Production designer Tim Yip won both an Academy award and a BAFTA for his work on seminal piece of Chinese cinema -Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon back in 2001 - and, if that accolade alone isn't enough, Yip was also called in to orchestrate the entire torch handover ceremony at the Beijing olympics in 2004.
Whereabouts-in China are you originally from and where do you live now?
I am originally from Hong Kong. I had lived in Taiwan for 7 years, and now I live in Beijing.
How have theses places changed during your lifetime?
This is an age of uncertainty. External influences have somewhat plundered Asia’s original cultural heritage, stuffing it with a customized set of values, and thus making Asia’s rapidly increasing prosperity a vanity. However, traditions across Asia have a strong, unique quality. The cultural context and origins of traditions take different forms, but there is a concrete resonance across the inheritance.
What do you find most inspiring about living in China?
It is the right time and the right place for me to focus on my creative work.
Where is the most up and coming area of China, and why?
The second tier cities - though the development of these cities has seen a big jump during 2008 Olympics period, I believe that they will soon be comparable to cosmopolitan cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.
If you had one piece of advice for visitors to China, what would it be?
If I don’t know them well, I would suggest they visit the Palace Museum, to experience a little of the cultural and historical side of China. If they happen to be my friends, I would advise them to go to the pubs that play live music, where they will experience an infectious taste of Beijing’s vitality.
If you had a friend come to visit you for 24hours, where would you be sure to take him/her?
My studio
What would you avoid?
Places that are too busy - or in a state of disarray.
Who in your opinion are the creatives in China we should be looking out for at the moment?
The uprising young designers
How did you find your experience as part of the Wallpaper* advisory panel?
I found the experience hugely Inspiring, it has helped me to feel truly optimistic about the prosperous future of my country
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