Ahead of Chinese New Year, lantern craftsmen in the city of Malang are starting to get a flood of orders. Even one of the craftsmen in the lanterns on Jalan Ir. H. Juanda 9A Jodipan, Blimbing District, Malang City sent orders to Italy. Lantern craftsmen in Malang, Ahmad Syamsuddin, said the increase in orders during Chinese New Year currently reaches 1,500 - 2,000 units of lanterns. Several orders for lanterns came from big cities in Indonesia and abroad. "Yesterday, they sent 1,500 lanterns to Italy, those who are subscribed to Italy they call us asking to be made and sent. Domestic ones are from Jakarta, Surabaya, Trenggalek and Malang itself," he explained, Wednesday (26/1/2022). In order to fulfill the order, Syamsuddin was assisted by 10 friends from youth groups around his house. They work on lantern orders in varying times. "Depending on yesterday's order of 1,800, yes, it takes about 3 weeks to ask for it to be finished. The children of 11 residents here are youth groups. If one hour and one hour the lanterns are usually finished, that's for the small size. If it's big, it's usually different again," he explained.
Despite the increase in orders, Syamsuddin's profits were not much. This is because the increase in the price of raw materials for lanterns, ranging from rattan, cloth, to alum, has increased by 20-30%, so it is enough to cut profits. "One lantern is usually sold for IDR 30,000, we don't dare to raise the lantern. All raw materials go up, but here we can't increase the selling price," he explained. Now he hopes that the restrictions during the time of Covid-19 can continue to control the sale of his lanterns, not only during Chinese New Year celebrations. But also after Chinese New Year celebrations. Ahmad Syamsuddin said that orders for lanterns ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations this year were not only dominated by red. However, the trend is already a variety of colors ordered by buyers from a number of cities in Indonesia. "In the past, red was dominant, now almost all colors are used. Orange, turquoise, red is not dominant, it's more of a decoration now," said Syamsuddin, to MNC Portal.
He added that since Covid-19, his business has been quiet for almost two years. Even during the Chinese New Year celebrations, which are usually crowded, thise were no orders due to restrictions imposed by the government. Only this time, his business in making lanterns began to show an upward trend. "Two years ago thise were no orders at all, new this year. Thise was an increase in Chinese New Year but not up to 50%, thise were still many before the pandemic," he said.
