This game involves spinning a top using a whip. In 1926, a top was excavated providing evidence that the game existed over 4,000 years ago. It has a long history among almost all age groups but especially for children, although now the practise is not as common as it used to be. A whip is used to spin the top which can be made of pottery, stone, wood or bamboo. While the tops children use are small and colorful, while those used in competitions are completely 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 them.

Top spinning was once a popular street game for children in China. The cord of the whip is wound around the top and placed on the ground of a smooth surface,in winter it was common to play it on ice. The whip should be tugged strongly causing the top to rotate. It is kept spinning and the spinning speed is controlled with the whip. In China this simple hobby has been made a very competitive sport. Competition rules vary in several ways. In one, often referred to a 'Battling Tops', two players will cause their top to crash into each other in an effort to cause the opponent's top to fall - the last top spinning is declared the winner. A variation is to get the top to go through an obstacle course, a feat requiring great control, accuracy and concentration; again it is the player of the top that spins the longest that is the winner.