I went to the Dashilan Shopping and Pedestrian Street with a friend several days ago. The weather was quite nice that day, and we walked and watched those little shops along the street like other travelers did.

There were so many interesting and strange goods selling in those numerous shops, we had never seen before even we live in Beijing and have been to the Qian men several times. They are selling many traditional Beijing things, food, clay figure, accessories, silk cloths, non silk clothes, moving spider man that can rolling on the wall, even magic performing lively.

The building here is archaistic, to arouse some feeling of Qing dynasty likeness. Among those grey architectures, traditional things and modern things are loudly selling, and most of them are the flow line productions.  While it doesn’t matter, whether hand made, or machine made, they would be valuable if they can satisfy the customers. And what the customers want?  The answer is seeking novelty.   

Travelling people were crowded, and we went forwarding into a hutong, and find there not so many travelers existed. The shops are still many, while they are mostly selling their own artist works, especially calligraphy, Chinese paintings, engraving. I saw many shopkeepers-----most of them are in their old ages, were using Chinese writing brush to paint on the spot. The paintings are both their practicing and their selling works.

There was an old lady, later I got to know she was at her 70s, was painting plum blossom. She looked quiet and energetic, and we had little communication. She already had painted for more than 70 years, “Since very young”, as she said. And she encouraged we young guys to develop a similar art interest as well. “To explore and release the art cells”, she said in a joke.

To practice more, and would achieve some. She concluded with a Chinese saying, ”功到自然成。”