Chinese pancake roll shop owner amazes customers with extraordinary calligraphy works

Because of his extraordinary calligraphy skills, Kang Jinming, a 50-year-old owner of a small shop selling stuffed pancake rolls, is called "the calligrapher at a pancake shop."

Kang Jinming works in his shop. (Photo/cctvnewscenter)

Customers normally get pancakes rolled with ingredients like fried eggs and fresh vegetables at the pancake shop, which is located in Hefei city, capital of east China's Anhui Province. When they visit the shop on weekends, they can also receive a special gift from Kang - a small card or a slip of paper with a line from a poem or prose, a famous saying, or simply a Chinese character, written with a writing brush.

The Chinese characters of "Le" and “Qu," which mean joy and fun, respectively, appear on his cards most frequently.

"Being able to stick to my passion and do what I enjoy is good fortune and a delight to me. I want to share this delight with more people," Kang said.

Driven by a fervid passion, Kang has mastered the skills of Chinese brush calligraphy through self-study, and has kept honing his skills while running the pancake shop for the past three decades.

 Kang Jinming's  calligraphy work. (Photo/cctvnewscenter)

In the pancake shop, which only covers an area of less than 5 square meters, Kang practices calligraphy on a tiny, narrow and low table behind his pancake stall when there are no customers, and writes on bigger pieces of paper on a board placed on top of his freezer after he closes the shop for the night.

He consumes reams of paper every day, and makes use of anything he can write on, such as old books, newspapers, receipts, cardboard cases, and sketchbooks. After discovering his enthusiasm for calligraphy, many of his neighbors have often collected such materials to support his hobby.

 Kang Jinming practices calligraphy. (Photo/cctvnewscenter)

Kang's wife takes care of their daughter at home. He is basically running the pancake shop by himself. The shop opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. every day. Kang dedicates almost any free time he has during the day to practicing his calligraphy skills, and spends more than two hours practicing intensively after closing the shop at night.

Although the shop gets hot and stuffy in summer, it doesn't affect Kang's devotion to his biggest hobby.

Kang Jinming shows his calligraphy work.  (Photo/cctvnewscenter)

"I'm basically relaxing when I'm practicing Chinese calligraphy. I feel comfortable and relaxed sitting there writing brush calligraphy," Kang said.

Every once in a while, Kang posts his calligraphy works on the walls, ceiling, and even the switch box of his pancake shop. This is not to showcase his skills, but to identify the problems in his techniques, according to Kang.

"You're only motivated to try harder to learn and study when not satisfied with your skills," he explained.

Kang's works have attracted more and more customers to his shop. After some people posted pictures and videos of his shop online, netizens and tourists have come to the shop especially for the owner's calligraphy works. Many parents have taken their children here to experience the atmosphere of the shop.

"It would be a good thing if this shop can bring a little bit of inspiration to children," Kang said.

Two girls show their special gifts from Kang Jinming. (Photo/cctvnewscenter)

In fact, after mastering the skills of Chinese brush calligraphy, Kang has made efforts to share his experience and enjoyment with others. He has given lectures to children learning Chinese calligraphy in his spare time.

Not long ago, the local calligraphers' association invited Kang to become a member, and some Chinese calligraphy training agencies offered him a full-time job as a teacher. But Kang declined them all.

He enjoys his life now and only wants to continue selling pancakes and practicing calligraphy freely, Kang said, adding that he hopes calligraphy can remain a simple enjoyment of his life.

"When I'm in my seventies and eighties, I will create a few calligraphy works and have them framed before giving them to the next generation. That's what lies in the innermost part of my heart—knowing that I've left something in the world and society and that I've been happy doing what I love. I will be content with my life," he noted.