Lego Gallops into the Year of the Horse

Looking for an activity to horse around? Lego does

Now that 2026 has started, we're already looking towards Chinese New Year which starts February 17!

It will be the Year of the Horse, specifically the fire horse, which promises to bring speed, passion and opportunity.

This afternoon at Costco we spied the latest Lego set promoting the four-legged animal. Called "Galloping Horses Canvas" (C$140), the set features four equines kicking up dust as they run, and in the background is an ink painting. 

It features four horses too in a Chinese painting that is kind of reminiscent of the artist Xu Beihong, who painted horses so well. The ones here, not so much.

Nevertheless, what is cool about the set is that the four horses actually move when you move the crank at the back. 

The set also comes with two figurines, one wearing a horse head, the other a girl, and they are by a table with an ink brush and a scroll with a horse drawn on it and the Chinese character for the animal. 

The Galloping Horses Canvas is one of three New Year-related sets; there's also one called Fortune Firecracker, and another called Fortune Master with the likeness of Choi Sun, the God of Wealth.

That said, this Lego reviewer gave a pretty honest review about the three sets. Might want to watch before you buy...

Tokyo: Looking at the Japanese Capital from Up High

Looking up at Tokyo Tower at night

A good way to have a grasp of a city you're visiting is to see it from up high, and Tokyo, a metropolis built vertically, has not one, but two towers from which you can perch from and look down. 

When I went to Tokyo for the first time in the mid-1980s on a school trip, going to Tokyo Tower was a big deal. I still remember the guide book I bought and some souvenirs like key chains. 

Fantastic night scenes of the city

Shaped like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but 9 metres taller, Tokyo Tower was built in 1958 and stands 332.9 metres and has an observation deck at 150 metres, and a higher one at 250 metres. We went after dinner and were surprised to find there was no line up. We just bought tickets and went up the elevator to see Tokyo at night. 

Admittedly it was difficult to make out everything in the dark, but it was enjoyable with less visitors. As it is sakura season, the observation deck area was decorated with a fake sakura tree and pink petals decorating some of the windows (making it harder to take pictures). Nevertheless it was a clear night and so our night pictures were pretty good.

A day later we had afternoon tickets for Tokyo Skytree, which is also a broadcast and observation tower, the tallest in Japan at 634 metres. And because it opened in 2012, visitors are more interested in coming here than Tokyo Tower.

Women in kimonos at Sensoji Temple

We first went to Sensoji Temple and it was packed with people, as it was a Sunday and beautiful weather, and most importantly sakura or cherry blossoms had bloomed. Many young women were dressed in kimono, but we could only tell where they were from when they opened their mouths -- some spoke Cantonese, others Mandarin. Then there were a few non-Asians who managed to squeeze into the kimonos, and one guy went barefoot, perhaps because there were no socks in his size...

They rented these outfits in order to have their pictures taken by professional photographers. 

Looking across the river we could see Tokyo Skytree in the distance and began walking towards it. Along the river are restaurants and cafes, while others sat on the grass or ground and had hamani, or picnics to appreciate the cherry blossoms.

We walked around 20 minutes and arrived at the base of Tokyo Skytree, which includes a shopping complex with various brands, and yes McDonald's, and other cafes.

Walking towards Tokyo Skytree

Luckily we decided to line up "early" for the 4pm slot because others had already begun standing in line. We soon realised that it zig-zagged around and it was quite the ordeal waiting for one of three or four high-speed elevators to get up to the observation deck. 

Finally after 4pm we finally made it to the front and allotted to an elevator where we had to wait for it to go up and then come down before opening its doors to collect us. We got the combo tickets where we could visit both observation decks at 350 metres and 450 metres. 

I could see how tiring it was for the staff to corral people all day, repeat the same spiel about Tokyo Skytree every 10 minutes or so and to bow as the elevator doors closed, then repeat. Again and again.

