纸扎铺的老板说，有三样东西不能随便做

Paper-craft artisans have a few rules of the trade, many old masters have spoken of them.

First, paper figures must not be given eyes. Legend has it that once a paper figure's eyes are dotted, it gains a spirit and will move on its own. So when making paper figures, the eyes are left blank, and only the family of the deceased paints them in when it's time to burn, called "dotting the eyes." Some masters even paint the face carelessly, saying not to make it too lifelike.

Second, do not make paper effigies of living people. Some people want to make a paper figure for themselves, saying they want to prepare in advance, but masters generally refuse, saying that is cursing someone.

Third, finished paper crafts cannot be left overnight, and certainly cannot stay in the shop at night; they must be sent away the same day, or covered and placed in the backyard.

These rules sound like a fear of ghosts, but they are more like a professional habit: paper-craft is work dealing with the dead, and while doing it, the artisan must be clear in their own mind, not act casually, and cannot joke about matters of the dead.

Old Beijing called paper-craft shops "spirit-clothing shops" (mingyi pu), making paper figures, paper horses, paper houses, and paper sedan chairs, each one modeled after the pomp of wealthy families of the past.

Nowadays, much paper-craft is machine-made, and the rules are not so strictly observed. The market is full of paper mobile phones, cars, villas, and even paper game consoles. Many cities, for environmental reasons, do not allow indiscriminate burning, and the business of paper-craft shops has changed accordingly.

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