Engineer finds art in the air

Air leakage was the biggest obstacle. Inflating latex balloons stretches the material, reducing its density and allowing air to gradually escape. Unless that problem could be solved, large-scale commercial balloon installations would be difficult to maintain.

Xu approached the challenge like an engineer.

First, he refined the knotting technique to reduce air leakage. Then he began placing one balloon inside another so that the inner balloon would remain intact even if the outer one burst.

His most time-consuming breakthrough came from experimenting with adhesive coatings. Over six months, he tested more than 10 types of glue before finding one that could form a flexible protective film along the inner wall of a balloon, slowing air loss without damaging the material.

Later, inspired by car waxing and facial skincare, Xu developed an oil-coating process for the balloon surface, further extending its durability. Today, his balloon installations can last indoors for up to three months, and as long as six months in winter.

These improvements transformed balloons from short-lived decorations into commercially viable products.

A real estate project in Jiangxi province in 2017 brought Xu's company 600,000 yuan in revenue in just half a month. In 2023, a 10-meter-tall balloon cake he designed was commissioned by nearly 30 supermarkets and shopping malls across China.

As his reputation grew, professional recognition followed. In 2019, his work Divine Beast Longma — named after the mythical dragon horse — won the large-scale category at the China Balloon Art Competition. Three years later, he received a Top 10 Unique Skills Award at a high-skilled talent competition in Hubei province and was named a "Jingchu Artisan", a provincial honor recognizing outstanding craftspeople.

"Those awards gave me a new level of confidence," he said. "No matter how large the order was or how complex the design, I knew I could handle it."

For Xu, the recognition marked more than a personal achievement. It convinced him that balloon art could be seen as a serious profession rather than a novelty, and it gradually shifted the focus of his work. Rather than concentrating solely on building balloon installations himself, he began spending more time helping others enter the industry.

Since 2024, through a model worker innovation studio supported by the Nanzhang County Federation of Trade Unions, Xu has recorded balloon modeling tutorials and offered free online and in-person training. More than 4,000 people have participated in his courses.

Many wonder why he devotes so much time to teaching people who may one day become his competitors.

"The industry is too fragmented," Xu said. "Unlike makeup or floral design, balloon art has no national vocational qualification and no formal training system. I hope to help the industry grow together so it can gain wider recognition."

His training goes beyond technique. Students also learn how to negotiate with clients, identify new markets, produce promotional videos, write marketing content and use social media to support offline businesses.

Xu believes the future of the craft lies in the hands of young people.

"Those born after 2000 are quick-thinking and highly creative," he said. "Balloon art is, by nature, part of the creative industry, and their fresh thinking can bring more original ideas."

That belief is also guiding the markets he is now exploring. One direction is combining balloon art with local cultural intellectual property (IP), working with governments and cultural institutions to turn landmarks and historic neighborhoods into large-scale balloon installations. Another is expanding into outdoor consumer spaces, including campsites and tourist attractions, where decorative installations are becoming increasingly popular.

More than a decade after watching balloon art on television for the first time, Xu no longer sees balloons as children's toys. Through technical innovation and an engineer's mindset, he has turned them into durable commercial products — while helping build a more professional future for an industry that is still taking shape.