Palatial illumination

Palace lanterns made in the Tuntou village of Gaocheng city served as tributes to the imperial palace during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The palace lantern of Gaocheng is now listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Hebei province and the traditional lantern is the main product in the village. As of 2018, about 95 percent of villagers were engaged in lantern manufacturing and related work, and young villagers have become the main driving force of palace lantern sales through e-commerce platforms, especially on Taobao. Lantern manufacturing has evolved into a unique and sustainable industry for the villagers to improve their livelihoods.