This is a set of 5 pencils purchased from a Confucius Temple in Taiwan. Confucius Temples are dedicated to Confucius, an ancient Chinese thinker and educator, and are found throughout Taiwan. Confucius is the founder of Confucianism and symbolizes wisdom, learning, and virtue, so he is revered in Taiwan as the "God of Learning" and the "God of Literature." Taiwanese students preparing for exams and their families visit Confucius Temples to pray for success in their exams and academic achievement. I gave these as a gift to an acquaintance who was taking an exam, as a gesture of encouragement. They are new, but the outer packaging is slightly discolored. Would you like them as a good luck charm for passing exams?