Meibing lu 煤餅爐 (charcoal stoves) and fengwo mei 蜂窩煤 (coal briquettes) were common heating equipment when central heating was not yet installed, and they are still being used in some rural areas nowadays. Coal briquettes are put inside the stoves and lit up with combustive subjects such as paper, wood and solid alcohol. In China, the stove could be used as heating in winter combined with a long chimney (airpipe) that transports gas from the stove to outdoors and thus heating up the indoor area; it could also be used for boiling water, cooking rice or making tea. <BR> <BR> Coal briquettes are made in this beehive shape so they can be burnt more thoroughly. <BR> <BR> Hannah Li, April 2019