As the Spring Festival approaches, workshops across China are glowing with activity as craftsmen race to complete traditional lanterns that symbolise celebration, artistry and cultural continuity.

In Beijing, master artisans at the Fine Arts Red Lantern Factory are producing palace lanterns using centuries-old techniques. Built from wooden frames inlaid with silk or glass, these lanterns rely entirely on mortise-and-tenon joints, assembled “without a single nail”. Each piece reflects the close relationship between lantern-making and ancient Chinese architecture.

Further south, Haining’s Xiashi lanterns from east China’s Zhejiang Province showcase the delicate “needle-piercing” technique, where thousands of tiny holes form intricate patterns on paper as thin as cicada wings. When illuminated, the effect is described as “truly magical”.

In Guangdong, Chaozhou lanterns blend painting, opera and embroidery, transforming folklore and classical stories into vivid, illuminated narratives. Through these diverse regional styles, lanterns continue to carry history, craftsmanship and cultural memory into the modern festive season.

Source: China Central Television