A designer called Christoph John from Germany has settled down in Qingshan Village in Hangzhou and has been engaging in art.

Christoph and his wife has moved to Hangzhou in 2010. Once, when they rode to   Qingshan Village, which is located in Huanghu Town, Yuhang District, they met  by chance a half-ruined building which   had served as auditorium.

In 2017, Christoph and others renovated the auditorium and transformed it into a library- RONG Design Library. It uses the library's categorisation to sort and display traditional Chinese craft materials and methods. This library serves as an office for the studio's designers and a large study room for the village's children as well.

Christoph and other designers have been trying to make breakthroughs in the application of traditional Chinese materials and techniques in the creation of new objects. “These traditional materials and craftsmanship offer a basis and provide inspiration for a variety of brands to create new furniture, installations and interior design." says Christoph.

Nowadays, Christoph and his family members live in countryside. He built a 'tree house' for his children in the yard and a small skateboard garden for himself in the back yard of design workshop.

(Editor: Zhou Xunnan)