China's first lefty shop opens

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 05, 2003

China's first lefty shop opens

China's first shop for left-handed people has been opened in Dalian, northeastern Liaoning Province, by a 56-year old right-handed man, Ma Bo.

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China's first shop for left-handed people has been opened in Dalian, northeastern Liaoning Province, by a 56-year old right-handed man, Ma Bo.

At the tiny shop, known as "Ai Bu Shi Shou (Strong Liking)", customers can find a dozen daily necessities for the left-handed, ranging from scissors to can openers.

"I just want to help the lefties with these special daily-use products, so they can lead an easier and more convenient life," said Ma, who also operates a website -- lefty.nease.net -- for thesame purpose.

The website, with the slogan "Left is best" on the index page, provides on-line sales of left-handed goods and promotes understanding about problems concerning the left-handed. There is also a forum page for left-handers.

China's lefties encounter numerous daily difficulties in their life and work.

"I have to prepare everything left-handed for myself," said Zhang Heng, a lefty working in a foreign-funded company in Beijing.Zhang has made scissors and golf-clubs for his own use.

Traditionally, Chinese people look down upon left-handers. Zhang's parents were no exception and they tried in vain to stop him being left-handed.

"I'm delighted to see that business people are beginning to show an interest in left-handed products now," Zhang said.

Ma believes China's 1.3 billion population must include a largenumber of lefties, but he says that the number of left-hand products remains very small and only a few factories in coastal Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces manufacture such products.

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