Yixian County is noted for its "lantern gala," an important folk event held during traditional festivals. A research and education base was established in 2020 at Hongcun Village, focusing on manufacturing craftsmanship and performing arts pertaining to traditional festive lanterns.

He Jixing, a municipal-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor in his late 30s, has been studying festive lantern making skills for more than a decade. Apart from inheriting from local masters, he also contributed his share of innovation by adopting from other genres of lantern making in the country. Thanks to raw materials he helped to improve, lantern products there now are more durable than before.

He and his team have hosted several hundreds of lantern-themed events in the past few years, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

He Jixing checks a festive lantern at Hongcun Village of Yixian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 9, 2024. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

He Jixing (C) and trainees check festive lanterns at Hongcun Village of Yixian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 9, 2024. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

He Jixing checks festive lanterns at Hongcun Village of Yixian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 9, 2024. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)