The bite-sized snacks are especially popular during Spring Festival. [Photo/IC]

Zi Dou Tang, a traditional pastry bearing Chinese characters, is a popular snack in Qimen county, Anhui province.

The pastry is made of maltose syrup, sesame powder and soybean powder. It is made through a process of boiling sugar, milling, stirring and compacting. Confectioners first make an auspicious Chinese character in the middle of the bean candy, then after kneading and stretching, cut the dough into coin-sized pieces. The Chinese characters seen on each piece of sweet pastry have rich cultural connotations. The pastry has been a top choice to celebrate the Spring Festival.