Bricked Ping-Pong in Handan

Yesterday I returned to blogging here for the first time after a long break with a look at a lunch experience I had during my visit to Handan, Hebei, in 2010. To continue keeping things simple to help the ball stay rolling here, I'll share another scene from Handan. While walking through the city I stumbled upon four young men playing doubles ping-pong (table tennis).

Seeing people play ping-pong is common in China. Less common, though, are ping-pong tables with bricks used to serve the purpose of a net. All of the tables in this outdoor area were similarly set up. Using bricks for a net likely offered several benefits in an outdoor environment, including being sturdy, easily replaced, and perhaps less likely to disappear than a standard net. In any case, they appeared to serve their primary purpose well and did not hamper the enjoyment of the game.