Not 'China's Lego': Young designer builds new connections with tradition

"Lego is Lego. We are a Chinese brand in our own right," said Wang Hua, surrounded by intricate model kits inspired by phoenix coronets, traditional jewelry and museum artifacts.

The 22-year-old manages a cultural and creative model-kit store in Luoyi Ancient City in Luoyang, Henan province. He has worked in the industry for two years.

Wang studied construction cost engineering at university, but his childhood love of model building led him in a different direction.

"I have loved assembling models since I was young," he said.

"Although my university major was unrelated, I eventually chose this industry because it was what interested me."

For Wang, the products are more than souvenirs. He sees them as a way for young people to discover Chinese history and appreciate the beauty of cultural relics.

"We hope people can learn about the products and also about Chinese history and culture through assembling them," he said.

"We want people to see how beautiful China's cultural relics are."

The store sells products inspired by the Ten-Mile Red Dowry, traditional Chinese bridal attire including phoenix coronets and embroidered capes, and dian cui, a traditional style of ornamentation known for its vivid blue appearance.

"Many of our designs draw inspiration from museum artifacts and traditional Chinese culture," Wang said.

"People can assemble them with their own hands, display them or even wear them."

Wang said some visitors find the products novel when they first enter the store. Once assembled, phoenix coronets and large dian cui-inspired headdresses can be used as decorative pieces or paired with clothing, making them popular with young consumers and hanfu enthusiasts.

He attributed that appeal partly to increasingly faithful reproductions of traditional designs.

"Early model kits had relatively limited colors," Wang said.

"As technology improved, the products became more colorful and better able to reproduce the original appearance and colors of cultural relics."

Some products use stainless steel or brass to give the finished pieces a texture closer to that of traditional vessels or jewelry, he added.

But Wang does not entirely agree when people call such products "China's Lego".

"We can learn from the experience of foreign brands, but Chinese-style model kits have their own cultural expression and aesthetic character," he said.

"We are who we are."

Wang said good looks and delicate craftsmanship alone could not sustain the products' popularity. Producers also had to respond to buyers.

"If a company does not listen to the voices of its consumers, I think it is quite a failure," he said.

To Wang, seeing young people assemble, wear, photograph and share designs inspired by Chinese artifacts reflects a broader change in how they approach tradition.

"More young people are recognizing the beauty of Chinese cultural relics and bringing traditional culture into their daily lives," he said.

"That, in itself, is an expression of cultural confidence."