Crafting a world at his fingertips

Nowadays, traditional craftsmanship is somewhat losing its appeal among young people. In order to be more relatable to the younger generation at home and abroad, Lang has sought to incorporate new and fresh elements into his works. For example, he has drawn inspiration from foreign characters in cartoons like The First Slam Dunk, Minions, Doraemon, and Ultraman. However, Lang didn't do that for long. "I realized that foreign stories may not be the best way to promote traditional Chinese crafts," he said.

Later, he started including his own ideas and observations about current social events in his works. For example, in honor of the female healthcare workers who fought against the COVID-19 pandemic, Lang made a piece for International Women's Day that features a figurine incorporating both the classic figure of Chinese heroine Mu Guiying as portrayed in Peking Opera and a healthcare worker in a white coat. And in 2023, Lang created a series of dough-based figurines inspired by the popular Chinese animated short film series Yao-Chinese Folktales, which was popular among many young people.

Recently, Lang has come up with more ideas inspired by traditional Chinese artworks. "My most recent ideas came to me on a visit to the Palace Museum in Beijing. I found that traditional aesthetics do not require much interpretation. Through art forms, one can directly perceive the ancient Chinese wisdom of the 'harmony between nature and humanity'," he said.

As a Gen Zer himself, Lang has also been putting great efforts into promoting and disseminating Dough Figurine Lang craftsmanship and other intangible cultural heritages on social media. Now, he has more than 2.6 million followers across his various platforms.

"We've received a lot of questions, for example, on where to learn the craft, where to buy the materials, and whether I can take apprentices," he said.

Seeing such feedback, Lang is encouraged to continue promoting traditional culture and he believes that young people are still drawn to traditional Chinese handicrafts.

"I always cherish the hope that my compatriots and I can continue to deepen our understanding of the essence of our own culture," he said. "How to present our narrative both at home and overseas and how to create the greatest possible platform for Chinese culture are missions that Chinese Gen Zers need to undertake."

Contact the writer at mengwenjie@i21st.cn