Local Market Part 2: Spices, Tea and Various Shops.

This blog post is the second part of the local market post (See Local Market Part 1: Vegetables, Seafood and Meats).

Entrance to Market

This picture was taken near the entrance of the market. Since it is Sunday there are only a few people at the market. Normally the streets are packed with people, cars, bikes, etc.

Vendor Selling Drinks and Nuts

Spice Vendors

The spice vendors are grouped in the corner by the entrance and it is a fun place to visit because the strong aroma of the spices smells so good.

Cicadas for Sale as Pets

I the liked woven cages the vendors use to sell the cicadas. People will buy cicadas and hang them up near their store because they like the sound they make. (When you walk through the small parks in Beijing it is incredible how loud they are.)

Child and Nut Stand 

A child trying to get a "five finger discount" on some nuts while his parents watch with amusement.

Eggs for Sale

Even with the multitude of shops in the market selling food, in China there is always room for an aspiring entrepreneur.

Maybe a Paifang (牌坊) ?

As you walk down the road in the market, you cross these grand arches. I assume these were once the entrances, but over time the market expanded. Or I wonder if they are gates that divided the market into sections. Either way, I thought they were interesting and here is a link for more information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paifang

LS's Favorite Store

I thought it was interesting that the market had a warehouse that just sold candy and alcohol, it is a peculiar paring.

Tea Spill Tray and Tea Cups

LS and I both enjoy drinking tea so we decided to sample some of the teas in the "tea warehouse". We sat down and thought the vendor would simply make us some tea. Having drank tea for many years, I was aware of the Chinese Tea Ceremony (茶藝). The ceremony is unique in that the preparation and presentation are equally as important as the drinking of the tea. However, I had never seen it before and it was fun to see the vendor go through the ceremony.

Expensive High Quality Tea for Sale in Decorative Packaging