As the Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 22, is approaching, people in Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, Jiangsu province have been busy making cured meat, a food widely consumed during the festival.

One way to make the preserved meat is to air dry fresh pork. To retain the original flavor of meat, no seasonings are added during the process.

Strips of pork are hung up and air-dried. [Photo/WeChat account: zjgwtgl]

Chinese sausages, which are a quintessential dish during the Chinese New Year, are made of shredded pork. The sausages need to contain a minimum of 20 percent of fat to produce the best taste. They can be cooked with many kinds of vegetables including potatoes and peppers.

Chinese sausages are on sale at a farmers' market. [Photo/WeChat account: zjgwtgl]

Zhangjiagang residents also make cured meat using pig's heads, chicken, ducks and fish for the festival.