Star Tea in Guilin

A familiar looking font:

This drink shop in Guilin didn't seem as lively as Chalmun’s Cantina in Mos Eisley though.

Cross-Straight Competition at an Asian Supermarket in Texas

Taiwan Beer or Tsingtao?

Baijiu Blue in Ningbo

Last December at the Ningbo Railway Station, I saw yet another example of advertising for Yanghe Distillery's blue-bottled brands of baijiu. As I saw more recently in Changsha, in this case Mengzhilan M6 was featured.

Just as they often do above aboveground, the advertisements stood out in the underground area at the railway station. Nearby Ningbo (perhaps in Ningbo), I once noticed a man drinking baijiu (and beer as well) on a high-speed train. But since he stored the baijiu in a Tibetan spring water bottle, I don't know whether or not he was drinking the blue.

Baidu Map, a Banana, and Baijiu: From Guiyang to Changsha

Not so long ago in Guiyang, I woke up early one morning and caught a taxi. At the first intersection, the driver took an unexpected turn. Based on the traffic signals, it seemed plausible it was a wise choice, and I said nothing. A couple of blocks later, he signaled to make a turn heading in a direction nearly opposite of where I was headed. It didn't seem likely this choice was in my best interest, so I asked why he wasn't turning a different direction on another road. After some back and forth, I mentioned I had checked the routes on Baidu Map. The best option was rather clear and the most reasonable alternatives didn't involve what he had in mind.

He said "Oh, you checked Baidu Map. Then we will go that way."

It worked out pretty well.

Once I was inside the departure hall of the Guiyang North Railway Station, I wasn't surprised by the small crowd. I was catching an early morning train at 6:52 a.m. after all.

But I found it notable that the retail space on the upper levels on two sides of the departure hall, a design common in China's larger new railway stations, appeared to be completely vacant and lacking any restaurants or cafes. There wasn't even a Texas Burger. It reminded me of a similar pattern I saw five years ago at the Shenzhen North Railway Station — a place that is more occupied and busier now.

Soon I was on the high-speed train, which departed on schedule. Like my previous two trips, I was traveling a route for the first time. This route spent less time in tunnels than my previous trip though. And the train traveled at a much higher speed (about 300 km/h) than on the previous two routes (which maxed out at about 200 km/h).

A college student sitting next to me on the train kindly offered a welcomed banana, providing some balance to having had a mangosteen stolen in Guiyang. After discovering I liked spicy foods, she then gave me two small packages of spicy treats. One of them was especially tasty, and I was confident I was not going to go short on my salt intake for the day.

When I later mentioned I was catching a flight out of the Changsha the very next day, she asked whether I couldn't have flown out of Guiyang instead. Indeed, I would have done that had I better predicted things when I purchased the ticket. My schedule during the past month or so hadn't gone exactly as first planned. I spent more time than expected in Hengyang, which meant I had to skip Yongzhou. I then spent more time than expected in Guilin, which meant I had to skip Liuzhou and some other potential locations. I had just spent more time than expected in Guiyang, which meant I had to skip Kaili and Huaihua. In short, I wasn't arriving in Changsha a few days before my flight from a closer city as I had first expected. All of this reflects a tension between spending more time in individual cities versus visiting more cities. Both have their merits.

So after a three hour and twenty-something minute train ride, I had about 24 hours in Changsha. I initially thought I would put together a "day in Changsha" post similar to the one when I was last in Changsha, which also involved a one day stay followed by a flight. But that visit had occurred less than half a year after an earlier visit to Changsha, when I spent much more time there. A quick catchup here made sense. But this visit involved a one and half year gap from the previous one day visit and a nearly two year gap since my last extended stay. Not only was there much more which had changed, I more effectively maxed out my time. By the end of the day I wasn't just exhausted, I felt like all of what I had found deserved more than being put together in a single post.

So instead of a new "day in Changsha" post, for now I will share a single scene from Huangxing Square in Changsha which reminded me of scenes I have shared from Guangzhou and from Shenyang.

Yes, on the digital billboard is yet another blissfully blue baijiu advertisement from Yanghe Distillery. But instead of featuring their Tianzhilan baijiu, it features their Mengzhilan M6. which according to Yanghe:

. . . inherits the element of the ancient Yanghe Liquor, and transforms itself gracefully in the new historical period by perfectly interpreting the definition of the treasured Liquor with pure and exquisite technology.

