Making sugar figures is an old profession in Beijing. They making artistical figures from melting suger. Sugar figure makers stroll from street to street with shoulder poles, carrying a cupboard on each side. One of the cupboards held charcoal and was the sugar figure makers' seat. The other one carried tools, a charcoal stove with a cuprum spoon full of maltose in the centre. On top of it were models of different kinds of sugar figures on straws. Wherever the sugar maker shows it always attract lots of kids who followed the sugar figure maker around.

Design and flavours can be selected to your preference. All the designs are pure hand made. First, the maker takes a little maltose with a small spoon, and then nips the soft maltose by hands, plugs it into a wheat straw pole, blowing gently, using his hands to form a figure. . Soon, the soft maltose turns into a striking creature.

Sugar figures make vivid toys for the kids, but for adults, they are pieces of edible artwork that carry memories of childhood.