Looking for something more meaningful than a typical Beijing souvenir?
Meet Tu’er Ye (兔儿爷), or the Lord Rabbit — one of the most recognizable folk icons of old Beijing. Traditionally made from clay and brightly painted, these rabbit figures have long been connected with Beijing’s Mid-Autumn Festival traditions.
Today, you can not only learn the story behind Tu’er Ye, but also paint one yourself and take your handmade Beijing souvenir home.
What Is Tu’er Ye?
Tu’er Ye literally means “Lord Rabbit.”
With a rabbit’s head, human clothing and colorful traditional decorations, this unusual clay figure has been part of Beijing folk culture for generations.
In old Beijing, Tu’er Ye figures were especially popular around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Families would buy them from local markets, and over time the Lord Rabbit became one of the city’s most distinctive folk symbols.
Make Your Own Beijing Souvenir
The best part is that this tradition does not have to stay behind a museum display.
Today, visitors can experience the craft themselves by painting and decorating their own Tu’er Ye.
Choose your colors, add the details you like, and create something completely personal.
Instead of buying another mass-produced souvenir, you leave Beijing with something you actually made with your own hands — and a small story from old Beijing to go with it.
For families, children, or anyone interested in traditional Chinese culture, it is a simple but memorable way to experience a different side of the city.
A Little Piece of Old Beijing to Take Home
eijing’s cultural heritage is not only something to look at.
Sometimes, the best way to understand it is to sit down, pick up a brush, and make something yourself.
And this time, your Beijing souvenir might be a colorful little Lord Rabbit made by you.
