pappabearbooks Chapter 456: The name of the Tibetan area?
Chapter 456: The name of the Tibetan area?
In the remaining two days, Lin Ran visited the market in the Tibetan area.
Compared with the cultural and entertainment markets in the Central Plains, the stalls here basically sell religious and daily necessities, which are not suitable as gifts for friends.
However, there are also some special crafts.
Such as thangka.
Thangka is a kind of scroll painting, drawn on silk cloth.
Although most of them also depict religious scenes, such as portraits of Gautama Buddha.
Today's Thangkas are mainly for local people. People who cannot afford Buddha statues will buy Thangkas and hang them at home for worship.
The thangkas at the market were framed with colorful satin and had distinct characteristics of Tibetan areas. They were not expensive. You could buy one for 20 yuan. Lin Ran bought two and planned to give them to Zheng Xueming and his teacher. Make gifts.
After all, when you come to Tibetan areas, you can’t come back empty-handed!
Lin Ran felt a little embarrassed when choosing a gift for Yuan Qianyun.
Before coming to Tibet, I had already given her a Dzi bead, which can be regarded as a representative of Tibetan specialty jewelry.
While I was worrying, I passed by a unique shop.
"A century-old brand, Huangfu Green Pine"
Different from other stores with obvious Tibetan style names, the name of this store is very Central Plains style.
Turquoise is one of the characteristic handicrafts in Tibetan areas, so Lin Ran walked into the store and planned to choose it.
When he walked into the store, he found that the store was similar to the jewelry stores and handicraft stores he had seen. Shelves were placed around it, displaying various items made of turquoise.
There are ornaments, ritual objects, and carvings.
He took a fancy to a turquoise carved longevity Buddha!
In Tibetan Buddhism, the Holy Infinite Life Wisdom determines that King of Light Tathagata is called the Longevity Buddha.
This Buddha statue has two arms on one side, with hair tied into a bun, wearing a five-buddha crown, a heavenly robe on the upper body, and a silk skirt on the lower body. Even the precious necklace worn on the body is clearly visible.
Both hands are in meditation, fixed on the knees, and the other hand is holding a vase symbolizing longevity, sitting on the lotus-shaped moon wheel in a strange posture.
Even people who don't understand Tibetan Buddhism can feel the solemn atmosphere from him.
The store manager was greeting another customer just now and sending the customer away. When he saw Lin Ran was young, he began to brag about his products: "This is a Buddha statue that was consecrated by a monk from Sera Monastery. I can sell it to you for 100 yuan cheaper." .”
Lin Ran, who originally wanted to inquire about the price, was amused and asked: "Who is the eminent monk of Sera Monastery?"
"Don't worry about it. You don't even know me if I tell you." The store manager didn't expect Lin Ran to dare to ask. Normally, all the former customers would show a surprised expression. He didn't act according to common sense.
In markets in Tibetan areas, the prices of items that have been opened and those that have not been opened are vastly different.
Lin Ran took a fancy to this Buddha statue because the Buddha statue he helped Yuan Qianyun select for the first time was the Longevity Buddha, but it was the Longevity Buddha of Central Plains Buddhism.
On the other hand, turquoise is also a characteristic handicraft in Tibetan areas. It is regarded as a holy object to ward off evil spirits and a symbol of good luck and happiness.
Perfect for making gifts!
However, although the Buddha statue in front of me is exquisitely carved, the turquoise used is of poor quality.
"Boss, the iron lines on your turquoise are too obvious. Although it is emerald green, it feels a little less spiritual." Lin Ran did not expose the store manager directly, but bargained for the quality.
The store manager took a look and saw that this young man was actually quite knowledgeable.
He immediately said: "Little brother, you are wrong. Although this is not a top-grade turquoise, it is still a medium-grade one. It is definitely not a loss for 100 yuan. This was consecrated by Master Kelsang of Sera Monastery!"
Gesang...