How about that?

Anyway, more soon. I will be in less of a exploratory mode during the next few weeks, so I hope to get slightly caught up on some things. Just need to decide what is next. Perhaps more about Changsha. Perhaps where I headed after Changsha. Perhaps where I was before. Perhaps some other new historical period.

A Strong Drink of Hengyang

No responses correctly identified the city captured in photos of a riverside path, a dish of eel, and riverside dancing. I'm not surprised since the city isn't well known and none of the photos captured anything particularly iconic. I had considered sharing just one more photo as a clue — one of a locally produced alcohol.

However, this felt like too easy of a clue for those familiar with Chinese, though a quick internet search might be required. Yanfeng Liquor (Xiaodiao)* is a straightforward giveaway, since Yanfeng is a central urban district in Hengyang, Hunan. The 128 ml bottle sells for 15 yuan (about US $2.20), and like the peppers in the eel dish the contents have a good kick. The baijiu is made from a variety of grains and at 46% alcohol goes down a bit more smoothly than many other inexpensive baijius. It is one of the ways I found in Hengyang to have a local experience — one that fortunately didn't leave me with a headache the next day.

This is my fourth visit to Hengyang, something I wouldn't have predicted after my first brief visit over five years ago. As with intervening visits, I have seen much that has changed. I have also seen much that has not. More about both later.



*The official name listed on the back of the bottle is 雁峰酒(小调). I don't know whether "xiaodiao" is intended to refer to the minor key in music or the genre of folk music, though I lean towards the latter.

A Harbin Moment in Guangzhou

Drinking Harbin Beer on a late Sunday night

Homemade Mijiu in Xiapu

Last night in Xiapu, I stopped by a small independent convenience store to pick up some bottled water. I have been there several times and am familiar with the people who run the store. While chatting I asked if they sold any locally produced alcohol. I am a fan of trying any local foods or drinks wherever I go. They showed me one bottle of baijiu which costs only 3 yuan. Even a smaller (though stronger) bottle of imitation BOMB erguotou costs more than that.

After I looked at the bottle skeptically for a few moments, they suddenly announced they had something else for me and I wouldn't be paying for it. The woman said they were treating me to her parent's homemade mijiu, a type of Chinese rice wine. Soon glasses were poured for all three of us. This was definitely not something I would (or could) refuse. I was reminded of when just over a year ago I was similarly treated to homemade mijiu in Xiamen, also in Fujian province.

Now that is a jug of mijiu

They gave me a seat, and the glasses never stayed empty long. The mijiu tasted stronger than usual but went down smoothly. At one point the woman said she had to get something and insisted I didn't leave. Not long afterwards, she returned with a bag which made me think of duck heads. But there weren't any duck heads inside . . .

Soon we were all eating rather spicy duck feet. And the special drink continued to flow.

The Mudanjiang Wanda Plaza: A Few Observations of Stores, Food, and Fun

The Mudanjiang Wanda Plaza Shopping Mall

Several years ago I posted about the Kaifu Wanda Plaza in Changsha, Hunan. Since then I have seen a number of Wanda Plazas in other cites across China. Most recently, I visited the Mudanjiang Wanda Plaza in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang. The 144th Wanda Plaza in China opened a few months ago and includes a shopping mall, apartments, and office space. I won't be doing a comprehensive overview, but I will share some of my impressions during a brief visit to the shopping mall.

When I looked at the mall map, the most curious thing was an "Apple" store. I doubted Mudanjiang had an Apple Store and was not the least bit surprised when I discovered it referred to an Apple authorized reseller.

Well, the store claims it is an authorized reseller. At the moment I don't see any mention of it in Apple's online search tool for authorized resellers in China.

Elsewhere in the mall, I saw an Adidas Kids store.

The online Adidas reseller tool isn't working for me, so I can't comment more on that topic. I didn't see an Adidas-imitating Adisco shoes store in the mall though.

I also did not see any entertainment like the Toyota promotion I saw at the Kaifu Wanda Plaza. But I did see a promotion which featured some children in a fun competition.

I have seen Zoo Coffee, a Korean animal-themed coffeehouse chain, at other Wanda Plazas. None here, but Zebra coffee is available.

