SHAOXING, China (AP) 鈥� Ninety minutes after , orders for thousands of British flags started to flood into a factory south of Shanghai.
More than 100 employees at Shaoxing Chuangdong Tour Articles Co. set aside other work and put in 14-hour days starting at 7:30 a.m. making nothing but British-themed flags.
They turned out at least 500,000 the first week, according to general manager Fan Aiping.
Some are British flags to be carried by mourners or hung outside homes. Others show Elizabeth鈥檚 portrait and the years of her birth and death. They range from 21 to 150 centimeters (8 to 59 inches) wide and wholesale for about 7 yuan ($1) each.
The first customer sent an order at 3 a.m. Chinese time for tens of thousands, according to Fan. She said 20,000 the factory had in stock were sent out that morning.
鈥淭he customer came to our factory directly to grab the products,鈥� Fan said. 鈥淢any of the flags weren鈥檛 even packaged. They were put in a box and shipped away.鈥�
The factory had been making flags for the before Elizabeth鈥檚 death.
Chuangdong has been in the industry since 2005 and produces flags for the World Cup and other sports events or national day celebrations. It also makes sports-themed scarves and banners.
Employees pay attention to news for events that might bring in orders.
鈥淭here is a business opportunity behind every news event,鈥� Fan said.
Ni Guozhen, an employee since 2005, said she has learned about the world through her work.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned a lot about current events,鈥� said Ni, who was sewing flags with the queen鈥檚 portrait. "My knowledge has grown. Therefore I鈥檓 proud and happy that I鈥檓 making flags.鈥�
Ni remembers filling orders for British-themed flags for a royal wedding.
鈥淭here is a story behind each flag,鈥� Fan said. 鈥淭his time it鈥檚 about the queen in the United Kingdom. They are buying these flags to .鈥�
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Associated Press video producer Caroline Chen contributed to this report.
The Associated Press
