[Video/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Wang Jinlong, 61, an esteemed dragon puppet maker in Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, has in recent days been busy crafting these vibrant puppets for dragon dance performances during the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 10 this year.

His courtyard is filled with bamboo splits, cloth, and various other items used in making dragon puppets, along with nearly completed dragon's heads and tails.

The craftsman explained that the process requires numerous materials, indicating a sophisticated procedure which involves constructing a skeleton, painting dragon's scales, affixing painted papers, and the most important step – painting the dragon's eyes.

It typically takes a couple of days to complete a dragon's head and more than a week to finish the entire dragon puppet before it is ready for the dragon dance, noted Wang.

While staying true to the traditional manufacturing process, the craftsman has in recent years been experimenting with new ways to improve the materials used. Among his innovations is one that allows the puppet to be controlled by just one person instead of a group of performers.

In Hai'an, dragons symbolize auspiciousness and represent wishes for a bountiful harvest. As such, a dragon dance is always performed during festivals and celebrations.

In 2003, Hai'an was recognized as the "hometown of national folk art (dragon dance)" by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.