There are many options for food, including three familiar Western chains: Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.

Pizza Hut and Burger King have prime locations at one of the main entrances. The Burger King is notable in part because Mudanjiang does not have a single McDonald's. This may be the first time I was in a Chinese city with a Burger King but not a McDonald's.

The third floor of the mall is full of other restaurants. Several offer buffets, including one with something of an Alps theme.

There is also, as usual for a mall, a Sichuan option.

Several restaurants, such as Pig Boeuf, sport a trendy style which has seemingly grown popular in parts of China.

Pig Boeuf had a nice family standing out front.

Apparently these humanoid pigs are meant to encourage people to eat pork. If they have the opposite effect, a nearby vegetarian restaurant might be a good option.

I wouldn't call Mudanjiang a vegetarian-friendly place, so seeing this restaurant at the Wanda Plaza was a bit of a surprise. When I looked inside I saw that unlike other restaurants it had zero customers. Instead, employees including two chefs were sitting at a table looking extremely bored. Too bad.

Finally, to close out this odd set of observations from the Mudanjiang Wanda Plaza on a happier note, I will share my favorite: a man and presumably his daughter taking a ride through the mall on an electric dinosaur kiddie car.

Now that is a great way to mall.

Barbecue and Baijiu in Taiyuan

It was late, and I hadn't yet had dinner. So I went out and headed to a late-night barbecue place in Taiyuan. Due to the recent rains they didn't have any vegetable options. I am unclear about the connection, but "tomorrow" they said.

As I waited for my meat kebabs, the cook took a drink of a clear liquid from a thin plastic cup. When I see people drinking water I sometimes joke that I think they are drinking baijiu, a rather strong Chinese alcohol. But as I made the usual joke, I realized that the cook was probably really drinking baijiu.

He smiled and spoke to his assistant. A jug of baijiu appeared, and soon I held a plastic cup with a healthy amount of baijiu.

And so, we drank.

Undoubtedly Trashy: Goats Eating in Jieyang

I thought I might be on my way to a goat-free day, but, of course, this afternoon I came across some goats yet again in Jieyang. A older man had just bought some fresh goat milk and appeared amused when I photographed the goats. We spoke briefly and thinking about the ambiguity of the Chinese character 羊 (yáng) regarding sheep, goats, and other Caprinae I inquired about the name of these fine animals. Not to my surprise, he went with 羊 (yáng) on its own.

What most caught my attention about these particular goats wasn't their number (only two) or their mode of transportation (walking with their human). I earlier mentioned that while buyers like the man I met today could be assured of the source and freshness of their goat milk, there were still unanswered questions which could be of concern such as those pertaining to the goats' diets. So I watched silently as one of the goats munched on . . . something.

And with that food for thought, I think it can be said not only has the recent goats-on-wheels series come to a close for the time being but now the broader goat series as well.

Undoubtedly Authentic: More Mobile Fresh Milk in Guangdong

Chaozhou and Jieyang, bordering cities in eastern Guangdong province, share much in common. So after recently seeing fresh goat milk for sale in Chaozhou, I wasn't entirely surprised to see a similar arrangement yesterday at a street intersection in Jieyang.

Like the milk seller in Chaozhou, the tricycle cart carried three goats (in the above photo two of the goats are off the cart mostly out of view). Unlike the milk seller in Chaozhou, the tricycle cart had a motorcycle front end.

Nearby, another seller offered offered milk from a more common source.

While there, I was fortunate enough to witness a milking for a customer's order.

Having grown up in an area with many farms, I have seen plenty of cows before. I haven't seen many on motorized tricycle carts in the middle of urban areas though.

With concerns about fake products and past milk scandals on the minds of many in China, even inspiring cross-border trips for milk products, it is easy to think of reasons why this option would appeal to some people. Questions remain pertaining to the milk's quality, including ones about the animal's diet, but there is no doubt about its source, its freshness, or whether anything was added after it left the animal.

The Last Goats During This Year of the Yang

Not only did I see three goats yesterday, three goats saw me.

And a girl petted one of them.

They weren't part of a mobile petting zoo though. Instead, the man who had biked them there was selling fresh goat milk.

