For less than a dollar, they will delve into your ears with the relish of a brain surgeon. Afterwards, if their claims are to be believed, you will hear better, walk straighter and feel more relaxed. They are the earpickers of the People's Park in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in inland China. But the efficacy of their therapy is almost beside the point. They are one of the many magical ingredients that make this one of the finest public parks in all of China.
People sleep, meditate, play cards, read papers, air their birds, chat and play mahjong.
Many do so from the comfort of the bamboo chairs of the He Ming Teahouse, sipping stone-flower tea and looking out over a small lake set amid drooping willow trees. And that's where the earpickers can be found, clinking their metal tools to attract customers. The therapy begins with a rough scraping of the auricle, or outer ear, followed by a more delicate probing of the auditory canal. Then comes some jiggling and flicking of the ear to dislodge remaining detritus before the whole process begins again. Finally, a palette of brushes is brandished in the ear, creating a rustling sound that echoes for several minutes.