Hair salon owner in Hebei builds model to recreate childhood courtyard

Using clay, glue and paint, a hair salon owner learned the craft of miniature replica model making and recreated his grandparents' old home as a gift for his grandmother.

The talented craftsman Shen Peng, created crumbling wooden doors, brick walls, a latter to the roof, filling the courtyard where he grew up with old-style necessities and furniture from the last century.

Shen, who was born and raised in Dingxing County of Baodinng City in north China's Hebei Province, said that the courtyard was regrettably torn down in 2008, but he and his family are now happily reminded of how their life used to look like along with all their memories.

The hair salon owner said that he was inspired by seeing miniature architectural models last year, and then decided to make his own as a gift to his grandma.

At first Shen only had several old pictures of himself and his grandfather who passed away several years ago so he spent a lot of time recalling his childhood memories and thinking of all items' details, which he said had taken longer than actually building the model.To finish his masterpiece, Shen has been working at the salon during the day while building the 1-20 scale architecture model during the night.

"For others, it's just a model building. For me, the little courtyard is about my entire childhood. Because countless stories took place in it," he said.

Shen said that his grandmother, now in her 70s, always talks about the old yard when her grandchildren visit, which made him determined to build a world full of old-time memories for her.

"Look at this stove. When I was a child, it was always enveloped with the cloud of steam every day. My grandma would steam meat and rice with it, and she is an excellent cook. I used to wake up surrounded by the steam each day in the past," said Shen.

Shen's grandmother said she was touched by the present as she looked fondly at the miniature rusty tricycle, the only means of transportation for the old couple, and a broom she previously used to clean the yard.

"These miniature old houses are a gift to me. It is the most precious and important gift I have ever received. I am proud of my grandson," said Shen's grandmother.