Bannerman Tang's Toys and Crafts (Shengtang Xuan)

Guo Zi Jian Jie, Dongcheng Qu (just west of Kong Miao, on the south side of the street) Phone: 010/8404-7179

About

A world away from the baubles produced in the sweatshops of Shenzhen, this tiny shop offers delightful handcrafted toys. It's run by fifth-generation toymaker Tang Yujie and stocked with a delightful collection of figurines, paper lanterns, and other childish delights made from wood, clay, paper, and cloth. Toys depict scenes from old Beijing the street barber, the fortune teller, and old men playing chess. Beijing opera figurines betray influences from Japanese manga.