Do you remember the LEGO Spring Festival Auspicious Dragon set? It looks great, right? Of course, it does. Well, that’s until you see what LEGO fan Donny Chen has created. Donny Chen, also known by his Instagram handle @sleepydonnychen, has built a golden dragon for the Year of the Dragon that feels more like an actual sculpture than a brick-built masterpiece.
The journey of creating this intricate piece began a year ago, after Brickvention 2023, with Chen dedicating intermittent periods to its development. However, it was only about a month ago that the actual construction phase kicked off, resulting in the masterpiece you see here. Donny didn’t name it, but let’s call it the Golden Dragon since that’s what it is.
What’s remarkable about this build is its sheer size and ability to extend (yes, really!); it’s also how it was engineered to hold together without strings, wires, glue, or flexible tubes. Every part is clicked together in the good old LEGO way.
When fully extended, this brick-built sculpture of the mythical creature stretches an impressive 2 meters (6.6 feet) long. I’m sure by now you’ve noticed the intricate scales covering every inch of its body; these scales are created using around 1,300 2×4 oval tiles. But the oval tiles are just a fraction of the entire build, which comprises 6,500 to 7,000 LEGO pieces.
Obviously, it’s not for sale, but you may be able to catch it in person if you head to Brickvention 2024. This premier Australian LEGO fan convention is happening from January 20-21, 2024, at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Images: Instagram (@ sleepydonnychen).
