"Jingbajian" is an old Beijing dessert set sold in box. Each box contains eight different pastries. At every festival or New Year, “Jingbajian” becomes popular and the business of Beijing pastry shops will become extremely booming.

What are the eight traditional pastries? Today, the traditional "Jingbajian" is made in four steps: kneading flour with oil, sugar, etc., rolling wrappers, stuffing, and baking. According to the different fillings, they’re divided into eight types and two categories: "Shangsiyang" and "Xiasiyang". The "Shangsiyang" pastries are respectively printed with the four characters "Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi". The cakes with the characters “Fu” and “Xi” are filled with sugar and honey; the cake with the character “Shou” is filled with rose petals; the cake with the character “Lu” is made with hawthorn filling. The "Xiasiyang" are: “Yinding cakes” symbolizing wealth, “Jiyou cakes” which sounds like the words for auspicious and surplus, “Zaohua cakes” symbolizing the early birth of babies, and “Juansu cakes” rolled in the shape of a book and containing good wishes for becoming the first pick.

People who have lived in Beijing for many years will bring "Jingbajian" back home every year, which shows that it’s very popular and has good value. Daoxiangcun makes the best "Jingbajian" in Beijing. Pastries of “Jingbajian” can be sold loose at Daoxiangcun. Compared to "Jingbajian", loose dessert is fresher but the package is less exquisite.

Places to buy "Jingbajian": Daoxiangcun