Paper Model Craftsman Visits NYU Shanghai

Huifang Zhang, a Shanghai paper model master of the Zhang Yang Community, along with members of the Pudong Youth League, visited NYU Shanghai to share with students his passion for paper model-making.

Zhang, who discovered the art of paper model making only when he was 56 years old, talked about the 10 years he spent developing his craft in his own living room before he was invited to show his work on stage at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Music Hall. Working without the benefit of master plans or blueprints, Zhang constructed his architectural models relying solely on the photos he took of each structure. Some of his masterpieces include replications of the Beijing sìhéyuàn (historical residential courtyards), the famous bridge of Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden and the China Maritime Museum.