Feature: Mainland Doll Comes to HK

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 09, 2002

Feature: Mainland Doll Comes to HK

Yue-Sai Wa Wa, the first China doll with a brand, was launched Tuesday at the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair 2002, one of three major toy fairs in the world.

Toy Expo Held in Hong Kong

Yue-Sai Wa Wa, the first China doll with a brand, was launched Tuesday at the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair 2002, one of three major toy fairs in the world.

"The play doll market has long been dominated by western-style blond-hair and blue-hair dolls, now there is one more choice for children," said Judy Zhou, sales manager of the Yue-Sai Kan Educational Toy Co.,Ltd.

Yue-Sai Wa Wa, with Wa Wa meaning doll or child in Chinese, was designed as a beautiful Chinese-American girl, with shiny black hair, black eyes and porcelain color skin tone.

Like the world-famous Barbie, Yue-Sai has a lot of beautiful clothes and numerous accessories and ornaments, but Yue-Sai's clothes are mainly fine traditional Chinese clothes.

"This is Yue-Sai's style," Zhou said. Most of the dolls are play dolls for children.

Golden Girl doll wears her pretty shawl, which adds just the right touch and also keeps out the cold night air. Children can style her hair in many glamorous ways using her glittering Phoenix hairbrush.

Shanghai Chic doll, who loves to go shopping and to see the movies with her friends but always makes time for her family and school work, puts on her favorite silky Chinese Kung Fu jacket and matching pants.

There is also a Panda Protector doll, which is in smart travel suit, and can teach children knowledge on protecting the endangered species and environment

Yue-Sai collector doll, including the Dream Bride, Red Glamour and Chinese Bride, are made to be friends of adults as well as children.

Only 999 Chinese Bride dolls, which are purely hand-made, will be sold world-wide. The Chinese Bride ensemble, a bright red-colored gown with patterns of dragon, phoenix, clouds and waves, requires more than 100 hours of hand embroidery by two to three skilled artists.

There are no Yue-Sai bridegrooms and babies yet since the "Yue-Sai Wa Wa" was born just no more than two years ago, according to Yue-Sai Kan, creator of the dolls.

Kan wished the China dolls, who embody all the virtues of an ideal Asian beauty, would be little ambassadors connecting East and West.

Expert: 2002 Better Year for HK Toy Exports

This year will be a better year for Hong Kong toy exports, said Edmund Young, chairman of the Trade Development Council's Toys Advisory Committee, Tuesday.

"With the negative impact gradually subsiding and the U.S. economic growth expected to recover by mid 2002, the world trading environment will hopefully be improved," Young said at the opening of the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair 2002.

The fair organized by the Trade Development Council (TDC) with over 1,600 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions maintains its leading status as the biggest of its kind in Asia and the third largest in the world.

Young thought the growing opportunities in domestic sales in the Chinese mainland resulting from China's WTO entry will further benefit Hong Kong toy manufacturers.

In the first 10 months of 2001, Hong Kong's exports of toys fell by 17 percent, largely due to the sluggish global economy.

However, given the low inventory level, import demand of major markets is expected to rise following a pick-up in their economy, according to TDC's forecast.