A slew of innovative mobile apps are helping young people tap into Chinese traditions in a
thoroughly modern way, Fang Aiqing reports.App developer Sun Yong believes the younger
generations will still have the interest in traditional culture and history, but the key
is to find the proper medium for them to enjoy it in an age where not many people have
the time, or the patience, to read books.Among his most successful productions is an app
called Wood Joints that demonstrates 31 typical mortise-and-tenon techniques frequently
applied in the manufacture of traditional wooden furniture.China has a long history of
woodworking without the use of nails, from making delicate wooden furniture to entire
buildings.The assembly of such complicated conjunctions results in a simple, smooth
surface, which embodies ancient Chinese aesthetics and philosophies.In the app, users
are able to examine different structures using mortise-and-tenon joints and, with a
series of clicks, take them apart to see how separate pieces of wood are bound together.
They are also able to learn about the features of different kinds of wood, tools and
techniques.Sun's interest in carpentry dates back to his childhood. Born in the 1970s,
there weren't many toys available when he was young, but the family used to make desks,
chairs and wardrobes themselves. The woodwork appealed to him and, by watching and
imitating the adults, Sun developed strong hands-on skills that he still feels
confident about today.From his perspective, traditional Chinese culture is something
which, when he learns more about, he becomes more interested in, and feels an urgent
desire to know more. He sees painting, music, calligraphy, architecture and lifestyle
as all being connected and related to each other.As co-founder of Tag Design, a startup
design studio, in 2013 he came up with an idea for a project which would not be
hampered by worries about cost and revenue.Being interested in architecture,
but finding it difficult to understand design drawings, Sun decided to create an app
to showcase structural designs in a more visually intuitive way, and it started with
common examples of mortise-and-tenon structures.He shared his idea with his colleagues,
explaining the workings of the wood joint, its classification and function, and how
to read design drawings. Together, they also explored, with the help of professional
carpenters, modeling the wooden structures by using three-dimensional techniques on
mobile devices.It took the team more than half a year to complete the app and,
in June 2014, the iOS version for Apple devices was published. It was soon a
recommended product in the Apple App Store and later won an award from the tech
company.The team got further encouragement when Apple CEO Tim Cook visited the
studio in October 2015.