Artist turns dream into roaring business

A man earns tens of thousands yuan per month by making wax figures in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province.

Zhang Lei, who was fascinated by three-dimensional figure making as a child, became famous for creating wax figures when he was studying at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. He then got a job opportunity of making stage property for a Hong Kong film producing company with 15,000 yuan monthly income, a dream job for many young people.

However, Zhang, a man of post-1985 generation, was determined to pursue his artistic dream so he declined the offer and opened a wax figure making workshop after graduation in 2010.

Thanks to Taobao, China's largest online shopping platform, Zhang found a channel to sell his works. As his works not only look life-like but also have vivid facial expressions, the price ranges from 8,000 yuan ($1213.64) to 60,000 yuan.

In cooperation with his business partner Li Juan, who is in charge of promoting his products online and dealing with orders, Zhang has not only made his dream come true but also achieved financial benefits.