Tag Archives: China

One of the world’s oldest cultures, China has given the world everything from fireworks to pasta. The culture and history of the “Middle Kingdom” continue to inspire LEGO builders all across the globe.

Rabbit, rabbit burning bright!

In case you didn’t know, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. LEGO builder ArzLan sure as heck knows it and they’ve sculpted a rather sinister-looking rabbit along with a scrolled hieroglyph representing rabbit. It’s neat but I can’t help but wonder what mischief this rabbit has in store for us in 2023. The internet says that people born in the Year of the Rabbit usually have soft and tender personality traits but this rabbit seems to have a few tricks up its sleeve. Were you born in the Year of the Rabbit? If so, do you possess the gentle personality traits the internet says you may have, or do you have a devious streak? Let us know in the comments because enquiring minds want to know.

hieroglyph

Walk the wave, if you dare

Marion Weintraut flexes some architectural might and probably more than a few LEGO bricks with this stunning Ruyi Bridge. I’m in awe of its intricate waving construct; a feat that doesn’t look easy. It’s a delicate and beautiful structure that would look handsome as a display at any architectural firm. I would probably be too frightened to traverse such a dizzying structure had it have been real. Well, I should hang on tight and have a sick bag at the ready because, as it turns out, it is!

Ruyi Bridge

All that it’s corked up to be

For a minute there we thought builder Peter Zieske had switched hobbies. But no, That is all LEGO. He’s replicated the look of traditional style Chinese cork art with this amazing diorama. I like how the black elements mimic the look and feel of polished wood while the studs-out approach to the landscape nicely takes on the rough texture of cork. This would assuredly look handsome on any shelf, even in an upscale office. I hope you can forgive me for not putting a cork in my enthusiasm for this piece.

Cork Carving Diorama

White Jade Lion Seal of the Realm

The jade seals used throughout China’s history have demanded various levels of respect and contention. This model replica by Builder Joe of Dad’s Bricks pays tribute to such cultural regalia, complete with a stand and ornate case. An exquisite lion carving is built with white bricks atop the plain block that makes up the traditionally square seal. Though Joe doesn’t show us the base, which would hold the impression of the seal, we can still appreciate the black fence pieces used in its stand. More impressive is the wooden case with golden filigree which holds the precious heirloom. Clever studs not on top building techniques allowed Joe to add an almost hidden hinge into the sides of the box, along with all of the decorative elements.

[LEGO] White Jade Seal - Lion A symbol of kingship! Art is something that different from the main stream.

This is a kingly artifact, most commonly denoting the word of the Emperor in the dynasty’s past. Though many have been lost to the ages, possession of such items in the past could tear down an Empire or impress power upon entire regions. This Hong Kong-based builder does well to pay homage to such treasures, adding yet another lovely model to his collection.

A stroll along ancient streets

Many a great LEGO model has been inspired by a real life place and builder Qian Yj‘s latest build is definitely among them. This beautiful scene is based on the real life Yuehe Street, a popular tourist destination in Jiaxing, China. The small greebling work on the walls in a limited color palette is lovely and really captures the crumbling look of many of the street’s buildings. I love the decorative touches and window treatments utilizing grills and 2×2 turntable bases on the building’s faces and the small cafe on the side. I’m also particularly enamored with the sweeping white supports between buildings. A perfect street to while away the afternoon, sipping tea at the waterside as the boats float by.

Yuehe ancient street

Walking in a garden of peace

“Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.” That quote from American poet Walt Whitman perfectly describes what we see here in builder vincentkiew‘s creation.

Morning walk....

Walking through this scene must have been just as relaxing as building it. I really admire the roof work on the gazebo and the house, using various pieces to give an illusion of texture. The flower pots by the beautifully-crafted doors could not be built better.

The lily pads with flowers serve as a calm reminder to the walking wise man of the fragility of life. Perhaps this whole build reminds us all of the peace that comes to the soul when taking a solitary stroll.

Epic LEGO Forbidden City uses over 80,000 bricks and took over 700 hours to design & build!

