XI'AN, April 15 (silubaba) -- Walking into Wei Lamei's home in Xi'an, northwest China, one can hardly imagine that the room belongs to a 73-year-old granny, with all kinds of Barbie dolls filling every corner.
What's more, these dolls with various styles, including blond princesses, a woman donning a Tang Dynasty (618-907) style costume, and animals of the traditional Chinese zodiac, were all made by Wei herself.
In the past month, Wei has received nearly 250 pieces of express delivery, all of which were doll-making materials and accessories she purchased online. "I work 15 hours a day, from design to sewing, all by myself," said the granny, who has made at least 700 large cartoon puppets and countless small ones over the past 26 years.
To the surprise of many, the now "queen of dolls" was once a worker in a meat processing factory. Her fairy tale only began in 1997 when she retired from her career that had nothing to do with art.
The dream of making dolls sprouted at the age of eight when Wei saw a Russian girl with a blond doll in her arms. "After retirement, I began to think about chasing my childhood dream that I had been unable to because of poverty," said Wei, who has loved handicrafts since childhood. She even made a bench using a saw in her teens.
Driven by the dream, in her late 50s, she headed to Beijing on her own to "seek better opportunities." She stayed at a friend's house and became an apprentice in a toy factory. The intense work left her so exhausted that she would "fall asleep in the bathhouse when stretched to the limit."
Everything comes to her who waits. After 13 years of hard work in Beijing, she cultivated her unique design concept and exquisite sewing skills. The dolls she designed were sought after by many toy factories in the capital city, which made her famous in the handicraft industry.
In 2010, she returned to her hometown of Xi'an and turned her home into a workshop. The house since then has been filled with a sewing machine and various fabrics. "As long as I pick up the cloth and pedal the sewing machine, I sense happiness and accomplishment," said Wei.
She bought ten pairs of glasses and kept them in different places in the house so she could browse fashion applications on her smartphone anytime. "Only by keeping up with the trend of the times can I create dolls that are not outdated," said the granny, who spends at least three hours per day studying online.
At the same time, she often draws inspiration from Xi'an, the ancient city with a long history. She adds traditional cultural elements such as Terracotta Warriors, Tang tri-colored potteries, and ancient porcelains to her works.
She also participated in live-streaming activities and opened a personal account on Xiaohongshu, a lifestyle-focused social media platform, sharing her daily work and attracting many young fans. Some college students would ask Wei to help customize dolls, and she would give these to them for free.
"Being young means never stopping learning. By communicating with youngsters, I get insight into the most fashionable elements," she said.
She wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to operate her sewing machine and make new dolls. "There is no certain way to live life. The most important thing is to do what you love." ■
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