Innovative patterns
Li's paper toy was never meant to be remarkable. It was simply a paper-and-bamboo toy designed to flip.
The craft, also known as "18 flips", dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Once enjoyed in imperial courts before spreading among ordinary residents, the toy later became a familiar feature at Beijing's temple fairs. Its charm lies in transformation: folded paper structures suddenly bloom into dragons, flowers or geometric forms with a series of deft hand movements. Yet, by the early 21st century, the craft had all but disappeared from Beijing.
As Li immersed herself in the trade, she found several practical obstacles. Traditional designs offered little variety. The toys were made from fragile xuan paper that tore easily, prompting many buyers to treat them as disposable. Their appearance had changed little over the decades. "The complexity of the craft no longer matched its economic value," she says.
Rather than thinking like a heritage inheritor, Li approached the challenge as a consumer.
Before bringing the toys back to Beijing's temple fairs, she extensively redesigned them, creating dragon editions, AI-assisted lion dance motifs, carp patterns symbolizing good fortune, and shapes inspired by traditional Chinese fans and jade ornaments.
She also replaced delicate xuan paper with sturdier pear paper, a tissue paper originally used for wrapping fruit and durable enough to last for years. She enlarged the outer sleeves that encase the folded toy, transforming what had once been plain red or green covers into canvases featuring Beijing snacks, city landmarks and customized designs.
Most importantly, she stopped marketing the toys primarily as "heritage". "I want people to think the product is interesting at first," she says.
Unexpectedly, her years as an English teacher proved invaluable. "Heritage workshops and teaching are actually very similar," she explains. "You have to think from the user's perspective and ask how people can most easily understand and enjoy something."
The strategy paid off.