It seemed to be an auspicious sign to see goats on the second to last day of the Chinese lunar new year. There was much debate over which animal was represented by 羊 (yáng) — the Chinese word for the year's zodiac symbol. It can refer to a range of animals related to sheep and goats, and additional characters are sometimes used to remove any ambiguity. In this case, though, the seller apparently felt that 羊 would be understood as "goat", not so surprising since we were in Chaozhou — a city in southern China. Of course, if there was any doubt, the nearby goats cleared things up.

Although I had questions about the whether the milk was safe, I figured I couldn't pass up the opportunity to end the year in such a fitting fashion. So I told the man I was interested in making a purchase. After discussing the amount of milk I wanted, he asked what I intended to do with it. After I told him I planned to simply drink it as is, he explained that wouldn't be a great idea.

The man with the goats had spoken. And he had passed up a sale in order not to bring me any harm. I thanked him and left milkless but appreciative I didn't end the year on an unpleasant note.

Hakka Mijiu in Xiamen

I had another second post in mind for tonight. In mind . . .

But then I sought food for dinner. By the time I arrived at my first destination the finer offerings were gone. So I retraced my routed through some alleys. Or roads. It can sometimes be hard to tell the difference. But I made my way to a hole-in-the-wall seafood restaurant which had earlier caught my eye and settled on some green veggies and octopus.

And then something happened. Sitting next to me was a group of friendly guys.

And before I knew it I was being poured homemade Hakka-style mijiu.

Those who know their Chinese alcohols will know this is a sweet and sometimes rather tasty drink but not especially strong. So I will add that this followed the more typical industry-made baijiu — neither tasty nor weak.

I escaped relatively unharmed. The mijiu was a nice change of pace. The baijiu was your typical passable Jiangxi baijiu. In other words, it didn't burn a hole through my throat, so all is grand.

That post I had in mind, maybe tomorrow.

Shanghai Juice Contrasts

Cleaning a fresh orange juice machine inside a Shanghai metro station:

Selling fresh pomegranate juice at a Shanghai bus stop:

Beer and Patriotic Shorts on the 2nd Day of the Victory Over Japan Holiday in China

Yesterday after the “Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War” military parade had finished, I saw people eating Japanese food during the Victory Over Japan holiday. Today is also a day off for many due to the holiday. But again I didn't see anything which specifically mentioned the holiday. But also again, I saw something which may be a sign of people celebrating.

Tonight in the new Walmart in Zhuhai's Gongbei subdristrict, two young women discussed which beer to purchase. One of them even wore shorts with a patriotic design. I am not sure if they were looking for a Japanese brand, but I didn't see any. Interestingly, their final choice was a beer from Germany, another country which came out on the losing end of World War II.

Or maybe, like with the Japanese food, it had nothing to do with the holiday. Hard to say.

Running for Red Star: A Near Miss on an Old Street in Nanping

Yesterday while I stood in a narrow old road in Nanping Town, Zhuhai, a boy quickly ran by. As I tried to the capture the moment, something surprised both of us — an incoming man riding a scooter. The boy deftly responded.

Nobody was hurt, and life went on. I didn't expect to see the boy again, yet he soon returned running with a focused expression on his face. For a brief moment when I glanced down, I noticed the small bottle of Red Star erguotou he now carried. Presumably he had purchased it at a nearby small store for someone older, perhaps his father or grandfather, who would have more interest in strong alcohol than a typical boy. I would have asked, but clearly this was a boy on an urgent mission.

Tofu, Bud, and a Wobbly Doll: Killing Time on an Overnight Train in China

Not long ago, I felt inspired to make a long trip by overnight train instead of taking a plane. To pass some time during the evening portion of the ride, I decided to buy one of no-frills meals for sale from a passing cart. When I asked if there was a chicken option, the man pushing the cart looked at me like I was crazy. So like the last time I rode an overnight train, I paid 25 RMB (about U.S. $4) for the only option available. I also noticed beer in the cart. Although it was far from my favorite, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy a can of the unexpected brand for 10 RMB.

The meal was more substantial than my earlier overnight train meal, and the fried fish tasted just like the fish sticks I commonly ate as a kid. The tofu-like object tasted like tofu. The other stuff had flavors. And the beer had just as little taste as I expected, so I ordered a second one to wash down the first one. Overall I give the meal and the beer a passing grade, as they proved successful in helping me kill some time in a cramped space.

