Chris and His Chinese Partners

Christoph John is a German designer who has embraced local culture since moving with his family to Qingshan, a small mountain village in China’s coastal province of Zhejiang. In collaboration with Tianjin native Zhang Lei, with whom he studied in Europe, he reinvented traditional oil-paper umbrellas, integrating them into contemporary design and daily life. Other creative efforts from the duo have incorporated Chinese cultural heritage and attracted global acclaim. Editor: Luo Wen Operation: Qiu Ruiqi Producer: Li Xin Chief Editor: Zhang Wan Supervisor: Liu Changying