I just watched the show and surprised to hear Samatha's comment that the marble boat was painted to look like it. She must heard it wrong. The marble boat is not a real boat, it looked like floating. It was made out of real mable. She probably did not touch it to feel the marble either.
I sure will try the star fish stick if I visit Beijin nbext time.

Lydia, actually the marble boat is wood painted to look like marble, with the wheels made of marble. When I lived in China, my friends referred to it as a marble boat that was not marble and was not a boat.

The Wiki write up is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Boat and another write up is here: http://www.sinohotelguide.com/...mmer-palace/boat.php
(Steve in San Diego)

Thank you for straightening me out!! I must had touched the wheels at one point when I was there.