In the carving, Confucius (L) and Laozi (R) stand face to face and nod to greet each other. Confucius carries two birds in his sleeves as a gift. A man holding bamboo slips stands behind Laozi, and four disciples stand behind Confucius, also holding bamboo slips in their hands. Back then, Laozi took charge of books and archives of his state and lived in its capital, where Confucius visited to learn from him.