Sacred paper

"Another familiar figure in every bazar crowd is the old Chinese Confucianist, whose self-appointed duty is to collect any pieces of paper lying about and save the sacred writing from desecration.  He carries a pronged picker and puts the fragments of paper into the basket which he carries.  He also collects all that is placed in small boxes standing in different parts of the bazar and marked 'Receptacles for the respectful collection of sacred paper'.  All these he takes to the temple to be burnt by the priest."

The Gobi Desert  Mildred Cable  with Francesca French