Item from Feb 22, 1984, in China Daily: Workers supervise automatic equipment imported from Japan at the Beijing No 2 Pastry Factory.

The production line, the first of its kind in China, went into operation this month and turns out 500 kilograms of Western-style pastry in more than 10 varieties every hour. ...

While most Chinese still love pastries, many prefer homemade items.

During the Lunar New Year festival, homemade cookies, pastries and traditional snacks were among the best-selling foods at city shopping fairs.

In Hainan province, handmade pancakes and cookies made from locally-grown coconuts were top sellers, according to local media reports.

Compared with factory-produced pastries, handmade items have much shorter expiration periods. Still, people crave for them due to their freshness.

The renewed interest in homemade pastries is also helping small businesses.

The Jiangxi brand Watang is a good example. The brand is named after the village where the pastrymaker lives. The business started in a small shop in 2003.

Now, Watang makes 40 kinds of pastries, and enjoys annual sales worth 10 million yuan ($1.4 million).

Despite growing demand for Watang pastries, founder Chen Maohuan is determined to continue to follow the traditional way of making them.