The body of the mug features a winged white tiger and a bald eagle. In this vivid illustration, the tiger represents modern China-"powerful with inviolable dignity, its possession of wings signifies that it is getting stronger and that the Year of the Tiger is a year when China will soar to new heights", Shi says.

Additionally, the bald eagle can be seen as a metaphor for the ongoing pandemic. The Chinese people banded together and with incredible strength and faith, battled tirelessly against the pandemic, eventually enabling China to control it, he says.

For the last offering of his zodiac mug series, Shi incorporated the "oolong weave"－one of his most iconic design elements－into the design, particularly the lid. There are several major reasons, Shi says, behind the great significance of the "oolong weave".