A worker carrying decorating materials to make incense sticks. Photo: AFP
Thousands of giant incense sticks, many decorated with dragon heads, line the walls at a Malaysian business where they are made by hand ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
In the rural town of Kubang Semang in Penang, workers spend months using a traditional method to craft the sticks – some as tall as two metres – before sending them to stores.
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Traditional incense stick makers
A worker decorating a giant incense sticks at a factory ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Kubang Semang, a village in Penang. Photo: AFP
A worker carrying decorating materials to make incense sticks. Photo: AFP
A man selling giant incense sticks and other decorations ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Kubang Semang in Penang. Photo: AFP
A worker preparing dragon figure decorations for giant incense sticks at a factory ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Kubang Semang. Photo: AFP
The handmade fragrant sticks that takes months to craft are made from sawdust shaved from a mix of locally grown "meranti" timber and the aromatic agarwood. Photo: AFP
Lighted giant incense sticks outside a temple in Penang. Photo: AFP
Ong says his colourful handmade sticks look a lot better than those churned out by machines. Photo: AFP
"People don't want rats. They steal food, and that's not good," says Ong jokingly, referring to the popularity of dragons. Photo: AFP
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