Lin Ran laughed out loud when he heard the name.
"What's so funny?" The store manager looked confused.
Sera Monastery was not open to the public during this season, and he did not think that such a young man would know the head of the outer sect of Sera Monastery.
Under the banner of Gesang, many customers have been killed.
Lin Ran glanced around, then quietly approached the store manager and whispered into his ear: "When did Master Gesang give you the light?"
"Hey, it happened to be last week." The store manager said proudly, "It's been your turn to buy the items that have been consecrated for a month?"
"Then you should know that last week was the Sera Monastery's sutra debate conference. In order to prepare for this conference, they have closed the temple for a month. Where can you go to find Master Kelsang to consecrate it?" Lin Ran said in a low voice.
He didn't say it out loud just to give the store manager face.
In a toy market in a Tibetan area with a strong religious culture, if you pretend to be a monk and cheat, you will be kicked out of the market, or you will get a beating!
I'm not that stupid!
The store manager looked at Lin Ran in surprise. He really wanted to go to Sera Monastery to find someone to consecrate it, but that was three months ago.
I happened to meet a master who was coming down the mountain. After asking for advice, I found out that his name was Gesang.
So I used his name to deceive people, but I didn't expect to meet someone who really knew what he was doing.
Although turquoise is a local specialty handicraft, the price is not high. 100 yuan is a rip-off.
"Because of the good workmanship, I bought it for 25 yuan." Lin Ran gave his inner price.
The store manager was a little hesitant, but after thinking about what he just said, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, considering that we are all Han people, I will sell it to you for 25 yuan."
"Han people don't deceive Han people, do they?" Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. He paid for the Buddha statue. The store manager took out a piece of red cloth, wrapped the Buddha statue and handed it to Lin Ran.
The moment he received the goods, Lin Ran thought of something and asked, "Boss, did you make all these turquoise carvings yourself?"
"Of course." The store manager looked a little proud, "Go and ask, during my Huangfu Zhuo era, I opened a store in Lacheng to sell turquoise. Is it true that the centuries-old heritage is in vain?"
There is a backyard in the store, and the sound of grinding can be heard from time to time. It must be that the handicrafts are produced there.
The level of carving in his shop is indeed very high, and I don’t know who is better than Wei Chengbin’s pottery level!
Thinking of this, a bold idea came to his mind: "Boss Huangfu, are you interested in cooperating?"
"Cooperation?" Huangfu Zhuo had just been exposed by Lin Ran and felt a little guilty, but he didn't expect that Lin Ran would take the initiative to offer cooperation.
"Yes, you don't know the monks from Sera Monastery, right? I happen to know them and have a good relationship with them." Lin Ran smiled slightly, "If you cooperate with me, I can find a way to have Kelsang consecrate your items. "
"Is this true?" Huangfu Zhuo's eyes suddenly lit up.
Although his handicrafts are exquisite, they do not sell well because he looks like a Han Chinese and not a believer in Tibetan Buddhism.
Stores that cooperate with temples will have a consecration certificate from the temple, and the price of the items can be doubled, making them more popular.
"Of course it's true. It's just that it's impossible to consecrate them all for you. I can only pick a few meaningful ones." Lin Ran didn't know the difficulty of entrusting consecrations. Although they had a good relationship, Sera Monastery was involved in commercial activities. If it doesn’t feel good, you still need to ask for their permission.
The cooperation he actually wanted to propose was to buy turquoise handicrafts from Huangfu Zhuo and package them for sale in the store.
There are Tibetan specialty handicrafts and the mysterious additions of Tibetan Buddhism. With a little packaging, it will definitely be liked by young people who pursue fashion.
"Please allow me to think about it." Although it can broaden sales channels, business cooperation cannot be decided overnight, and there are many things to consider.
After exchanging phone numbers, Lin Ran was not in a hurry.
The purpose of his visit today was just to buy gifts for his friends. He also saw a business opportunity and came back with a full load!