I think China is a very special country.
It has accumulated thousands of years
of cultural and historical stories.
Many traditional concepts are deeply rooted
in the minds of the Chinese people.
But many were destroyed in the Cultural Revolution
that took place from 1966 to 1976.
My parents were raised when the country was still very poor.
And many people were struggling to satisfy their food needs.
After I was born, the country's economic growth
provided people with some extra money
to spend on things other than food.
Many of my clients started going back to the traditional ways.
For example, learning classic culture,
playing seven-string plucked instruments, and tea tasting.
Chinese designers have made a lot of progress in these years,
although a gap still exists between us
and Western designers.
Many Chinese designers are still mimicking Western designs.
Originality is still lacking.
A lot of designers finish their designs purely
by following market fashion trends or orders
from their bosses.
There are only a few independent designers
who can do what they want.
Many foreign independent designer pieces
are amazingly beautiful and special but not
necessarily expensive.
I hope there will be more and more independent
Chinese designers.
Just as private enterprises are important for China's economy,
independent designers are important for China's jewelry
design industry.
Chinese designers should take advantage
of their own cultural heritage.
Materials like jade are perfect for them to work on.
Western designers might know more modern design concepts.
But they do not understand jade's cultural background
very well.
Good designs from Chinese designers
are very much in demand by customers.
A lot of people want to financially support
our local jewelry design industry.
If they want to buy a piece of jewelry
with sapphire as the center stone,
they might pick a design by a Western designer.
If they're buying a jadeite jewelry piece,
they might prefer to have something designed
by our own Chinese designers, who
are more aware of Chinese culture.
I think China has very good designers.
The country has a huge population.
And many of us are very talented.
I wish young designers had more opportunities
to show their talents.
From the time I started my business,
I have experienced a lot of ups and downs.
And I know that many people have similar experiences.
When I was an unknown designer, at times my designs
would not be accepted, or my ideas
would be altered by others.
After my designs were accepted and recognized by more people,
things changed.
You do not always have to follow market trends when you design.
You can create designs by following your heart
and feelings.
As a commercial designer, sometimes you just
have to follow the market or to do
what other people tell you to do.
Your goal is to save money and time.
But I do think it might be better
to design following your heart and getting yourself recognized
by others first.
My opinion is that if you have ideas,
you should open up those ideas to the public.
The reason I like using the internet
is that it allows ordinary designers
to become known by others.
For example, you can establish your own website
and use it for your personal media.
This helps you communicate your ideas to the public
and form networks in the industry.
As more and more people accept your ideas,
your designs will be recognized, as well.
I highly recommend that young designers
take advantage of the internet.