The game of Da Tuoluo is simply spinning a top using a whip. It has a long history among almost all the various ethnic Chinese groups.

In 1926, a top was excavated proving that the game existed 4,000 years ago!

A whip is used to spin the top which can be made of pottery, stone, wood or bamboo. While the tops used by children are small and often colorful, those used in competitions are quite different.

Tops for formal games usually weigh around 0.45 kilogram (0.99 pound) and the whips are at least 2 meters (6.56 feet) long. As you can guess it is difficult to handle these huge tops.

Top spinning was once a world wide popular street game for children. The cord of the whip is wound round the top that is placed on the ground of a smooth surface which may even be ice. The whip is pulled back causing the top to spin. It is kept spinning and the momentum increased with the aid of the whip.

In China this simple pastime has been developed into a competitive sport. Competition rules vary in many ways. In one, often referred to a 'Battling Tops', two players will cause their tops to collide in an effort to cause the opponent's top to fall - the one that stays spinning is the winner.

A variation is to get the top to spin over obstacles, a feat requiring great skill and concentration; again it is the player of the top that spins the longest that is the winner.