Liu, 35, works as a technician for a foreign-invested enterprise in Chengdu. Her daily routine involves sitting in front of a computer, answering phone calls and remotely troubleshooting equipment failures. By the end of each day, her back and neck are stiff from hours of sedentary work. Pindou, she said, has become her escape.

　　"Once I pick up the tweezers and start placing beads, I can sit for five or six hours straight. The longest session was a full 10 hours," she said with a smile.

　　"When I'm designing Perler beads, I'm completely focused. I don't think about life's worries."

　　The process is simple but meditative: colored plastic beads are arranged on a pegboard to form patterns, then fused together with an iron.

　　The result is a solid, tangible creation — a keychain, a coaster or a decorative piece.

　　"Unlike passively scrolling through short videos, pindou is an active creation," Liu said.

　　"It gives me a sense of accomplishment that digital entertainment never can."

　　Pindou has become a popular handcrafting activity among young people in China. ZHU XINGXIN/CHINA DAILY

　　The numbers back up the trend. In 2025, sales of Perler bead products on major e-commerce platforms reached 291 million yuan ($42.83 million), growing nearly ninefold year-on-year.

　　According to TianYanCha data, more than 7,000 new handcraft-related enterprises were registered in China over the past year, with Perler bead creation becoming a standard offering in most workshops.

　　Ma Wenwen, 27, is the manager of a handicraft shop in Taiyuan. When his store first opened, Perler bead creation was available but not particularly popular. That changed around the end of 2023. By the summer of 2025, weekend slots were fully booked.