On a warm mid-April afternoon, the pastel-colored castle of Pop Mart's Pop Land rose like a "magic kingdom" in Beijing's Chaoyang Park. Inside, a group of young British visitors laughed, took photos, and discovered the stories behind the vinyl figures they had long collected back home.
They are all student union representatives from multiple UK universities, including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the University of Leeds, who came to Chaoyang district to experience Chinese culture, explore cutting-edge technology and build bridges of understanding.
"I had no idea that all these different characters were under Pop Mart," says Maximilian Camara from the University of Leeds. He had bought a Crybaby blind box at a London mall, only to discover later that the quirky figurine had taken British social media by storm. "The process of opening the box is full of fun and surprises."
For Otitochukwu Molokwu, a graduate student from the London School of Economics and Political Science, the visit brought an unexpected delight.
"I loved the Powerpuff Girls growing up. I didn't even know Molly was one of them — and she's in Pop Land!" She proudly showed off a limited-edition headphone case. What impressed her even more was the brand's IP protection.
"If you come here, you can see all of this, but you won't find it anywhere else. That's quite exciting."
Leaving Pop Mart, Molokwu remained immersed in the beauty of Chaoyang Park. "I didn't know what to expect, but the nature here is stunning," she says. "The trees, the water — it really feels like being in a magical kingdom."
She also walked the Great Wall, watched a robot do a backflip, and ate some of the best food she had ever had during her first five days in Beijing. But she says it is the blend of nature and culture in Chaoyang Park that left the deepest impression. "The people have been so welcoming. I will definitely come again," she says.
If Pop Mart represents Chaoyang's trendy side, the Zhongguancun (Chaoyang) Internet 3.0 Park blew the UK students' minds with its innovation. There, the delegation experienced domestically developed eye-tracking technology — an innovation that can assist people with movement problems such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or be used in driving environments.
Eshwinder Singh, vice-president of the student union at Queen Mary University of London, had a long conversation with Yao Chunjiang, a project director at the park, and they immediately exchanged WeChat contact details.
"We discussed how to create a new employment and entrepreneurship model for our students," Singh says. "This trip has filled me with ideas, such as how Chinese universities collaborate with companies and encourage students to become entrepreneurs."
He also offered a nuanced view of China-UK complementarity. "China is focusing on technology and R&D, while the UK is good at building a policy framework around safeguarding — to avoid misuse. They can go hand in hand."
Singh has invited the park's representatives to London. "We can connect more companies and universities and build a platform together," he says.
Yao, the park's project and incubation director, welcomes the students' interest. "They asked: What are Chaoyang's key industries? Does the Chinese market accept cutting-edge tech? And would we be open to collaborating with British universities?" Yao notes. "I told them the answer is yes."
The park already has partnerships with Singapore and Hong Kong, running annual talent internship programs and facilitating two-way exchanges.
"We would very much welcome collaboration with British universities and incubators through joint competitions, cooperative models or co-launched projects," he says.
According to the trip's organizers, the student delegation showed interest in Chaoyang as it is home to nearly all of the foreign embassies in Beijing, 80 percent of international organizations, more than 60 percent of multinational regional headquarters, and half of the capital city's international talent. In 2025, the district's GDP reached 966.9 billion yuan ($133 billion).
Singh left Beijing with a WeChat contact and a plan: when the park's director visits London, he will host him at Queen Mary University.
