Chen Chanjuan was looking for a way to make her villa look a
little more festive for the Spring Festival holiday, so she turned
on the lights.
But not just any lights would do. Chen tapped into the growing
trend of installing LED (light emitting diode) fixtures, which many
people have been choosing over traditional lights because of their
shrinking cost, efficiency and versatility.
"Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival are approaching," Chen
said. "I hope the lighting will make my house look gentler and
warmer and create a festival-like atmosphere all round."
Chen said she spent about 2,000 yuan ($246) on lighting for her
home, which is in the eastern suburbs of Guangzhou. She added that
she was particularly happy with the changeable design, which she
can switch from reading "Happy New Year" to the Chinese gongxi
facai (wish you great fortune).
LEDs are semiconductor-based devices that produce more light
than incandescent bulbs for less electricity. In addition, LEDs can
emit colored light without the use of a filter, adding to their
efficiency.
Gong Changxing, who sells lighting fixtures in downtown
Guangzhou, said festival lights have become increasingly popular
among local residents, especially since prices have been falling
while the variety of products available has increased.
"Festival lights are about 30 percent less expensive than they
were two years ago because the price of LEDs has fallen, not to
mention the strong competition within the domestic market," Gong
said.
"Many smaller light suppliers have turned to the domestic market
since the European Union implemented the RoHS (restriction of the
use of hazardous substances) earlier this year."
The RoHS directive restricts the use of six hazardous materials,
including lead, mercury and cadmium.
More versatile designs
Gong added that improvements in LED technology had opened the
door to more versatile designs, allowing people to be more creative
in their lighting arrangements.
Gong said he expected his business to grow by at least 30
percent this year compared with last year thanks to the
availability of LEDs.
"Catering facilities like hotels, nightclubs and bars, public
facilities and scenic attractions have been asking for much more
festival lighting than before," he said.
Guangdong is the heart of China's lighting industry.
The city's festival lighting industry is expected to grow by
more than 20 percent this year, Gong said.
Xu Bin, a public administration lecturer at Sun Yat-sen
University, said festival lighting can be expensive and suggested
that people seek out renewable festival lighting to avoid huge
wastes of money.
"Decorating one tree with disposable festival lights can cost
more than 3,000 yuan ($370)," she said.
Xu added that energy-saving lighting solutions were especially
important in Guangdong, where power is always in short supply.
Yu Haibo, a doctor in Guangzhou, has also bought special
lighting to decorate his home for Spring Festival this year.
"I've been living in my home for so long that it started to seem
mundane," he said. "The lighting will make a difference."
(China Daily February 15, 2007)