Flower candles in SW China see sales surge as Spring Festival approaches

As the Spring Festival approaches, Liu Shigui, a craftsman from Sinan County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, has been busy making flower candles with his family to catch up to the market demand.　

Flower candle in Sinan County, a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in Guizhou, is known for its novel appearances and bright colors. Bearing the wishes for good luck, the candles are a necessity for local people in celebrations of marriage, birthdays and the Spring Festival.　

The flower candle making requires dozens of procedures, including paper cutting, waxing, wax melting, color mixing, and casting.　

As the inheritor of Sinan flower candle craftsmanship, Liu started learning to make candles from his father when he was a teenager. By replacing traditional candlewick with new smokeless and tasteless materials, Liu's father managed to make flower candles with longer burning time and packaging that can be transported over long distances.　

The flower candles made by Liu and his family have not only gained local reputation, but also reached other provinces and regions in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shandong and Guangdong provinces.　

(Reported by Pu Wensi; Edited by Ma Yuxuan)