[Jonny] adds a wooden box with a hinged lid for storing ... If you’re interested in building block toys, check out this write-up about a way to combine different types of building blocks ...

Ye Chen, a 37-year-old Yunhe native, exemplifies this transformation. Growing up surrounded by relatives who ran wooden toy factories, Ye initially viewed the industry as low-end manufacturing.

Wooden toys, which include blocks, puzzles, trains and educational tools, only account for 5.6 percent of China's toy market in 2023, according to Zhiyan Consulting, a Chinese market research company.