Gold Packaging Design · 2026
Chuehfeng Hami Melon Wine Liquor Packaging
by Yisong Hu
- A' Design Award 2026 Gold Winner in Packaging Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Shijiazhuang Xianxing Brand Design Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 4,162,958
- Verification code 706192BC5C · Verify this award
About Chuehfeng Hami Melon Wine Liquor Packaging
Chuehfeng Hami melon wine's packaging blends the regional culture of Hami City in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with a strong sense of product value, reflecting the Silk Road's heritage. It transforms the local specialty into a Frontier Wine symbolizing Silk Road culture, using eco friendly materials and an innovative bottle cap that doubles as an incense holder. Smart labeling technology merges tradition with modern innovation, delivering a high quality, multifunctional packaging design.
Mysterious Designer's Chuehfeng Hami Melon Wine Liquor Packaging represents a remarkable synthesis of cultural heritage and contemporary luxury packaging design, demonstrating how traditional visual vocabularies may be thoughtfully reinterpreted for modern commercial contexts while maintaining profound respect for historical artistic traditions. The vessel's distinctive bipartite construction juxtaposes two contrasting material treatments—translucent amber glass suggesting the luminous flesh of the celebrated melon variety and a hammered metallic base evoking the precious metalwork of historic craft traditions—creating a visual dialogue between organic abundance and refined artifice. The celestial figures floating across the upper register draw unmistakably upon the elegant linear style of ancient mural paintings, their elongated forms, flowing ribbons, and graceful poses suggesting the apsaras or flying celestial beings that populate religious and palatial decorative programs across multiple cultural traditions. This iconographic choice positions the product within a framework of cultural continuity, suggesting that the act of enjoying this contemporary spirit participates in aesthetic and sensory traditions extending across centuries. The extraordinary horizontal element crowning the vessel—bearing its miniature bronze caravan complete with camels and handlers—functions as both decorative flourish and narrative device, evoking the historic trade routes along which precious goods, cultural practices, and artistic traditions traveled, enriching civilizations through exchange and encounter. The calligraphic brand identity, rendered with evident brush mastery, anchors the design in the venerable tradition of the written character as visual art, each stroke carrying the energy and intention of its maker. The undulating line suggesting distant mountain ranges creates a poetic transition between the vessel's upper and lower registers while evoking the dramatic landscapes from which this agricultural product originates. One might observe how the overall warm palette—ranging from pale honey through rich amber to burnished bronze—creates an atmosphere of warmth, celebration, and sensory pleasure appropriate to the ceremonial consumption contexts this premium packaging suggests. How might the interplay between ancient imagery and contemporary form invite reflection upon the continuities connecting past and present?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- It transforms the local specialty into a "Frontier Wine" symbolizing Silk Road culture, using eco-friendly materials and an innovative bottle cap that doubles as an incense holder. Smart labeling technology merges tradition with modern innovation, delivering a high-quality, multifunctional packaging design.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 170 mm x 170 mm x 50 mm
RFID smart tags
Asymmetrical box design
Distinctive bottle cap - Tags
- CHUEHFENG Hami melon wine, Yisong Hu
- Production Technology
- Embedded RFID smart tags, powered by advanced sensing technology, let users scan with their phone or device to access a dedicated product page with details like product ID, price, manufacturer, and origin. This helps users dive into the Silk Road history, cultural meaning of the packaging design, and the product’s story. Blending digital and interactive features boosts transparency, enhances user experience, and strengthens product interactivity.
- Project Duration
- The distinctive bottle cap design gives the bottle a striking identity and memorability, drawing inspiration from the ceremonial crown worn by emperors in China’s Han Dynasty. It incorporates a “scroll” element, vividly capturing the cultural imagery of the Silk Road. Once opened, the cap can be repurposed as an incense holder, seamlessly blending into various home settings while combining aesthetics with functionality.
