Chen Yiqin/Shanghai Daily news

In Italy, the children's game of pick-up sticks is known as "Shanghai" after an ancient Chinese game. That famous pastime has inspired the design of Italy's national pavilion at the Expo, writes Chen Yiqin.

For children of the 1970s and 1980s in Shanghai, a game of pick-up sticks stirs nostalgia. We all know the game, it's known worldwide: Drop a bunch of sticks and try to remove them one by one without disturbing the others - a game of dexterity and mental concentration.