Yes, you read the title correctly. Rocco Buttliere has used around 84,000 LEGO bricks, to be more precise. In addition to 300+ hours of building to recreate the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, Rocco also spent 400+ hours designing it first. If that doesn’t blow your mind, it should. That is one giant build of one of the world’s most spectacular architectural sites. Like his earlier LEGO diorama of Ancient Rome, Rocco built this one for a commission for a museum, and boy, does it belong there. The overview picture hardly does it justice, as it all blends together into a blur of flame orange, dark red, and grey, but zoom in and there are as many marvels as in the real deal. Fancy a tour? It’s not forbidden to look at this one, even for a commoner like me.

Forbidden City - 紫禁城 - Beijing

Check out the details of this incredible build

He Xaingu offers improved health and a sound mind

When we featured Cindy Su’s compelling Zhongli Quan figure, she clued us in that he was the first of the legendary Eight Immortals from Chinese mythology that she would build. Now we are enthralled all over again with this lovely He Xaingu figure who is here with her lotus flower to improve our mental and physical health. Her uplifting presence and her healing powers are much appreciated right about now.

八仙過海 ~何仙姑/ The 8 immortals passing the East Sea~ He Xiang (2/8)

Friends sets offer a much more feminine color pallet than your standard LEGO fare and Cindy demonstrates just how lovely that can be. Whether building a car fender, hot air balloon or, in this case, a lotus flower, these parts are proving to be an integral addition to anyone’s LEGO collection. We will patiently await the arrival of Cindy’s other six Immortals from Chinese mythology. In the meantime you can learn more.

Hong Kong – Beneath the shell, it’s a pearl of a city.

Nearly ten years ago, working in China allowed me the opportunity to visit Hong Kong for the very first time. The primary focus of my trip was to visit LEGO fan event Bricks Adventure 2011 at City University, and I was floored by both the hospitality and building skills of the city’s LEGO enthusiasts. I was equally impressed by the beauty of the city itself, so much so that I made two more trips to Hong Kong in the coming months. Therefore, when I saw this artful LEGO depiction of the city built by Hong Kong native Eric Mok, it triggered a wave of happy memories. Eric captures a view of Hong Kong Island from Kowloon, set inside a gold-trimmed sea scallop — it’s a lovely nod to Hong Kong’s nickname as the “Pearl of the Orient.”

The Orient Pearl

See this microscale version of Hong Kong in closer detail.

LEGO Chinese New Year Temple Fair and Lion Dance sets now available globally [News]

LEGO has made the two new Chinese New Year regional exclusives for 2020 available worldwide. 80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair comes with 1,664 pieces, 14 minifigures and features a lively festival around a temple gate for US $119.99 | CAN $159.99 | UK £89.99.

80104 Lion Dance comes with 882 pieces, eight minifigures including a new rat costume, and five brick-built dancing lions for US $79.99 | CAN $109.99 | UK £64.99.

Click to get a closer look at each Chinese New Year LEGO set

LEGO reveals two new Chinese New Year sets for 2020 that combine into one gigantic festival [News]

LEGO has revealed two new sets to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year: 80104 Lion Dance and 80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair. Both sets feature an incredible amount of new prints, recoloring of pieces and a significant amount of minifigures which all combine into a large festival setting. So today we have your first look at the sets and minifigures along with a video for each.

Honoring LEGO’s commitment to offer regional exclusives sets worldwide, the two new LEGO Chinese Traditional Festival models will launch in China and the Asia Pacific region starting December 26, 2019 with global availability beginning January 10, 2020.

Click to see all the details about the new Chinese Traditional Festivals sets

The Xiantong Temple Tribute

Chinese builder Qian Yj has been producing beautiful architectural models for a few years now, many of which can be found in the TBB archives, including the hexagonal Tianfeng Pagoda and the Sichuan home. The builder’s latest creation is a mammoth tribute to the Wuliang Hall of the sprawling 400-building Xiantong Temple complex in China. “Wuliang” translates to “infinite” or “immeasurable” but we think it measures up quite magnificently.

Wuliang Hall (Xiantong Temple)

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