Local residents make niangao at a workshop in Longtan subdistrict, Dinghai district, Zhoushan. Niangao is a must-eat snack for many Chinese families during the Spring Festival. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

Niangao is a must-eat snack for many Chinese families during the Spring Festival as it is a homonym of the phrase "higher every year", which signifies the wish for a better life.

The niangao making workshop in Longtan subdistrict, Dinghai district, Zhoushan has in recent days been crowded with local residents who come to make niangao for the annual festival.

In addition to glutinous rice, niangao can also be made of millet, sorghum, and corn.

Ingredients for niangao, a must-eat snack for many Chinese families during the Spring Festival. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

Flour is added to a steamer. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

Flour is steamed over a mudstove. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

Steamed flour is rolled into rectangular pieces. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

Niangao, a must-eat snack for many Chinese families during the Spring Festival, is left to cool. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

Plum blossom-shaped patterns added to pieces of niangao, a must-eat snack for many Chinese families during the Spring Festival. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]