Lantern makers work to meet festival demand in Nanjing

In Nanjing, it's a centuries-old tradition to decorate houses with a festive lantern at Chinese New Year. With the celebration is only days away, local crafts people are busy making original lanterns.

Lu Youwen's workshop is located in his home. One of the leading lantern makers in Nanjing, he carries on the ageless tradition with original creativity. Each year will see him producing a dazzling array of new designs. They ranges from fascinating rearrangements of traditional elements to delightful borrowings from contemporary cultures like cartoon and animation.

To pay tribute to the incoming zodiac animal, Lu Youwen is planning to put together more than a thousand tiger lanterns. They will come in various shapes, sizes, and styles.

Until the fall of the Ming Dynasty in the 1640s, Nanjing, also known as Nanking, had been the secondary capital of China for nearly three centuries. The local Qinhuai River has been a traditional pleasure park for holiday makers during the Chinese Lunar New Year. Lantern shows on the river are a traditional top attraction for both local residents and tourists from far and wide.

With the celebration is only days away, local crafts people are busy making original lanterns.