixty percent of the village’s 200 households are engaged in the business of crafting the traditional items, showcasing a deep-rooted heritage and a thriving local industry.
“We had to work overtime to produce and sell the products during the two months ahead of the Lunar New Year,” said Wang Gang, the head of Shandong Dongmo Cultural Co, which makes red paper products in Donglijia. During the week before Spring Festival, searches for Spring Festival couplets and fu in China were up 218 percent compared with the previous week, according to statistics from food delivery platform Eleme. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
