Visiontimes iconVisiontimesSep 17, 2026

The Amusing Origins of Mantou – A Substitute for Human Sacrifice

A girl sits at her kitchen table in northern China, waiting, and watching the bamboo steamer. When her mother lifts the lid, hot vapors rise into the air, carrying the warm, comforting aroma of freshly-steamed dough.

The Amusing Origins of Mantou – A Substitute for Human Sacrifice

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A girl sits at her kitchen table in northern China, waiting, and watching the bamboo steamer.

When her mother lifts the lid, hot vapors rise into the air, carrying the warm, comforting aroma of freshly-steamed dough.

The sight and smell are impossible to resist — she reaches for the mantou and tears one open.

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A girl sits at her kitchen table in northern China, waiting, and watching the bamboo steamer. When her mother lifts the lid, hot vapors rise into the air, carrying the warm, comforting aroma of freshly-steamed dough. The sight and smell are impossible to resist — she reaches for the mantou and tears one open.

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