THE NINE SONS OF LOONG

THE NINE SONS OF LOONG is a series of innovative ornaments that integrates traditional Chinese mythologies with folk culture. Inspired by the legend of The Nine Sons of Loong, this series transforms the Zhuazhou Ceremony (a traditional Chinese custom on a child's first birthday anniversary where an assortment of articles are placed in front of infants to allow them to choose for prediction of their future interests and career) into cultural decorative ornaments that combine functionality with artistic value. Rooted in Eastern philosophical wisdom, which holds that all things have their unique strengths and purposes, this series reinterprets traditional cultural connotations through modern design language, aiming to showcase the profound symbolism of Chinese culture and its compatibility with contemporary aesthetics to the world.
The design team delved into the personalities and symbolic meanings of the legendary nine sons of Loong, merging them with the symbolic articles used in Zhuazhou—for instance, Yá zì with a bronze sword represents courage, while Fù xì with a brush symbolizes literary talent, and so on. These ornaments, with their rounded and cute shapes, are approachable to infants while maintaining clear cultural recognition. Their colors and visual elements strictly align with the distinct traits of the nine sons, blending liveliness, elegance, and fun with cultural depth.
This series supports the continued development of derivatives, such as artistic paper products, cultural narrative cards, and mini dolls. The combination of Zhuazhou ornaments and derivatives forms a complete cultural chain encompassing ritual, decoration, and knowledge dissemination, which enhances the cultural communication value. Additionally, the parent-child interaction scenario of the Zhuazhou Ceremony enables parents and children to perceive traditional cultural connotations behind these ornaments by learning the stories of the nine sons. This series helps promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional customs.