In pics: Production of Spring Festival couplets paper in full swing in E China's Anhui

A worker makes Spring Festival couplets paper at a factory in Dingjiaqiao township, Jingxian county, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Miao Zijian)

Spring Festival couplets paper production is in full swing as companies work overtime to meet demand in Dingjiaqiao township, Jingxian county, east China's Anhui Province.

Dingjiaqiao township, known as the birthplace of Xuan paper in China, employs both modern machinery and traditional handmade techniques to produce Spring Festival couplets paper. The traditional wax-dyeing process is meticulously applied to the Xuan paper, while silk screens are used to print auspicious patterns. The result is a smooth surface that allows for flowing ink and glossy handwriting.

"Different patterns, such as dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious clouds, are designed on various printing plates and printed on the paper through silk screen printing," said a worker from a local factory.

Spring Festival couplets usually incorporate gold or silver elements, and other colors can be customized with additional printing processes.

Companies in Dingjiaqiao township have developed and produced 70 to 80 kinds of products using this Spring Festival couplets paper. In 2023, the production of Spring Festival couplets paper and its related products was worth over 300 million yuan ($41.7 million).