- Operation Flow
- The unique asymmetrical box design, paired with a mechanism that slowly raises the wine bottle, breaks from traditional packaging with distinctive, highly recognizable style. The unboxing process feels ceremonial and surprising, creating a visually striking impression and enhancing the user’s emotional experience. The slow-rising mechanism minimizes impact during opening, reducing the risk of damage. As the box opens, the outer white casing, resembling the rising sun over the Tianshan Mountains, complements the bottle’s design, evoking the imagery of a desert sunset, seamlessly blending packaging with regional culture.
- Inspiration
- This packaging design draws inspiration from Silk Road culture and Hami City's regional characteristics. It features a unique opening mechanism with eco-friendly materials and a bottle cap that doubles as an incense holder. Smart RFID tags provide interactive user experiences and cultural insights. This innovative design blends tradition with technology, enhancing the cultural value of regional products while promoting sustainability and user engagement.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Yisong Hu
Image #2: Yisong Hu
Image #3: Yisong Hu
Image #4: Yisong Hu
Image #5: Yisong Hu
Colors of Chuehfeng Hami Melon Wine Liquor Packaging
Design Interview about Chuehfeng Hami Melon Wine Liquor Packaging
The design is inspired by the Silk Road culture and the regional identity of Hami, Xinjiang. The main principle is to transform a local specialty wine into a cultural symbol — a "Frontier Wine" that tells the story of the Silk Road. Inspiration came from traditional Central Asian flat flasks, Han Dynasty ceremonial crowns, and the visual contrast of the Tianshan sunrise and desert sunset.
My main focus was to create a memorable unboxing experience that combines cultural storytelling with sustainability and smart technology. I wanted to achieve a design that not only looks beautiful but also educates users about Silk Road history, reduces environmental impact, and offers added value through a reusable cap and RFID interaction.
I plan to produce it for the premium liquor market, targeting cultural tourism and gift sectors. I also hope to develop a limited edition series with different regional Silk Road stories and collaborate with museums for co-branded packaging.
From project research and concept design to prototyping and testing, it took about one year in total. Just the preliminary field research trip to Xinjiang to study the Silk Road heritage took one month alone.
This was a commissioned project from a liquor brand that wanted to upgrade its product from a local specialty to a cultural icon. I decided to pursue the Silk Road theme because the client’s origin in Hami lies directly on the ancient Silk Road route.
The design is currently being considered for production by the client brand. I do not plan to produce it myself or sell the rights independently.
My deep interest in Silk Road culture and Xinjiang‘s regional heritage.
I was influenced by traditional Central Asian flat flasks seen in museum collections. The reusable cap idea came from observing how traditional Chinese incense holders work.
Middle to high-end consumers who appreciate cultural storytelling, premium craftsmanship, and sustainable design. Also suitable as a gift for tourists visiting Xinjiang or for collectors of Silk Road memorabilia.
The combination of a slow-rise opening mechanism, a bottle cap that turns into an incense holder, and an RFID tag that reveals cultural content. No other wine package on the market integrates all three features.
I named this packaging design "Pearl of the Western Regions". The design resembles the sun slowly rising over the Tianshan Mountains.
Adobe Illustrator for vector graphics, C4D for rendering, and physical prototyping tools for the box structure and opening mechanism.
The bottle cap that transforms into an incense holder, seamlessly blending cultural ritual with everyday functionality. This gives the package a second life beyond its original use.
I collaborated with a structural engineer for the slow-rise mechanism and an RFID specialist for the tag integration. The client’s internal team also provided feedback on cultural accuracy.
RFID technology enables interactive storytelling, allowing users to access historical and product information with a simple scan. It bridges the physical package and digital content.
Yes, I conducted field research in Hami, including interviews with local producers and tourists. I also analyzed consumer preferences for unboxing experiences and sustainable materials.
The biggest challenge was engineering the slow-rise mechanism to work smoothly within a small box while keeping costs reasonable.
After positive feedback from early prototypes, I believed the design’s unique combination of culture, sustainability, and technology deserved international recognition. The A‘ Design Award was a natural choice because of its focus on meaningful design.
I learned how to better integrate smart technology into packaging without compromising aesthetics. I also improved my skills in working with structural engineers and managing multiple iterations efficiently.
I want to emphasize that this design is not just a package — it is a cultural ambassador. Every element, from the rising sun imagery to the reusable cap, is meant to create an emotional connection between the user and the Silk Road’s living heritage.