After sleeping, or finishing trying to sleep, the next day dragged on more than expected since the train arrived two hours late. But fortunately a friendly four-year-old girl provided some entertainment.

Better than the beer.

Needless to say, I am not in Shanghai at the moment. And I am not even sure where I will be tomorrow night. But I will be somewhere, and I will be moving forward with the various posts mentioned earlier, plus other posts, including one about a wonderful item I found in Shanghai for the first time which surprised me far more than finding American Budweiser as the sole beer for sale on a Chinese train.

The Starbucks Experience Now Available in Hengyang

Last year I saw a clear sign at a large shopping mall that Hengyang would soon have its first Starbucks.

Starbucks would offer an experience not available in Hengyang I could see people were craving, and I had little doubt this store would be a success. When I returned to Hengyang this month, the store was open.

On one Thursday afternoon, people apparently not enjoying Starbucks products occupied most of the outside space, but customers took up much of the available seating area inside.

While the store represents some of Starbucks incredible growth in China, it is also another sign of how Hengyang is changing. 

A Restaurant, Mojitos, and a Roller Coaster: Examples of Recent Change in Hengyang, China

Gaining a deeper understanding of regional variations is part of what has motivated me to examine a large number of cities in China. Gaining a deeper understanding of what can change over time is part of what motivated me to spend two months in Hengyang, Hunan province, last year and return for a look this year after 9 months away. Here, I'll share three changes I noticed which impacted personal experiences of mine. However, they touch on broader issues as well.


Somewhere Under the Bridge

The first case involves a restaurant which appeared in a subtle photo essay about an important date in Chinese history. Unlike most restaurants, it was located under a bridge.




I passed the no-frills restaurant many times last year and on a few occasions stopped for lunch.




The dishes were already prepared and kept warm while on display — no printed menu necessary. I typically selected at least one fish dish.





The prices were especially low, and typically the customers were surprised to see me eating there. One man asked why I didn't eat across the street, since he thought the food was better there. I didn't agree, although most people would consider the other restaurant to have cleaner and more upscale conditions. For me, the restaurant under the bridge had a special atmosphere — including a group of older men often sitting outside drinking baijiu during lunch.

I was looking forward to stopping by again this year. But when I approached the bridge, I felt momentarily confused. Not only could I not find the restaurant, the building which held it no longer existed.



Fortunately, Hengyang has many other restaurants, though I haven't seen another under a bridge.


Minted on Zhongshan Road

Towards the end of my time in Hengyang last year, a new drink shop opened on a shopping street that, unlike the restaurant under the bridge, was popular with youth. The shop featured mojitos — a rum-based cocktail with mint.



Most of the drinks were alcohol-free drinks, some similar to cocktails, but genuine mojitos were available. Mojitos aren't a common drink in Hengyang, or in many Chinese cities, and at an outside promotion they provided details on its non-alcoholic ingredients.



After inspecting their bottle of Barcardi rum, which was either genuine or a decent fake, I ordered a mojito for less than US $2 — hard to beat, especially since they were willing to be rather liberal with the rum. Honestly, I was most attracted by the fresh mint, something I hadn't seen in a while. I then enjoyed a riverside stroll with the drink. Unlike the U.S., in China one is free to walk around public areas with an "open container" of alcohol.

This year when I returned, I saw that the mojito shop was no more. But unlike the restaurant under the bridge, it had been replaced.



No rum or fresh mint, though. I can't say I am surprised.


Lost Tracks

In a more surprising case, I hoped to revisit a roller coaster I once compared to a historic roller coaster in the U.S. The cat & mouse themed roller coaster in Yueping Park had its charms.






As I approached the roller coaster walking on a winding path up a hill, something seemed amiss, and I briefly wondered if I had taken a wrong turn. I then realized the location for the roller coaster was now covered with newly planted trees.



Perhaps the park wanted a more natural look. The rooster and chicken walking around the edge of the area weren't talking. I would never ride a roller coaster here again, and I couldn't even drown my sorrows with a mojito.

Other changes in Hengyang also caught my attention. In some cases, the changes reflect issues which extend across China. I will share more examples of change and also some of what hasn't changed in later posts.