In the street memories of old Beijing, sugar blowing stands out as an intangible heritage treasure, carrying children’s laughter and festival atmosphere with its vivid charm of “a spoonful of syrup, a pinch and a blow, a shape with a rhyme”. This 300-year-old craft uses maltose as material, relying on the craftsman’s finger strength and breath to shape hot syrup into birds, beasts and mythical figures. It not only emits sweetness in temple fair streets but also precipitates the fireworks of Beijing-style urban life in the inheritance from generation to generation. For foreign travelers, exploring sugar blowing is an excellent way to immerse themselves in old Beijing’s folk customs and the craftsmanship of “expressing fun through shapes and conveying emotions through sugar”.
The inheritance of Beijing sugar blowing is deeply rooted in the urban cultural soil since the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a history of over 300 years. Tracing back to the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the craft was first introduced to the capital from Hebei, Henan and other places. With its characteristics of “instant shaping and great fun”, it quickly became popular in the market, becoming the most popular folk toy among children at temple fairs and markets. From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, sugar blowing reached its peak. Craftsmen set up stalls to make a living in lively places such as Changdian, Longfusi and Qianmen Street, holding a syrup spoon in one hand and a sugar blank in the other. A simple blow and pinch would turn the syrup into an interesting object. The laughter of surrounding children and the sweetness of syrup intertwined, forming the most vivid urban picture of old Beijing.
At that time, the craft was mostly inherited through “master-apprentice teaching and oral instruction”, with no written technical classics, relying entirely on the craftsman’s experience and feel. Many classic shapes and techniques precipitated into industry consensus over the years. With the changes of times, mass-produced snacks and modern toys once pushed handcrafted sugar blowing to the verge of extinction. Fortunately, intangible heritage inheritors and folk custom lovers persisted. In 2008, sugar blowing was included in the second batch of national intangible heritage lists, receiving official protection and promotion. Today, craftsmen represented by national inheritor Liu Yongzhou not only adhere to ancient techniques but also innovate communication forms, bringing sugar blowing into campuses, intangible heritage exhibition halls, and even showing the stunt of “shaping in one second” through short video platforms, making this ancient craft popular in the contemporary era and reborn as a cultural link connecting old Beijing memories with the new era.
The unique charm of sugar blowing lies in the contrasting beauty of “simple materials and exquisite techniques”. A simple spoonful of syrup can be transformed into thousands of shapes through the skilled hands of craftsmen. The whole process is completed by hand, testing the craftsman’s precise control of temperature, strength and breath. The core procedures include three links: boiling sugar, shaping and cooling, with hidden mysteries in each step. Boiling sugar is the foundation: maltose and water are mixed in proportion, slowly boiled on low heat until transparent and moderately thick. Overheating will make the syrup bitter and easy to crack, while insufficient heating makes it difficult to shape. Craftsmen can judge whether it is up to standard only by observing the flow rate and color of the syrup with the naked eye, a skill honed over decades.
Shaping is the core of the craft, hiding the ingenuity of “combining blowing and pinching in one go”. The craftsman scoops up the hot syrup, quickly rubs it into a sugar blank on a stone slab, pinches out a reserved blowing hole, then presses, twists and stretches it with his fingers, while gently blowing into the hole to expand the sugar blank into shape. During this period, he needs to constantly adjust his hand gestures and blowing strength to ensure symmetrical shape and smooth lines. The classic “Twelve Chinese Zodiac” shapes can be completed in just tens of seconds: pinch the dragon’s head, blow up the dragon’s body, pull out the dragon’s tail, then trim the dragon’s whiskers and scales with small scissors, and a vivid sugar dragon appears in the palm. Some craftsmen also adorn the shapes with colored syrup to make the finished products more vivid. After cooling and setting, a sugar blowing work that can be enjoyed and tasted is completed, combining artistry and fun.
Sugar blowing is not only a combination of craftsmanship and fun but also hides the folk meanings and cultural codes of old Beijing. Classic shapes are mostly taken from mythological stories and auspicious symbols, carrying people’s wishes for a better life: dragon shapes symbolize “prosperity and good luck”, phoenix represents “wealth, auspiciousness and pairing”, rabbit implies “health, peace and cleverness”, and the “Monkey King” shape embodies praise for the spirit of bravery and fearlessness. In traditional customs, when elders buy sugar blowing for children, they not only give them sweetness but also entrust wishes for “peace, smoothness and cleverness”. This warmth hidden in the sugar strands makes sugar blowing more than a snack or toy, becoming an important part of folk rituals.
Today, Beijing sugar blowing is revitalized through persistence and innovation. As a core inheritance base, Liu Yongzhou’s Studio not only retains classic shapes such as “Twelve Chinese Zodiac” and “mythical figures” but also innovates cartoon images, Winter Olympics mascots and other styles to meet the preferences of different tourists. Craftsmen also launch interactive experience projects, allowing visitors to try simple shaping under guidance and personally feel the fun of sugar blowing. Meanwhile, during festivals such as Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, the sugar blowing stalls at Changdian Temple Fair and Longtan Temple Fair are still crowded. Craftsmen perform stunts on site, and the sweet fragrance lingers, allowing the century-old craft to continue in the fireworks.
To experience the Beijing-style charm of sugar blowing immersively, top venues are not to be missed. Changdian Temple Fair is the first choice to experience sugar blowing culture. Every Spring Festival, sugar blowing stalls in the intangible heritage folk street appear alongside paper cutting, monkey hair crafts and other skills. Craftsmen demonstrate the stunt of “shaping the universe with a spoonful of syrup” on site. Visitors can customize exclusive shapes and taste the sweet folk flavor. Liu Yongzhou’s Studio (next to Xicheng District Intangible Heritage Exhibition Center) offers appointments for in-depth experiences, where visitors can learn basic techniques of boiling sugar and shaping under craftsmen’s guidance and make simple sugar blowing by hand. In intangible heritage cultural and creative stores on Qianmen Street and Nanluoguxiang, there are also craftsmen resident performing, allowing visitors to watch the craft and buy finished products as souvenirs. In addition, Beijing Folk Custom Museum displays traditional sugar blowing tools and restored classic shapes, enabling a systematic understanding of the craft’s evolution.
From street stalls in the Qing Dynasty to contemporary intangible heritage exhibition halls, from sweet toys in children’s hands to intangible heritage treasures carrying cultural memories, Beijing sugar blowing carries not only a sugar art craft but also the urban customs and craftsmanship spirit of old Beijing. Each spoonful of syrup hides the sweet fragrance of time, each blow and pinch reflects the craftsman’s persistence, and each work conveys timeless childlike fun. When you take a warm sugar blowing work and taste the sweet taste, you can understand Beijingers’ love for life and feel the Beijing-style heritage hidden between fingers and sugar strands.
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