Window displays across shops in Tongzi county, Guizhou province, are filled with freshly prepared cured pork as Chinese New Year approaches.

Cured meats are local household staples and a customary centerpiece of family reunions during the Spring Festival holiday.

Guizhou-style cured pork, in particular, is a traditional southern specialty, smoked to a dark, glossy finish. Shops offer pork smoked over cypress branches, which gives the meat a deep color and a savory aroma.

Each year around the winter solstice, shops step up sausage stuffing and pork smoking to meet rising demand and provide customers with a variety of flavors.