Jigsaw Puzzle
2 min readChinese Knot
During the very early period of Chinese cultural development，the ancestors had worshiped the immortals.Rope，pronounced as‘Sheng’，shared a similar pronunciation with the word for gods（“Shen”in Chinese），and when written，it looked like a dragon，an auspicious animal in Chinese culture；knots，in Chinese‘jie’means vigor，harmony，and unification，Therefore，this unique Chinese knots artwork has been a popular gift for thousands of years and embodies best wishes.People wore it in thebeginning as a decorative addition to clothing，and later，used it to decorate their houses.Though the weaving techniques are complicated，ropes，in hands of a deftcraftsman appear effortless moving the shuttle in between the rows of ropes.A Chinese knot is usually symmetrical in structure and colorful with jade or porcelain beads.This no doubt adds more jubilation to any festive atmosphere.
Toys for Practical Use
Besides being for play，folk toys can also be of practical use，as part of finery，bedding and foodstuff.Children love animal-shaped pillows or hats.Today，the mascot of 0lympic Games 2008 in Beijing is the lovely panda hat to numerous zealots.For the foodstuff，flour’s plasticity helps people’s imagination come true.In Shanxi Province，people are still experts at steaming flour figures.Suppose how pleasant they will be when seeing vivid edible flour rabbits and pigs！
Jigsaw Puzzle
For Chinese who attach a great importance to the development of children’s wisdom，jigsaw puzzle（“Qiqiaoban”）might be the most ideal choice.Composed of 7pieces in a certain shape，this toy requires one’s brain exertion to join those pieces into a given pattern without leaving any gaps.The puzzle ring is anotherwell-known game.It is said to originate from the Warring States Period（476-221 BC）.Appearing to be one of the most incomprehensible games in the human history，it even aroused the attention of Western mathematicians.To separate the nine rings which are buckled together or to join separated nine rings together is quite intricate indeed.
