Where can I find reproductions of traditional Chinese puzzles?

We keep a limited supply of these traditional Chinese puzzles on hand in the U.S. In China, call Mr. Yao Yuzhi at 13601203130 in Beijing, or email him at yaoyuzhi@gmail.com.

The antique puzzles on this website are truly beautiful to look at, but one must engage hands AND mind to fully appreciate them. So we encourage you to find modern reproductions of the puzzles to solve for yourself and to share with family and friends.

We always include hands-on puzzles in our exhibitions. Some we import from China, and others we purchase here in the United States. If you’re searching for challenging puzzles, the first place to look is at your local puzzle or game store. If you can’t find a local supplier, we’ve listed some online sources below.

We keep a small supply of tangrams, fifteen-piece tangrams, nine linked rings, sliding block puzzles and burr puzzles on hand for workshops and exhibitions, so feel free to contact us at . We’ll be happy to help you if we can.

Happy puzzling!

Wei Zhang and Peter Rasmussen
 

Tangram

Many schools use tangrams to introduce geometrical concepts in the early grades, so these puzzles are easy to find in educational supply stores and online—or you can make your own!

Fifteen-Piece Tangram

We don’t know anywhere the fifteen-piece puzzle is sold, so we special-ordered a small supply of high-quality laser-cut puzzles from a friend. If you would like to try making fifteen-piece constructions of Chinese characters or other figures, feel free to contact us at .

Nine Linked Rings

Serious Shops (USA) and Mr. Puzzle (Australia) carry Chinese-made nine linked rings puzzles. Livewire Puzzles (Canada) and Tucker-Jones House (USA) have six linked rings versions, and The Puzzle & Craft Factory (USA) has five and seven linked rings versions.

Ingenious Rings Wire Puzzles

If you want genuine Chinese ingenious rings puzzles you’ll have to travel to Suzhou or Wuxi, but Fiddl’widdit (USA) and Puzzle Master (Canada) have good selections of wire puzzles that are similar to ingenious rings. Tucker-Jones House (USA) produces forged iron Tavern Puzzles, including Iron Heart, Conestoga Playmate and Old Shackles, which we use in our hands-on workshops. Uncles Puzzles (USA) also makes iron puzzles, including Hearts Desire and Carpenter’s Special.

Huarong Pass Sliding Block Puzzle

Huarong Pass, the Chinese sliding block puzzle, is always the best seller at our exhibitions, but it’s difficult to find outside of China. Cleverwood Puzzles (USA) and AreYouGame (USA) carry versions of the puzzle.

Burr Puzzles

Monkey Pod Games (USA), Puzzle Master (Canada) and Mr. Puzzle (Australia) have simple six-piece burr puzzles as well as more challenging wood puzzles.
 
Do you know additional sources of traditional Chinese puzzles?
If so, please us with your suggestions.
Thanks!

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