Our Family Trip to China, Part Two
There is so much to see and do in China - if you’ve never been, I encourage you to make the trip.
When traveling, I always love to visit local markets to see the different foods, crafts, antiques, and other curios that are offered. After our walk at The Great Wall, we traveled to the Huairou District in northern Beijing, where we toured an indoor market filled with interesting fresh foods and dried and preserved goods. Back in the capital city, we visited a hutong - a type of narrow street or alley of courtyard residences where more crafts and wares were sold. The next day, we visited the Beijing Panjiayuan Flea Market, also known as the Panjiayuan Antique Market - the largest, most complete and most popular market in China.
Here are more photos from my trip, enjoy.
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- It was bitterly cold in China – sub-zero temperatures. Here is Jude looking at some of the massive icicles that were hanging at the base of The Great Wall.
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- One of the first things we saw when we arrived at this market in Huairou District, about a half-hour from The Great Wall, were these Araucana eggs! Just like the ones laid by my beautiful hens at my Bedford, New York farm.
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- There were also quail eggs. Quail eggs are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America.
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- It’s strawberry season in China, so we saw lots of juicy red fruits.
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- Most noodles in the markets are hand-pulled and sold dried. Asian noodles can be made with rice, yam, and mung bean in addition to wheat flour. Noodle lengths also have a significance—they are often symbols of longevity and served at celebratory meals.
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- These are cellophane or glass noodles, or fensi – a type of transparent noodle made from starch and water. They are generally sold in dried form, soaked to reconstitute, then used in soups, stir-fried dishes, or spring rolls.
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- We also saw a variety of mushrooms.
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- And lots of spices including this bin of red chili pepper flakes.
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- This is star anise – the pungent, licorice-like aroma makes star anise an integral ingredient in Chinese five spice, where it’s combined with fennel, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns and cloves.
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- And there were lots of chestnuts for sale. While these were not yet cooked, roasted chestnuts are one of Beijing’s most popular winter snacks and are made by rolling the nuts around in either a wok-like pot or a huge oven. Local residents say cupping one’s hands around a warm bag of roasted chestnuts is one of the best things about a Beijing winter.
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- There were also lots of dried beans, such as these dried green mung beans. The mung bean, alternatively known as the green gram, maash, or moong, is a plant species in the legume family. The mung bean is mainly cultivated in East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is used as an ingredient in both savory and sweet dishes.
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- Do you recognize these? These are ginkgo nuts. Ginkgo seeds have long been part of traditional food items in the far East-Asian cuisine. If you follow my blog, you may have seen an earlier post showing the ginkgo fruits that fall every year from my large tree behind the Summer House.
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- Back in Beijing, we passed by a game of Xiangqi, also called Chinese chess. It is a strategy board game for two players – one of the most popular board games in China.
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- We also saw some stone carving relief work. Relief is a sculptural technique where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background of the same material.
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- I took a lot of photos of Fu Dogs. Fu Dogs or Imperial Guardian Lions are a strong feng shui protection symbol. Fu Dogs were traditionally placed in front of Imperial palaces, temples, government offices, and wealthy family homes. This male Fu Dog is holding a globe under his right paw, which signifies control over his domain and protection of his home.
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- Here is the female Fu Dog holding a cub under her left paw, signifying strong maternal protective instincts.
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- This is a rickshaw, the most popular form of transportation for those taking a Beijing hutong tour. It is a small covered two-or-three wheeled cart usually for one passenger that is pulled by one driver.
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- Along the hutong, this crafts woman was selling handmade reverse paintings inside these tiny glass bottles. Hutongs are narrow streets or alleys filled with courtyard residences, shops and eateries. Originally formed in the Yuan Dynasty, these hutongs are now being overrun by modern construction.
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- That evening, we ate at the Temple Restaurant owned by the Belgian-born Ignace Lecleir. I enjoyed marinated salmon and ginger.
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- And this is cooked uni. Five strips or “tongues” of uni live within the structure of a sea urchin. They are usually orange or yellowish, and do resemble tongues, with the consistency of firm custard.
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- Here’s Alexis taking photos the next morning at another shop filled with stone ornaments – I would have liked to take all of them home.
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- Here was an ornate table with four stone stools.
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- Here’s another interesting outdoor figure.
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- And a stone elephant – all so detailed and well-crafted.
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- Beijing Panjiayuan Flea Market, aka Panjiayuan Antique Market, is the largest, most complete, and most popular market selling second hand goods and curios in China. There are so many antiques, crafts, collectibles and decorations – here are some of the books in one section.
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- There were also lots of Chinese painting and writing brushes.
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- And more fun crafting supplies.
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- And here I am in front of the Beijing Panjiayuan Antique Market. In my next blog, we take a high speed bullet train to Xi’an. Be sure to visit tomorrow and see more of my trip to China.
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