Handcrafting calmness with colored beads
Pindou trend draws young Chinese away from screens
Peaceful pastime
Liu, 35, works as a technician for a foreign-invested enterprise in Chengdu. Her daily routine involves sitting in front of a computer, answering phone calls and remotely troubleshooting equipment failures. By the end of each day, her back and neck are stiff from hours of sedentary work. Pindou, she said, has become her escape.
"Once I pick up the tweezers and start placing beads, I can sit for five or six hours straight. The longest session was a full 10 hours," she said with a smile.
"When I'm designing Perler beads, I'm completely focused. I don't think about life's worries."
The process is simple but meditative: colored plastic beads are arranged on a pegboard to form patterns, then fused together with an iron.
The result is a solid, tangible creation — a keychain, a coaster or a decorative piece.
"Unlike passively scrolling through short videos, pindou is an active creation," Liu said.
"It gives me a sense of accomplishment that digital entertainment never can."
