Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

Xu Zhen, an inheritor of fish lantern-making skills, is seen making fish lanterns ahead of the Spring Festival in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. /IC

As the Chinese New Year approaches, Xu Zhen, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage fish lantern-making techniques, experiences the busiest time of the year at his studio in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province. He is rushing to complete fish lanterns of various shapes such as pomfret, yellow croaker, cuttlefish, shrimp and globefish, to welcome the upcoming Spring Festival.

The 64-year-old craftsman, who made fish lanterns with his father for more than 40 years, is a third-generation inheritor in his family. It usually takes him about three days to complete a fish lamp.