Beijing's Pastimes of Yesteryear - The Charm of Beijing Series

Apart from the obvious example of Beijing Opera, the Chinese capital is home to a multitude of traditional toys, games, handicrafts and pastimes which, even today, bear witness to its cultural vibrancy. Amongst these are: snuffbox collecting, kongzhu (Chinese Yoyo), yanghua (slapping the card), layangpian (peephole theatre), the mud man, the mud whistle, the china doll, hand puppet shows, the cloth tiger. . ., all these toys, games and pastimes were closely interwoven into the daily lives of old-time Beijingers, epitomizing the city's culture, and even now bring back memories of those times.