Beijing Diabolo Museum

You can see people playing with diabolos in public parks.

Also on display is a collection of the sticks used to control the diabolos. Initially, both the spools and the sticks of the Chinese diabolo were made of bamboo, but now they come in a variety of materials such as plastic, wood, and rubber.

My favorite set of diabolos comes as a Chinese Chess board, the individual diabolos being the chess pieces which can be moved around.

According to the experts, there are now about 1,000 ways of playing with one of these devices. Not only can you create difficult tricks with them, but in circuses they are also combined with elegant dancing, while the performers kick shuttlecocks, ride bikes, roller-skate, or take part in many other activities at the same time.