On the way to Confucius forest, we saw this man writing caligraphy. He made the fans that you can see in the foreground as well. On the way back, I thought "I hope we see him again, I want to take a picture of him writing." We did see him, and I took these pictures. He told us (in Chinese) that his fans were very cheap. Having heard that line from every vendor in China, we said (in Chinese) "Really? How much are they?" in disbelieving tones. He pointed out the fans and told us the prices, which left us open mouthed, because they were so cheap. In the US, I would expect a handmade fan made of cloth and wood, hand painted with beautiful and precise caligraphy to sell for at least $30, maybe as much as $60. These were 30 kuai, less than $5. He was so sweet and reasonable that Caitlin and I each bought one. They have Confucius's words writtin on one side, and a 4 character phrase on the other. I haven't decided whether I will keep mine, or make a present of it. It will depend on what happens later I guess. I will never forget that sweet old man. He was priceless.
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awww that's so cute! :D
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