Toys are not always child's play

Inspiration

Finding a talent for needlework when he was a boy, Zhu helped his family of five to sew clothes during the 1950s when rationing coupons were used for buying fabrics.

More than 20 years ago, when working as an engineer, Zhu welcomed his first furry "patient", a stuffed polar bear from his son. He clearly remembers that he paid 17 yuan ($2.64) for the bear to accompany his son, because he was too busy with work.

"Before my son asked me to repair it, I didn't know that he had given the bear a name－Mingming, and they had become best friends. They used to share a bed," Zhu smiles, adding that at the same time, he regrets being absent on so many occasions.

Trying to make up for lost time, Zhu stitched up Mingming's injuries and replaced the stuffing. But in his son's eyes, although the bear was brand-new, it was no longer his friend Mingming.

After talking with his son, Zhu understood that his son wanted the bear to be conserved rather than changed.