The Year of the Snake is approaching!

春节chūn jié, the Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. This year, it has been officially added to UNESCO’s representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In this special Spring Festival episode, host Zhang Yiyi is joined by three special guests. They are:

Carmen Xiao肖疆, IKEA Product Design Developer

Lian Zhelin 连哲林, IKEA Designer

Qian Jing 钱菁, IKEA Designer

They explore how the globally recognized Swedish home furnishing brand, celebrates the Spring Festival.

The guests share their unique insights into their Chinese New Year designs and how they bring tradition and innovation together in IKEA products.

The conversation also touches on their observation of the Chinese market, including evolution of consumer behavior and home decoration trends.

Highlights:

02:25 IKEA's journey in celebrating Spring Festival

10:30 Warm drinks on the go: even thermos are taken into consideration

10:55 Design challenges: balancing festive colors with everyday usability

14:49 Key motifs and cultural elements in IKEA’s 2025 Spring Festival Collection (FÖSSTA)

18:26 Incorporating Chinese aesthetics into modern ceramics

21:11 How IKEA's Spring Festival collections have influenced Chinese families and global consumers, reconnecting with traditional customs through tangible designs.

25:36 Evolution of consumer behavior and home decoration trends in the Chinese market

29:03 Incorporating cultural elements to a wider landscape

This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast and YouTube. You are also more than welcome to check our newsletter where you can find more in-depth sharings around Chinese economy: https://pekingensight.substack.com/