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Recently, a 90-year-old craftsman who has been making Beijing's ancient toys all his life, has opened a shop to sell his works and those of his contemporaries.
This is the only shop in town dedicated to old Beijing toys.
Displayed in the 12-sqm shops near Guozijian are a full array of marvellous old Beijing toys, unique arts and crafts that are rarely seen in other stores or temple fairs.
Tang Qiliang, the craftsman and the owner of the shop, has made his name for making cloth toys since early last century.
However, China's two-decade drive toward global integration has unleashed rapid-fire changes here: Chinese youths drink Coca-Cola while watching Star Wars or surfing the Web, and a generation gap separates them from their grandparents.
Mickey Mouse and Sony PlayStations have taken over Chinese toy stores.
To save and preserve Beijing's folk toys and other remnants of Beijing's cultural past, Tang, with the help of his daughter and some of his contemporaries, opened the shop called Shengtang Xuan which means "Studio of Prosperous Tang Dynasty."
Expect to find Peking Opera masks, giant pinwheels, hand-inscribed paper balls, and other antique playthings that are likely to fall victim to the march of time and forces of globalization.
It is also interesting to hear Tang telling the stories behind each toy.
"The old toys have much to teach," he said.
For example, there is a box-like clay work featuring a Chinese traditional tea house where a group of inch-high hand-painted clay figures sit inside and talk while sipping tea.
"These tiny people represent Beijingers at the turn of the 19th century," Tang said.
"They have all faded from Beijing's streets, and now their replicas could completely fade from our memories as the last artisans who create these figures die," says Tang.
Location: 38 Guozijian Dajie, 50 metres west of Guozijian, Dongcheng District
Hours: 8 am-7 pm
Tel: 6400-2303
(Beijing Weekend January 23, 2003)
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