Toy Story

Toy

s with a Made-in-China provenance aren't always cheap, mass-produced bits of plastic. In Beijing, a smattering of artisans is keeping the age-old traditions of handcrafted toys alive, and their intricately painted kites, colorful cloth animals and hand-painted clay figures are more than mere objects for children's entertainment—they also showcase delightful aspects of China's enduring folk culture.

Four years ago, a friend showed Liang Daxing a photograph of a traditional cloth pillow fashioned into a toy tiger. The image stirred Liang's memories of his time in China's barren, dirt-poor Northeast, where he was packed off for re-education during the terrible years of the Cultural Revolution. A master tailor, Liang, 59, was due to retire until he saw the photograph. It inspired him to hold onto his needle and thread, and delve into the old craft of making toys from spare cuts of fabric. Today, he sells the fruits of his labors from a cubbyhole-sized store just across from the Confucius Temple in Beijing's historic Dongcheng district.

Unlike the simple, machine-made playthings on display at Beijing's overrated Panjiayuan Market, Liang's creatures are expertly fashioned, intricate designs that are very much one-of-a-kind. "It used to be only foreigners who were interested in buying these toys," the former tailor says. "But I've had many more Chinese customers in recent years, such as young couples who want to celebrate the birth of a child." In what is fast becoming another Beijing tradition, Liang's shop will soon be cleared to make way for a new development. But after that happens, he will remain available to make tigers on request. Just give him a call at (86-136) 8351 4421—but make sure you ask a Mandarin-speaking friend to help you translate.

Just down the street, at 38 Guozijian, is the family-run Shengtangxuan, tel: (86-10) 8404 7179. This dusty, cramped store has a small collection of minute, elaborate cloth and paper kites, and Beijing opera masks. But its prime claim to fame is Manchurian clay toys. The Tang family has five generations of toy making behind it, and members still faithfully use the same methods as their Manchu ancestors. Among the collectibles are wobbly headed lions (complete with fluffy manes) and figurines of a rabbit god worshiped in Beijing since the Ming dynasty. The little ones will adore them, but adults will find them hard to resist too—craftsmanship this good belongs on a living-room shelf as well as in the nursery.