Chengdu Children's Day at Dongjiao Memory, 20m Big Nailong

As the morning light of Children’s Day in Chengdu spilled over the red-brick factory buildings of Eastern Suburb Memory, a 20-meter-tall “Big Milk Dragon” puffed out its round belly and clumsily “stood up” amid the children’s delighted squeals. In an instant, photos flooded social media, and countless families made special trips just to catch a glimpse — and the creator of this city-scale fairy tale was us, 360 Inflatables.

When we took on this project, we were filled with both excitement and reverence. At 20 meters tall, it would be one of the tallest single-figure inflatables ever erected at Eastern Suburb Memory. More importantly, we had to capture the Milk Dragon’s signature adorably goofy charm: the slightly upturned corners of its mouth, those harmless little stubby arms, and the chubby belly that makes you just want to hug it. A hair’s breadth too little would make it look stiff; a hair’s breadth too much would make it look fake. Behind every single curve were dozens of painstaking iterations as our design team pored over the 3D models.

The real challenge began only when the blueprint left the screen and entered the workshop. To ensure it stood firm outdoors, we selected high-strength laminated PVC fabric and engineered a multi-chamber independent structure with a dual wind-resistant anchoring system. Even when a summer squall swept through, the giant would sway gently and calmly, as if it were actually breathing. For 72 hours straight, we carried out meticulous stitching, and every heat-sealed seam underwent rigorous tensile testing — because what we were safeguarding was not just the inflatable’s upright posture, but the safety and smiles of the thousands of children who would gaze up at it.

Late at night, we arrived for installation. As the first breath of air from the blower awakened the limp fabric, the Milk Dragon’s nose began to puff up bit by bit, its paws slowly plumped, and at last its entire face came vividly alive — in that moment, we knew it had truly come to life. On that Children’s Day morning, when the first wave of children shrieked and flung themselves toward its embrace, all our sweat turned into pure pride.

At 360 Inflatables, we don’t just make inflatables. We use 360-degree thoroughness and craftsmanship to blow two-dimensional dreams into reality, crafting moments of wonder and lasting, tender memories for the city. This summer, thanks to that flying Milk Dragon, we are reminded once again: a true childlike heart never deflates.