RED HOT FAMILY BUSINESS AT JALAN BUNGA RAYA

Wednesday January 19, 2011

Red hot family business

MALACCA: The Wong family have turned making Chinese New Year red lanterns into a thriving and lucrative business.

“Practically all the red Chinese lanterns decorating the heart of the historic city are designed and manufactured by my family,” a proud Wong Liang Fatt, 62, said when met at his shop along Jalan Bunga Raya yesterday.

Lantern mania: Wong’s wife Rena Foo showing off the red crystal lantern which is a popular decorative item this coming Chinese New Year.

He said the family, which deals in and imports festive decorations, decided to set up its own factory to produce red plastic Chinese lanterns in 2004.

Decorating one’s home with red lanterns has become a must for Chinese families during Chinese New Year.

“Since almost half of our business involves sales of red lanterns, we decided to produce them ourselves,” he said.

Wong added the family has come up with 10 types of lantern designs, with the red crystal lantern a popular item this year.

“We have manufactured about 200,000 lanterns and sales have been very encouraging so far,” he said adding that orders have come from buyers from around the country as well as Indonesia.

Wong said a talking toy rabbit from China is a popular item this year in light of the coming Year of the Rabbit.

“Children love it as the toy rabbit will say Gong Xi Fa Cai each time a coin is inserted,” he said.