Spinning tops was a game for the elite of the Chinese court in ancient times. It was not until four to five hundred years ago that it became popular among the ordinary people. More recently, a rash of newly developed games and forms of entertainment caused top-spinning to fall into oblivion. Now, however, enthusiasts at Tachiin Taoyuan County in northern Taiwan have given new dimensions to the game which promise to bring it back into vogue. They have even organized competitions, displays and training classes to save the game from extinction.

History: The first top-like toys date from the Sung dynasty. Originally called chien chien, the game was played with a metal disc pierced by an iron spike. By the time of the Ming dynasty, the game was enormously popular with children. A nursery rhyme of these times which goes: "Spin the top while the willows grow, fly kites while they ripen and play with shuttlecocks when they wither," sums up the popularity of the game in the springtime.

People living in southern Kiangsu called the top di ling, or literally "earth spirit" because it was so popular, particularly in the springtime. Though there is no proof, it is said that the top was even used as a weapon in ancient times. The most traditional top consists of a piece of solid wood which can be kept going with a whip. Today, tops used by older children are made of wood or metal, while those for young children are made of plastic. Huge tops, weighing from five to 120 kilograms are a specialty in Tachi.

Visitors to Tachi are lured by its succulent dried bean curd, or the unworldly beauty of nearby Tzuhu.

By the time they leave, however, they are likely to be equally impressed with the top game as played by the town's specialists. Spectators gather in almost every street and alley to marvel at their skills. Silence is broken occasionally by whoops of delight and applause, or cries of disappointment as a top "sleeps," or falls.

To spread the popularity of the game to all sectors of the community and to all age groups, a club has been organized in Tachi. As its secretary general, Wang Mao-tien, said: "We hope people will be interested in this game in preference to such unproductive entertainment as mahjong and TV video games."

Today, classes are organized for the aged, women, youths and children. Participants gather every night in the square in front of the Fujen Temple to sharpen their skills, and whenever there is a contest, interested people come from every corner of the island to marvel at the pageant.

The popularity of the game in Tachi can be traced back more than 10 years. The central figure was a young man called Chien Wu-hsiung, who worked at a stone factory located near the Fujen Temple. During his tea break, he would sit idly on a stone slab looking blankly into the old streets during the shimmering heat of the day. One August afternoon, he saw several children playing with tops in the temple square, and the ideal came to him that adults could take up the game.

After asking his friends to make a five kilogram top for him, he practised setting it in motion every night at the Fujen Temple. When he failed, and almost injured himself, he told his friends he would buy a meal for the first person to set such a huge top in motion. Though the reward was meager, several people took up the challenge, and in the end, a carpenter name Wang Ming-hsiang was the first to succeed.

As more and more people learned the trick, the game became more and more popular among the Tachi villagers. In order to set even larger tops in motion, club members worked out new methods such as replacing the hemp rope with rubber cord. By this means, the weight of the top could be increased to 120 kilograms. All the tops are made of wood, some with iron spikes in the center, others without.

Su Shen-hsiung, one of the few to master the spinning of a 120 kg. top, described the techniques: "A good top spinner must have strong arms, otherwise he faces the danger of injury. Some times, instead of spinning the top, a player is spun by it.

[Picture Caption]

1. In addition to the succulent dried bean curd, visitors to Tachi are impressed with the top spinning game as played by the town's specialists. To spread the popularity of the game to all sectors of the community and to all age groups, a club has been organized in Tachi. Every night, interested people gather around the Fujen Temple square to practice. 2&3. In the past, tops were fist-sized. Today, huge tops, weighing from five to 120 kilograms are a specialty in Tachi. 4. These experts at the game are seen winding hemp ropes around a top.

1. To set a huge top in motion needs good control techniques and stamina . As a result, spinning the top is a good entertainment and an interesting sport. 2. These huge tops are made of hardwood. The one marked with four big Chinese characters meaning "to turn for the better" is the largest at 120 kg. 3. Tops with iron spikes in the center are easier to wind and more pleasing to the eye.

In the past, tops were fist-sized. Today, huge tops, weighing from five to 120 kilograms are a specialty in Tachi.

In the past, tops were fist-sized. Today, huge tops, weighing from five to 120 kilograms are a specialty in Tachi.

These experts at the game are seen winding hemp ropes around a top.

To set a huge top in motion needs good control techniques and stamina . As a result, spinning the top is a good entertainment and an interesting sport.

These huge tops are made of hardwood. The one marked with four big Chinese characters meaning "to turn for the better" is the largest at 120 kg.

Tops with iron spikes in the center are easier to wind and more pleasing to the eye.