Back to the old times in Beijing, either rich or poor, people always preferred to fixing it when something was broken. At that time, when someone's porcelain or pottery was broken even into many pieces, from small items such as wine cups and dishes to big items such as washing basins and water vats,  it would be no problem for the bowl-mending craftsmen to restore items using Ju Zi (a staple-like tool used to mend porcelain and pottery, usually made of copper). After the restoration, these ceramic utensils, though not look the same, could be used as normal.

Craftsmen carried a pole, on one end of which was a small wooden cabinet with a drawer containing the raw materials and tools. Above the cabinet was a wooden handle, in the middle of which hung a shiny little brass gong, and on both sides of the gong hung a small copper ball on strings and these two copper balls served as gong hammers. As the craftsman picked up the carrying pole and walked, the little brass gong would shake and clang! So, these craftsmen were also called "the men playing the small gong," and this was the way they used to hawk. On the other end of the carrying pole was a small wooden stool and other odds and ends.

Nowadays, no one would ask such a craftsman to mend their pots and bowls using Ju Zi. With the gradual disappearance of these craftsmen, this craft can no longer be seen. The techniques for mending bowls with Ju Zi may have already been lost, this profession may have already died, and all that remains is only the memory of it.

(Note: Content source is from the Beijing News.)