There was a tour group from India and they were able to bypass lines to get their own elevator spot; the Tokyo Skytree staff were used to this and gave them priority, making the rest of us wait another several minutes.

But once we were up on the 350-metre high deck, it was quite the sight. Seeing Tokyo by day it made me realise how many rivers there are snaking through the city, and as a result there are numerous bridges. 

The observation tower at 450 metres high

We could barely see what we going on down below, just tons of buildings like Lego bricks poking up from the ground and standing straight, while the curves of the river forced the structures to conform to the shape. The city stretched out as far as the eye could see, with a population of over 14 million. 

There were some glass skywalks inside, where there was nothing holding you up except the thick glass. Some found it scary, others exhilarating. 

One young woman was dressed up in a cosplay outfit so that she could take pictures at Skytree; many were willing to pay for the privilege.

We walked up an incline to get to the next elevator at 450 metres, but here it was even higher and everything looked even smaller down below. There were also more supports on the windows, which didn't give clear views for photographs.

Many rivers snake through the city

Getting back down was also an ordeal, again waiting in line for the next elevator, though once we were in (at the 350 metre level), we were warned we couldn't go back up again, and that was that. Lots of souvenir shops below, though none of them sold any printed guidebooks. 

Finally getting out of Skytree we were relieved to get away from the mass crowd of visitors. It must be so tiring for the staff dealing with so many people everyday.

Sweet Sugar Painting for CNY

"Painting" a butterfly with sugar

Today is the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and some retailers are taking advantage of the Chinese festival to cater to their customers.

One is Canadian luxury retailer Holt Renfrew and has had a series of special events happening in the store downtown.

Days before the new year there was a Lego building exercise where a Lego certified master builder made a snake which is shown in the store, and a calligrapher to write fai chun, or new year couplets.

A completed bird on a stick 

Today being the fourth day, they had sugar painting, where a man used caramelised sugar to "paint" animals and insects. Customers could spin a wheel to see which one they could get, ranging from birds, dragonflies and butterflies.

Using a ladle with a round cup, the artisan deftly made the insect or bird and then placed a skewer on it as a holder. While it was drying, he made the next one, and as that was drying, he would use a metal slider to carefully remove it from the marble tabletop.

He drew a crowd, pleasing Chinese visitors, while non-Chinese were intrigued and lined up to get one.

Sweet, soft power in action.

Building van Gogh Brick by Brick

Van Gogh's The Starry Night in Lego form by Truman Cheng

One of the latest products to come from Lego is a reproduction of Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night -- in the colourful bricks.

The swirl of the clouds in blues, grey and yellow is cleverly recreated using straight, thin bricks, but perhaps what's so fascinating about it is that the piece is its three-dimensional look.

Even better? It was designed by a Hongkonger.

Cheng likes van Gogh's paintings

Twenty-six-year-old Truman Cheng is a PhD student studying medical robotics and magnetic controlled surgical endoscopes.

During his free time however, he loves playing with Lego, something he's done since he was a child.

"To me, Lego is more than 'toys', it's something similar to painting," he said in an interview with Lego. "I can express myself, create characters and sculptures from my imagination. It's a very relaxing experience where I can forget about the petty troubles in daily lives, and get lost in my own imagination."

He later explained that he's always loved van Gogh's work and that The Starry Night is such a well known piece. 

"I had wanted to make a Lego creation based on the artwork for a long time but never thought of a good execution-style for it.

"One day I was just playing with Lego parts, and I realised stacking Lego plates together in random intervals look a lot like van Gogh's iconic brush strokes!

A figurine of the artist himself

"I couldn't help but wonder what the full painting would look like with this build style. I kept building and modifying, and eventually created the model you see in the project."

There are over 1,500 pieces for this particular Lego set and the company teamed up with the Museum of Modern Art -- which houses the original art work -- to produce the set, which retails for US$159.99.

One wonders what royalties Cheng will get!

But in the meantime it just shows how playing can get those creative juices going!