Grand Interview about Chuehfeng Hami Melon Wine Liquor Packaging
The idea of giving the bottle cap a second life came from a simple observation: most premium liquor bottles are discarded after use. That felt like a missed opportunity. I wanted to create something that would stay with the user long after the wine was finished. The Han Dynasty crown was chosen for its ritual significance, and the scroll element keeps the Silk Road narrative alive. In ancient China, scholars and poets would light incense while drinking and composing verses — it was a way to set the mood and elevate the spirit. That cultural practice inspired me to give the cap an incense-holder function. The real challenge was balancing symbolism with practicality — making it feel natural rather than forced. I‘m glad we found that balance, so the historical reference feels purposeful, not decorative.
The RFID tag is an invitation, not a lecture. For people outside Xinjiang, the region can feel abstract. The digital layer lets them explore on their own terms — a quick scan for context, deeper dives into stories about craftspeople and history. I wanted the interaction to feel personal, not like a museum guide. The packaging becomes a bridge, not a barrier.
Sustainability pushed us toward better decisions. The recycled paper‘s texture gave the box a warmth that glossy materials couldn’t match. We cut the glass weight by 15%, lowering carbon without losing strength. A plant-based coating protected the box and added a subtle matte finish. These weren‘t compromises — they were discoveries. Ecology opened doors we didn’t know existed.
This award shows that packaging can be more than protection — it can tell stories and carry values. Regional products often struggle globally because they lack a visual language that connects. This design proves that cultural research, sustainability, and technology can make even a niche product resonate across borders. Luxury doesn‘t need excess — restraint, when intentional, can be just as powerful. I hope this encourages designers to see heritage as an advantage, not a limitation.
Technically, the slow-rise mechanism and asymmetrical box weren‘t the hardest part. The real challenge was finding a form that fits the product’s positioning, adds genuine value, and offers a distinctive experience — one that feels just right for the user. It‘s not about complexity for its own sake. It’s about hitting that sweet spot where innovation meets what‘s right for the product. We explored many directions before settling on this one. The difficulty wasn’t engineering — it was judgment. Knowing when a design is “enough” is harder than making it work mechanically.
I made three trips to Xinjiang for this project, spending nearly a month along the Silk Road researching products, markets, and regional culture. The flying celestial figure on the bottle came from the murals of the Kizil Caves. The decorative patterns on the bottle and cap were extracted from artifacts at the Xinjiang Museum. And the opening mechanism was inspired by the sunrise I witnessed at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains — the sun rising like a giant Hami melon over the snow-capped peaks. That image stayed with me and became the core of the design language.
This project confirmed that every region has design potential waiting to be uncovered. I plan to apply the same method — cultural research, material testing, tech integration — to other Chinese regional products. As RFID and sustainable materials become more accessible, small producers can compete on their stories, not price. The designer‘s job is to curate those stories with honesty and restraint.
I’d rather leave this question open. Not every dimension of a design needs to be fully articulated at the moment of completion. Some aspects only reveal themselves through use, through time, through how people actually encounter the work. I trust the design to speak for itself in ways I may not yet fully grasp. I‘m still discovering what this project has to offer.
The distillery is located right at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Every morning, I would watch the sun rise — a giant Hami melon, it seemed, rising above the snow-capped peaks. That daily spectacle stayed with me. It became the emotional core of the packaging‘s opening form. The slow-rise mechanism is my attempt to recreate that moment — the quiet awe of witnessing something vast and beautiful emerge from the mountain. It’s not just about opening a bottle. It‘s about recreating an experience I had every morning in Xinjiang.
Every element in this design is a story point. The sunrise mechanism — that’s morning in Xinjiang. The asymmetrical box — that‘s the shifting dunes. The scroll on the cap — that’s the manuscripts carried by travelers. The colors — that‘s the land itself. The crown — that’s the respect for ritual and tradition. I didn‘t set out to create a “cultural” design. I set out to create an honest one — one that reflects what I saw, felt, and learned in Xinjiang. The design works because it’s built on observation, not assumption.