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, decorative lanterns, kites, potpourri, cricket fighting, the paper ball, colored glass trumpets, the rattle-drum, top spinning, windmills, the blown candy man, candy pictures, straw braiding.., 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.
