A growing number of Chinese are embracing 3-D printing technology, using it to create everything from car parts to design models.

Driven by a do-it-yourself mindset, many are making the printers themselves. In 2011, a small workshop for makers of 3-D printers was established. The workshop, called Makerspace Beijing, was held in an apartment in Beijing and attracted dozens of people from the fields of design, engineering and electronics.

Eventually, it became so popular that the organizers moved to a building in the city's Haidian district, where Makerspace Beijing now occupies an entire floor.

More than six cities in China have since opened workshops similar to Makerspace Beijing, attracting more than 100,000 people, according to Wang Shenglin, co-founder of Makerspace Beijing.

In 2012, China held its first Maker Faire in Beijing. Wei Qiao, vice-president of Makerspace Beijing, says the number of 3-D printer makers in China is still small, given the country's huge population.

"We don't have the culture of being encouraged to do things by hand," Wei says. "And most people spend their time on earning money rather than making things for fun."

In 2013, Wei started an education project called Creatica to encourage children to learn more about the world by making things. The project offers classes that provide children with tools such as 3-D printers and 3-D printing pens, which allow them to create their own items.

Wei's project has been welcomed by parents who have studied overseas or worked in industries such as engineering and electronic communications. "Kids in our project are really innovative and creative. To some extent, I'm cultivating the future makers," Wei says.

"The future development of 3-D printing lies on the shoulders of today's Chinese makers. They are the foundation of future generations."

(China Daily 06/29/2014 page3)