Experience: I built a house of cards 50 storeys high

Oct 16, 2023

I’ve made replicas of buildings across the world, like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben

I am 37 years old and live in Qingdao, China. I started studying magic as a teenager and worked as a magician as an adult. I mainly did tricks using cards, coins and everyday objects. In 2015, I was making magic props with a glass plate when it shattered. I fractured my little finger on my right hand, and the tendon on my index finger was severed. I lost dexterity in that hand and realised that my career as a magician could not continue.

That's when I started stacking cards, without glue, tape or tools, as therapy to recover movement in my hand. Even now my index and little finger can only bend halfway. At first this was just a way to rehabilitate my hand – but as time passed, I fell in love with it.

I love imagining a structure before I get to work. The quality of the end result depends on these early stages. It's like meditating. When it comes to stacking cards, the order to put them in, how much weight they can bear and the stability of the structure all follow rules. It's like building a house. I’ve learned the rules after thousands of failures.

The most important skills are coordination, patience and keeping calm. I haven't met anyone else who practises card architecture in China – it's a niche interest. I learned the basic skills after coming across YouTube videos by the American architect and professional card stacker Bryan Berg. I bought his book, and he has become one of my heroes. I was shocked when I first saw his work; I never thought I could do something so cool.

At first I practised in my bedroom. As the buildings I constructed became bigger and taller, I moved to a new house, where I also use a ladder. My new place is far from the hustle and bustle of the city, which helps me quieten my mind and focus on my work.

I’ve made replicas of buildings from all over the world, including the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, the Eiffel Tower and the Forbidden City in China. Also Big Ben, which took 18 hours and 10,000 cards. The architectural styles of each country are different, so I’ve learned a lot about these structures over the years.

I’ve also created my own designs, some based on fictional buildings, such as a castle in the movie Frozen, which took 40 hours and 12,000 cards, as well as some from video games.

I prefer to be alone, I’m not married and don't socialise much. Perhaps because of that, I don't have to care about other people's views – I can stick to my own interests and ideas, and keep going. I’m content when I’m building with cards in the company of my two cats every day. At first the cats were curious and often caused mischief. But the sound of falling cards scared them. Now they’ve settled down and don't dare make any trouble. They watch me silently while I work.

Currently, I cannot rely on my card stacking to make a living, and I don't want to. Maybe my passion for it will be lost if it becomes commercialised. For now, my living expenses are covered by my savings from my work as a magician. I’m not wealthy, but I have no problem supporting myself.

I enjoy my work. Constructing buildings keeps me composed and lets me reflect on many things. Besides cards, I’m learning how to shoot and edit videos on social media.

Last year, I built the tallest house of cards in an hour, which took just under 42 minutes. Then I built the tallest house of cards in 12 hours. It was 3.37m tall, with 50 storeys, and took just over five hours. The former 12-hour record holder was none other than Bryan Berg, who completed a 48-storey house of cards at 3.26m tall in 2016. He built that house on a fully loaded, running washing machine.

But I’m most satisfied when I knock a structure down. It motivates me to produce better work. My motto is: don't settle for achieving something once – keep seeking new challenges.

In the future, I plan to build the tallest house of cards in the world. For now, I show my work online and am encouraged by my 200,000 followers on social media, who give me support. Card stacking brings me infinite joy and lets me constantly challenge myself. I also hope my creations can bring a sense of joy and surprise to more and more people.

As told to Anna Derrig

Do you have an experience to share? Email [email protected]