Surgery, swords, and fire

Jia Huaijin displays a sword he made in Guying town, Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, April 10, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

Man quits stable job to make swords

Thrity-three-year-old Jia Huaijin has lived two lives, one a stable life as a white collared worker and the other as a maker of swords, qq.com reported on Sunday.

Before the age of 28, Jia worked in different trades, opening an auto repair factory, contracting for a fish pond, selling golf-related products and even being a middle-level manager at a State-owned enterprise. His monthly salary was as high as 7,000 yuan ($1,128) at the SOE. After 28, he decided to pursue his dream of making swords and moved to a farmhouse near a wheat field in Guying, Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province. He opened a blacksmith's shop there to make swords. Jia's swords sell at 100,000 to 200,000 yuan apiece now.

The town of Guying was home to blacksmiths dating back two thousands years ago to the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD). Jia's shop is less than one kilometer away from the ancient site for iron manufacturing in Han dynasty. He says his biggest dream is to restore ancient swords from that period of time.

Jia Huaijin polishes a sword he mades in Guying town, Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan province, April 10, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

Next, a school in Northwest China’s Shaanxi province holds an outdoor test for 1,700 students.