A unique ceramic zodiac ornament, designed by Huaqiao University (HQU) Institute of Industrial Design, to celebrate the Year of the Snake, was presented on Jan. 27 at a Spring Festival reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The piece is the product of a dynamic industry-academia-research collaboration between the HQU Institute of Industry Design and Dehua Roots Life Co., Ltd. It was designed and crafted by a team of graduate students from HQU College of Fine Arts, under the guidance of Zhao Peng, a teacher from the institute, as a part of an immersive project practice.

Titled "巳事如意"(sì shì rú yì) meaning “Wishes Fulfilled in the Year of the Snake”, the ornament symbolizes the fusion of traditional Chinese culture with modern aesthetic innovation. Embracing the maxim “Make the Past Serve the Present,” the design reinterprets time-honored oriental aesthetics to extend heartfelt wishes for the Year of the Snake, offering messages of prosperity, good luck, and a bountiful harvest.

In recent years, the institute has proactively fostered local industrial and economic development by cultivating strong partnerships between government, industry, academia, and research organizations, leading to innovative projects such as intelligent ceramic rings and tea–porcelain fusion standards. These initiatives strive to eliminate barriers between industrial design and practical application while promoting industrial transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development.

Zodiac Snake Ceramic Ornament: "巳事如意"(sì shì rú yì)

(Editor: Wei Linying)