Wu Wuqiang has become a well-known figure at home and abroad because of a small toy — the rainbow spring.

Wu, from Maoming, a coastal city in the western part of Guangdong province, set a mark recognized by Guinness World Records with a rainbow spring performance in Milan, Italy, last year.

He was given a certificate by Guinness World Records for trapping the most glass bottles with a slinky in one minute.

Wu, 36, was invited to perform in Milan in March. Wearing a blindfold, he amazed his audience by using rainbow springs to trap more than 50 wine bottles in a minute.

He is now in talks with the organizers of an Italian talent show about participating in a world talent show.

Wu was also invited to Japan to perform on television programs four times between 2015 and 2017.

He has also performed at Chinatowns in the United States, and said he hopes to present his rainbow spring performances to more people around the world.

Wu has established training courses and has entered into a rainbow spring production partnership with a toy factory in Chenghai district of Shantou city in Guangdong that offers him dividends.

"I had never even left Guangdong province before," he said. "It's the rainbow spring that has made me famous at home and abroad and allowed me to have a more colorful life."

Wu had earlier had a difficult time after resigning from an air conditioning factory and returning to his hometown to start a business.

With around 100,000 yuan ($14,285) in savings from two years of work at the factory, he set up a barbecue shop, a wholesale clothing store and a fruit shop.

But Wu lost all his savings and ended up heavily in debt as his entrepreneurial efforts failed. He then set up a stall on a street in the city of Dongguan in Guangdong to make a living.

His fortunes turned around during Spring Festival in 2010, when he and a nephew visited a temple fair in his hometown and found a bustling rainbow spring stall.

Wu said he was immediately attracted when he saw his first rainbow spring performance, adding that it was like a living laser.

He asked the stall owner to teach him how to emulate the performance, thinking it could become a lucrative business.

Wu returned to Dongguan and started selling rainbow springs at his stall after Spring Festival.

To his surprise, he sold more than 800 yuan worth of rainbow springs in two hours, making a net profit of more than 500 yuan.

And his performances attracted many passersby.

Throughout 2010, Wu set up his stall at the entrances of shopping malls and schools in Dongguan to sell the toy and perform. From the money he earned, he quickly paid off debts totaling 30,000 yuan and bought his first car for 90,000 yuan.

Then, in 2011, Wu moved his stall to Liaoyuan, Jilin province, where he set a daily sales record of more than 40,000 yuan.

Wu became a household name in 2015 after he appeared on a talent show on China Central Television, and many companies and brands sought to sign him as an image representative.

He signed the cooperation agreement with a toy factory in Chenghai in 2019, and is now both a shareholder and a sales representative.

He has also extended his business to video platforms.

Wu said he has made many foreign friends by participating in international programs, and that will help him and the factory expand into international markets. He also met his wife during one of his rainbow spring performances, and they now have two children.

Chen Ziyuan contributed to this story.