Collector picks up pieces of the past

XIANGYANG, Hubei - In an era when cultural relics can bring in big profits, collector Qin Furong is taking a step to the side.

The former street cleaner in Xiangyang, Hubei province, who retired in 1995, found that life after work was not that appealing.

"I disliked the slow pace after retirement," said the 66-year-old.

To kill time, she went around on the streets by bike, sometimes clearing rubbish along the Hanjiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River.