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Saturday 25 January 2014

Making Perfect Ten Wishes

It is amazing what two rows of shop-houses flanking a railway track can flourish in the business of making wishes. That is what is happening at Shi Fen (十分), or literally ten points.

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The Kongming lanterns (孔明燈), or sometimes referred to as sky lanterns (天燈), are mini hot-air balloons used for sending messages during the ancient war in China. They are now used to make wishes, and Shi Fen (十分) has uplifted the hot-air balloon release as a touristy activity. International and local tourists alike bend down to write their wishes on the balloons.

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All the writing and releasing of the hot-air balloons actually take place at a railway track that is still in operation. All the people will obligingly give way for the trains. Is there anyone who dare to not give way to a train?

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When the railway track is clear again, the mini hot-air balloon releasing activity continues. For the time that I was there, I noticed that Shi Fen was never short of visitors for this kind of activity. It is a successful business model combining an old street and a Chinese tradition.

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