Hands can easily get cold in winter. Wearing gloves might be a good choice, but sometimes it is not(convenience). However, this was not a problem for ancient Chinese people, had a more delicate tool to keep their hands warm: hand warmers.
There is no accurate written record about the origin of this tool, but there are some stories about its (invent). One folk story concerns Emperor Yangdi from the Sui Dynasty (581—619AD) who visited Jiangsu in the winter. Due to the bitter cold, the local official asked the producers to make small warmer for the emperor that could be held in one's hands. Thus the hand warmer (create).
Techniques for producing the tool were (steady) developed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Many poems and books from this period recorded people using hand warmers. The Dream of the Red Chamber, the classic novel written Cao Xueqin from the Qing Dynasty, also described a maid who (send) a hand warmer to Lin Daiyu in one chapter.
Ancient hand warmers had various designs. Round and square shapes are typical. Some of (they) look like pumpkins and flowers. Inside a hand warmer there were (burn) coals, some mixed with fragrance and giving off a pleasant smell.
