Traditional new year a mosaic of society, Zhou Huiying and He Chun report.

Every Chinese New Year's Eve, Li Zhaocheng wakes up early and prepares a big pot of paste.

After tearing off the old couplets on the gate to his village house, he carefully brushes the paste onto a new set from top to bottom.

Like him, millions of people display Spring Festival couplets, a customary practice and tradition for celebrating the grand holiday in China.

To the 68-year-old resident of Donglijia village of Xiazhuang township in Weifang city, Shandong province, the tradition of pasting Spring Festival couplets is a passion. He and his coworkers have been printing the decorations for over 40 years.

Their work is a small part of a storied history of red paper printing that can be traced back to the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), earning the village the nickname "Hometown of Chinese Couplets". Its products are famous for bearing the Chinese character fu, which symbolizes good fortune and is commonly used during Spring Festival.

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Of the village's 200 households, 60 percent are involved in the industry.

"Every year, my peak production period for orders is May and June, with wholesalers coming to purchase goods starting in October, and the busiest period for retail sales is the month ahead of Spring Festival," he said. "Only on Chinese New Year's Eve do I have time to decorate my own house."

In Li's streetside shop, customers browse fu characters, couplets, window stickers and other festive decorations covering the walls.

"For the Year of the Snake, we have created new products that incorporate snake elements, and our velvet products, which are exquisitely made, brightly colored and festive, have become more popular," he said.

In recent years, the well-received couplets and fu have evolved with the times, becoming more diverse and fashionable.

In Donglijia, couplets have shifted from strictly traditional red paper with black characters to include large gold embellishments, embossed couplets and holographic printed designs.

During this sales season, Li has sold around 30 tons of his red paper designs to different regions.

"When I think about our couplets posted on the doors of thousands of households as if they have received our blessings, I feel delighted," he said.

In recent years, Xiazhuang township has developed five innovative and creative villages, nurturing over 20 couplet enterprises and shops that provide more than 4,000 jobs.

The township's annual output has reached 8,000 tons, occupying nearly half of the national market share.

After decorating his house, Li prepares for his family reunion dinner, the most important meal of the year.

"For my family, chicken and fish are indispensable on the menu, symbolizing good luck," he said. "It is the happiest moment when the whole family sits around waiting for the new year."

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For Lou Jie, a resident of Liuyang, Hunan province, setting off fireworks is as essential for Spring Festival as the reunion dinner and watching the Spring Festival Gala.

When the clock strikes midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve, his family lights fireworks, symbolizing peace, joy, health and happiness.

The pitch-black night sky shines as if it were daylight under the glow of the fireworks.

"On Chinese New Year's Eve and Lantern Festival, every family prepares boxes of fireworks," said the 39-year-old Lou.

When gathering with friends or visiting neighbors during Spring Festival, he brings a few boxes of fireworks, representing the highest etiquette. "Setting off fireworks alone is not fun, but when done together, it creates a special atmosphere," he said.

Lou's passion for the celebratory explosives runs deeper than family gatherings. He's had a long career working for Liuyang Sky Hawks Fireworks Manufacture & Sales.

Liuyang is China's largest concentrated area for fireworks production, with around 300,000 people working in related industries.

Lou's company has three factories with more than 1,000 employees.

"Fireworks production enters the peak season in September, and 80 percent of consumption occurs during the Spring Festival period from Chinese New Year to Lantern Festival," he said.

The company has developed over 1,000 products, ranging from the most common traditional fireworks combinations to high-end family packages and premium gift sets, with prices ranging from less than 10 yuan to over 1,000 yuan.

"In China, fireworks are deeply ingrained in cultural traditions with different expressions in different cultural customs," said Tian Juan, the company's assistant general manager. "For example, in Fujian province, residents have customs like the God of Fortune parade.

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Although traditional fireworks combinations still dominate the mainstream market during the holiday, the internet has massively impacted the fireworks industry. The younger generation finds new types of fireworks online, like those modeled after Gatling guns or fountains. Tian's company recently developed multiple products to capitalize on the popular jellyfish fireworks.

"The new generation products are safer and more environmentally friendly to avoid causing disturbances or harm," she added.

For 45-year-old Mao Tingmeng, having a reunion dinner while watching the Spring Festival Gala is the most grandiose holiday activity.

"Our community gathers multiple ethnic groups, including the Yao and Han," said Mao, a resident of Fuchuan Yao autonomous county, Hezhou city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region."Because of ethnic unity and integration, many customs have blended well. Therefore, we can find resonance in the Spring Festival Gala."

Though the holiday is celebrated nationwide, customs vary from region to region. Chinese New Year's Eve dinners come in many forms.

"Unlike the Han people, who eat dumplings on the morning of the first day of Chinese New Year, the Yao people prefer to boil tangyuan, glutinous rice balls in a pot of ginger soup with brown sugar, symbolizing a sweet and harmonious life," said Mao, a member of the Yao ethnic group.

Traditional foods and the Spring Festival Gala aren't essential for everyone. For 24-year-old Yang Wencong, the holiday is about recreating the nostalgia of childhood memories.

"On Chinese New Year's Eve, young people like to gather during the day to recreate activities we enjoyed as children, such as finding a clear space in the field to roast chicken and sweet potatoes in a pit," she said. "Our parents stay at home making the local specialty, such as Guangxi oil tea."

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The drink is a unique Yao dietary custom integral to ceremonies, rituals, celebrations and festivals.

It is made by repeatedly pounding and boiling fresh tea leaves with generous portions of ginger and a sprinkling of roasted rice, nuts and other local ingredients.

"After Chinese New Year's Eve, we begin to prepare for the Firecracker Dragon dance, which is the most festive activity in Fuchuan," said Yang.

The show evolved from the traditional Hakka version of the dragon dance custom, which includes firecrackers meant to drive out evil spirits and welcome the new year.

Spring Festival's global influence is increasing as more countries and regions designate it as a legal holiday. Approximately one-fifth of the global population now celebrates the festival in various forms.

On Dec 4, UNESCO inscribed Spring Festival — the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of their traditional new year — on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The decision was made in recognition of the festival's colorful mosaic of social practices, rituals and cultural elements that engage the entire Chinese society.

"One of the special values of Spring Festival is its role as an emotional gathering for the Chinese people, serving as a powerful force of cohesion," said Xiao Fang, professor and director of the Department of Anthropology and Folklore at the School of Sociology, Beijing Normal University. "Additionally, Spring Festival marks a transition between the old and the new, symbolizing the renewal of time consciousness among the Chinese."

Xiao explained that before the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), people hung peach charms at their doorways to ward off evil spirits. Over time, the charms were replaced with couplets, often containing auspicious phrases reflecting hopes and aspirations.

According to the professor, the customs of bidding farewell to the old year mainly include cleaning, gathering and greeting.

The family reunion tradition is the highlight of the Chinese New Year holiday, serving as a key part of the traditional ritual and the climax of the celebrations, according to Xiao.

"Although menus vary, the dishes served during the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner are symbolic, emphasizing auspicious meanings whether in the northern or southern regions of China," he said.

Giving red envelopes with money, known as "lucky money", is a common tradition during Chinese New Year, where elders give blessings to younger family members.

"Children eagerly anticipate receiving red envelopes, which have been popularized since the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911)," Xiao said. "Children use the money from red envelopes to make their own purchases."

Zhang Li in Nanning, Zhao Ruixue and Li Tingting in Jinan, and Zhu Youfang in Changsha contributed to the story.

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn