🍭 Tanghulu Man — The Sweet Memory of Old Beijing

《 Old Beijing Retrospective Collection 210 | 旧京返照集 210 》

❄️ A Sweet Spark in the Winter Air

On a crisp Beijing winter afternoon, when the air smells of roasted chestnuts and charcoal fires, a bright red glimmer catches the eye.
An old man pushes a wooden cart through the narrow lanes of the hutongs, his hands wrapped in wool gloves, his cart decorated with rows of shining sugar-coated berries that sparkle under the cold sunlight.

He calls out softly, and children come running.
This is the taste of nostalgia — Candied Hawthorn, or Bingtang Hulu (冰糖葫芦), one of Beijing’s most enduring folk traditions.

 

《 Hedda Morrison, c. 1933-1946, Part 2 | 赫达莫里逊 Hedda Morrison 约1933至1946年2 》

🍬 The Simplicity of Happiness

The snack is simple:
a wooden stick, a row of hawthorn berries, and a delicate coating of caramelized sugar that hardens into a glassy shell.
The first bite cracks like ice; the inside is tart, warm, and comforting — the perfect balance of sweet and sour, yin and yang.

In its simplicity lies a philosophy —
to find beauty in small joys, and sweetness even in the coldest days.

For generations, Bingtang Hulu has been a symbol of innocence, warmth, and togetherness.
It’s the flavor of waiting after school, of winter laughter, of red cheeks and sticky fingers.

 

《 Sheng Xishan, Beijing Dream Record – Local Customs and Traditions, p. 131. | 盛锡珊绘制 出自北京梦华录 市井风俗 131页 》

🧓 The Hawthorn Sellers of the Hutongs

In old Beijing, Bingtang Hulu sellers were a familiar sight.
Elderly men carried poles or small wooden carts adorned with dozens of crimson sticks, wrapped neatly in cellophane.
They walked slowly through the labyrinth of grey-bricked alleys, calling out in a sing-song voice that echoed between the walls.

People would gather around them — not only children, but parents, grandparents, and friends.
Buying a candied hawthorn wasn’t just about the snack; it was a moment of connection,
a tiny ritual that brightened the rhythm of daily life in the hutongs.

 

《 FangYan Painting, Carrying the Charm of the Ancient Capital and the Passing Years, p. 41. | 方砚绘制 载古都遗韵 流年市井 第41页 》

🍯 More Than a Treat — A Cultural Symbol

Though at first a street dessert, Bingtang Hulu became a cultural icon —
appearing in Chinese New Year fairs, temple markets, and festival parades.
Its bright red color represents prosperity, good fortune, and protection against evil spirits —
making it both a festive treat and a lucky charm.

Even today, during Lunar New Year, families gift or share these gleaming sticks as symbols of sweet beginnings and harmony.

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🧧 Tradition Meets Modern Taste

Modern versions now include strawberries, grapes, or even hawthorn paste,
but the original remains beloved — simple, pure, timeless.
In Beijing, you can still find them near Shichahai, Nanluoguxiang, and temple fairs, their glassy sugar shells catching the city’s light like tiny jewels.

As skyscrapers rise and neon replaces candlelight, the red of Bingtang Hulu still glows —
a reminder that sweetness, like memory, never fades.

🍭 Beijing Expression — Sweetness Preserved in Time

Our Beijing Expression collection captures this fleeting sweetness of daily life —
moments of flavor, laughter, and humanity sculpted into form.

The Candied Hawthorn piece freezes that exact instant —
an old vendor in motion, his cart of red berries shining like lanterns of joy.

Through clay, we preserve the warmth of street winters,
and the simple truth that even in life’s chill, there is always sweetness to be found.

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