A centuries-old Chinese pastime of rolling walnuts in the palm is attracting renewed interest among young people and international audiences who appreciate a tradition that combines craftsmanship, patience, and collecting.
Italian content creator Carolina Di Condio recently shared her interpretation of wenwan walnuts on Chinese social media after seeing a Dior fashion show invitation featuring a pair of the ornamental nuts.
When she first encountered the tradition through her Chinese husband eight years ago, she wondered why anyone would play with walnuts instead of eating them.
"Just as a pair of walnuts gradually develops its own patina through years of handling and care, I believe that the value of beautiful things often lies in the time, craftsmanship, and attention invested in them," she said.
The practice flourished during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, when rolling and collecting walnuts became a popular pastime among scholars, nobles, and wealthy families. Prized for their distinctive shapes and intricate patterns, the walnuts gradually developed a shiny surface through years of handling.
In Laishui county, Hebei province, walnut dealer Wang Hongduo spent five years assembling a pair of rare nine-ridged walnuts, which won an award at a local competition in October. He later rejected an offer of 450,000 yuan ($67,553) for the pair.
Wang said more than 90 percent of customers in his high-end specialty walnut business were born in the 1990s or 2000s.
Among the younger enthusiasts is Song Yuxuan, 26, a finance industry employee who began playing with walnuts four years ago after seeing elderly men doing so in a park. "When I first started working, I hardly knew anyone. I started playing with walnuts around that time and found it helped me relax when work got stressful," he said.
Laishui's walnut industry supports 80,000 farming households and generates an annual output valued at more than 2.2 billion yuan, according to local authorities.
Xu Zhu contributed to this story.
