 |
| Wangfujing Markets |
When we visited the Forbidden City last month, it was on the coldest day of our lives thus far, but today sure came in at a close second.
We can't really dispute that perhaps we weren't prepared enough. Of course, we had several layers on, two pairs of pants, two pairs of gloves, thermals, fleece and jackets but it was like they didn't exist when the wind blew.
Today we met up with some work friends, two girls that had arrived in China a week prior to us that we had met at our hotel.
 |
| Fried Ice-cream and butter cake |
Together we spent the morning exploring the traditional Wangfujing snack street and food markets.
Located a stones throw behind the Forbidden city, the area has been a commercial hub since the middle of the Ming Dynasty.
 |
| Scorpions ready to be eaten |
During the Qing Dynasty, ten aristocratic estates and princess residences were built here after a well of sweet water was discovered. This gave the street it's name, which can be roughly translated as 'Princely residence well'.
Popular with Chinese residents and tourists alike, the pedestrian only area is famous for it's wide variety of common and exotic street foods.
Exotic seemed to be the only name of the game, evident as we walked through the gate. To our immediate left we couldn't help but notice the pots of black skewered scorpions, still wiggling, next to them baby cream coloured sea horses and what appeared to be some variety of lizard, ready and waiting to be deep fried and munched upon.
 |
| Lobster balls |
Opposite were clear plastic cups filled with strange yellow cubes, if we hadn't known better we would have though it was a strong yellow cake but in broken English the handwritten sign indicated it was some kind of sea sponge.
Certainly not for the weak stomached, we saw a range of creepy crawlers, spiders, cockroaches, and even ants stuck around balls of coconut. There were orange and pink starfish, blue crabs and what looked like a hairless rat. Could people really eat these?
 |
| Lizard, cockroaches and starfish |
 |
| Dried fish |
 |
| The stomach of something |
 |
| Maybe a sweet food? |
 |
| Pork stuffed eggs |
One of the most popular items seemed to be raw meat and seafood roasted over hot coals, it smelt nice but we had no idea what the skewered items were. Maybe horse? Whale? Jellyfish?
 |
| Meat cooking on hot rocks |
In white plastic plates we saw slices of stomach, chicken heads and boiled baby ducks, doused in chilly.
There were some more edible foods like taro rice and fluffy lobster balls but fishy smells didn't seem right.
 |
| Eating a cooked snake |
Eventually Kara was game enough to try a little snake. Crunchy, crispy and a bit like eating salty chicken skin it wasn't bad.
Washed down with candied stick of red Chinese date apples we begun to have a bit of fun.
One of our friends ordered a cold pineapple drink which came hissing and steaming and smoking through the lid of the cup.
 |
| Steaming fruit drinks |
These salesmen could speak a little broken English too... Hat Hat, Want Hat? Look! Look!
Some of the mirrors, notebooks and sculptures, were actually very beautiful. We decided that we'll definitely come back when it's warmer!
Numb from the cold we left the sacred temples of worship and explored some of the shops on the roads surrounding Yonghe.
 |
| Down the market ally |
Still with an adventurous spirit we all clambered on the heated subway and ventured North to the nearby Yonghe Lamasery, the Palace of Peace and Harmony or just "Lama Temple".
The largest and best-preserved Chinese Buddhism lamasery in Beijing, it's temples were built in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty. Originally as residences for court eunuchs then converted into the court of Prince Yong. When the young prince ascended the throne in 1722 as Emperor Yongzheng, half of the buildings were converted into a lamasery. Later his successor awarded lama temple with special imperial status and redecorated with royal yellow tiles, reserved for the emperor.
 |
| Outside the bell tower |
 |
| Hall of Heavenly Kings |
 |
| Large tin burners letting off some heat |
From the road, we raced across the cold car park under a magnificently decorated archway, bought our tickets and entered the south courtyard across the Imperial way.
On our right was a large golden bell tower, on the left a drum tower and in front of us the Hall of Heavenly Kings.
It was freezing cold and we quickly huddled for a moment next to the large tin burners trying to warm up, while Chinese devotees burnt red sticks of incense around us.
 |
| Inside the Hall of Heavenly Kings |
It was difficult to see which direction we needed to move so we entered the hall and passed through to the inner stone courtyard. It seemed that as we moved through each building they become progressively larger and we encountered more beautiful shrines, statues and murals.
We walked through the Hall of Harmony and Peace, the main building within the lamasery and home to three special golden bronze Buddhas named 'Buddhas of the three ages'.
Then through the Hall of Everlasting Blessings. Between each wooden temple was a small spotlessly clean courtyard with several leafless trees and with minimal external decoration.
It was inside the Halls that the colors of the Budda statues glowed, surrounded by lit candles, soft fabric, jade beads, flowers and burning essence.
We walked through the Hall of the Darma Wheel before finishing at the Pavilion of Infinite Happiness or also Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses. Inside the Pavilion is a huge 85foot wooden statue of Maitreya Buddha, which was carved from just one piece of wood.
 |
| Taking a break by the imperial lion |
 |
| 85 foot Maitreya Buddha |
 |
| Hall of Darma Wheel |
 |
| Main entrance gate |
After admiring the little statues, hand painted scriptures, talismans, charms and jewellery we called it a day. Happy to get back on the warm subway and head home.
Tot siens,
John and Kara
No comments:
Post a Comment