Glittering, translucent flying fairies, or beauties with shining kites, these handicrafts are not made from precious jade, ivory or coral. They are made from an edible material- common dough. Making art from dough can be dated back to the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220). Dough sculptures became a part of Chinese culture and folk arts, and also objects for study in history, archeology, folk arts, sculpture and aesthetics. It is popular at Beijing and Tianjin cities. People used to have it for prayer and memorial ceremonies and sacrificial offerings, and nowadays it is favored for wedding and birthday gifts, appear among dishes on high-grade banquets to beautify and decorate the dishes, also appear among dishes on high-grade banquets to beautify and decorate the dishes.

In the hands of the folk artists, this myth is repeated over and over as the otherwise worthless clay is molded into fascinating sculptures via kneading, basking, coloring and baking. Materials and tools used in making dough sculptures mainly include white flour, scissors, a kitchen knife, comb, Chinese dates and Bunge prickly ash. With well-leavened dough, kneaded according to the set pattern, one can produce a vivid dough sculpture.

During the process, there are three tips for making the perfect dough sculpture. First, the honey, lard, powdered sugar and refined powder are made soluble by adding boiling water, then all is mixed in together with the flour. Edible pigments to form pastes of different colors are added during this stage. Second, the pastes are steamed for two to three minutes. Care is taken not to cook them for too long as they can become lusterless. Third, some oil is smeared on the dough sculptures with a brush to make them gleam and more vivid.