Luban lock maker finds success

Inheritor of special technique transforms ancient toy into creative cultural product

While demonstrating how to disassemble and reassemble a Luban lock, Li Hao, an inheritor of Luban lock-making techniques in Tengzhou, Shandong province, shared the history of this traditional Chinese folk educational puzzle and the ancient wisdom embedded in its structure.

"It's easy to take apart but challenging to reassemble, and that is the major feature of it," said Li, 39.

The Luban lock is believed to have been created by Lu Ban, a structural engineer known as the "father of carpentry" in China who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).