...or Starfish, Larvae, Scorpions
COLIN SIMPSON
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing, China
THE UK TV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! is famous for asking stars of various wattage to eat grubs, bugs and other vile fare. But what do you do if you’re not a former football manager or written-out soap star – where do you get your sickly snacks then?
In Beijing the answer used to be the Donghuamen Night Market in the Wangfujing district near Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
The stalls offered a wide range of specialities, many of them skewered on sticks. They included scorpions, sea urchins, starfish, crickets, sheep’s testicles, larvae, lizards and, perhaps most shockingly, sea horses.
A while after we left Beijing it was reported that the market was to close because of concerns about noise, poor hygiene and traffic congestion. A photographer friend who was working In Beijing at the time tells me he covered the closure, though scorpions on sticks are still on sale today in a nearby side-street.
Though it was called a night market, the stalls were open during the day. Here’s Sue checking out the exotic offerings. Most of the items were displayed raw and could be cooked to order.
Foods that would seem unusual in the West can be found in many parts of China – for example, chicken feet are regarded as a delicacy in many mainstream restaurants.
MORE INFO
WHEN WE LIVED in Beijing we read The Beijinger, a listings and entertainment magazine that’s a good place to find out about new places to eat. READ MORE
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LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!
Fancy Some GRUB?
...or Starfish, Larvae, Scorpions
COLIN SIMPSON
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing, China
THE UK TV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! is famous for asking stars of various wattage to eat grubs, bugs and other vile fare. But what do you do if you’re not a former football manager or written-out soap star – where do you get your sickly snacks then?
In Beijing the answer used to be the Donghuamen Night Market in the Wangfujing district near Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
The stalls offered a wide range of specialities, many of them skewered on sticks. They included scorpions, sea urchins, starfish, crickets, sheep’s testicles, larvae, lizards and, perhaps most shockingly, sea horses.
A while after we left Beijing it was reported that the market was to close because of concerns about noise, poor hygiene and traffic congestion. A photographer friend who was working In Beijing at the time tells me he covered the closure, though scorpions on sticks are still on sale today in a nearby side-street.
Though it was called a night market, the stalls were open during the day. Here’s Sue checking out the exotic offerings. Most of the items were displayed raw and could be cooked to order.
Foods that would seem unusual in the West can be found in many parts of China – for example, chicken feet are regarded as a delicacy in many mainstream restaurants.
Not everything was likely to make you feel nauseous – we managed to find this stall stocked with healthy-looking fruit.
July 2019
MORE INFO
WHEN WE LIVED in Beijing we read The Beijinger, a listings and entertainment magazine that’s a good place to find out about new places to eat. READ MORE
RELATED
LUNCH AT THE WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT: Beijing’s TRB Hutong has been named TripAdvisor’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the World. So what makes it so special? READ MORE
MUSEUM QUALITY FOOD: The Chinese province of Sichuan takes its distinctive style of cooking very seriously — so much so that it has set up a museum devoted to the subject… READ MORE
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WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
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