A Malaysian artist has managed to transform centuries' old pottery shards into intricate sculptures and her mosaic-covered sculptures have become a magnet for tourists and locals alike in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Alice Chang is well known to many for her public sculptures, including those commissioned for the Year of the Tiger and displayed in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown.
Now, she aims to link the modern-day arts to the ancient Silk Road, and highlighting Malaysia's role as a historic crossroads of global trade during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
"I'm using the Chinese broken bowl and of course that one I can cut to have the proper shape. But the difference with these Wanli pieces is I never cut and I just use whatever I found," said Chang.
She referred to the Ming Dynasty pottery shards from the "Wanli Shipwreck", a ship that sank off Malaysia's east coast en route from China to Portugal 400 years ago.
Valuable artifacts were found and salvaged from the shipwreck, alongside large amounts of these broken porcelain pieces, regarded as having little value.
Yet, the stories that told of the region's maritime history, had struck a chord with Chang.
By chance, she came into possession of 50 kilograms of the pottery shards from the "Wanli Shipwreck".
"Actually I'm very lucky, and from social media, I know someone, they don't know what to do with these broken pieces. So I offered myself, and I said I want to try to repurpose these broken pieces to an art piece, to let more people to understand about the story," said Chang.
She said the broken porcelain pieces shared the same historic value as those that ended up in prestigious auction houses. Therefore she wanted to give them a new lease of life, to transform what was once considered worthless into something meaningful and beautiful, Chang explained.
"This is the sculpture I call 'Gift'. We found the Wanli in our Malaysian sea. It's like a gift for Malaysian. I think this is very important as a Malaysian to understand about the story about Malaysia, to connect to China, to share for the next generation. Actually, and if I don't do, and maybe this broken piece will end up in the storeroom," she said.
Chang hopes her works can travel farther.
"Maybe I have a chance to bring this sculpture to show in other country. I hope my pieces can follow the Silk Road also," said Chang.
Malaysian artist turns ancient pottery shards into intricate sculptures connecting cultures
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
