MARKETS of TIANJIN Get Your Haggle on See P2
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tj Tianjin reviews, events and information MARKETS OF TIANJIN Get Your Haggle On See p2 THE BUZZ TRANSPORT WHAT A RELIEF A Tianjin bus driver recently made a toilet map to correspond with his bus route in response to passengers’ ongoing bathroom needs. Driver Wei Weizhi created the map after an embarrassed senior relieved himself on the bus after asking where the the nearest toilet was located. Wei spent two months visiting all 34 stops on the 903 bus route to find the nearest public bathroom to each stop. His goal was to make things more convenient for his passengers. The restrooms – 30 in total – are marked on the normal bus route map by a red circle. Wei’s telephone number is also printed – just in case there are any location changes. RANDOM NUMBER ENTERTAINMENT METRO-POLE-ITAN Tianjin Metro riders were treated to an impromptu pole dance show last month after an unidentified foreigner put on a 20-minute performance on Line 2. The show, which began around 9pm, lasted for eight metro stops. When photos of the dance appeared on Weibo, netizens questioned woman doing the same wouldwhether provoke a Chinese a similar positive reaction. Tianjin …is the number of new food waste treatment stations being built Metro authorities advised 7 commuters against its food waste processing needs, according to Tianjin Daily. Each copying the woman, in Tianjin. The city will be the first in China able to fully meet all of station can treat seven tons of food waste per day and will serve due to the possibility of surrounding businesses and communities. injury. July/August 2016 1 COVER STORY As a trading port city, it’s no surprise that Tianjin is full of markets. There are places you can haggle over the price of a television remote and spend hours traipsing aisles of cheap and colorful goods. There are curiously named places like ‘Taobao Street.’ There are places of both life and commerce. So, whether you’re looking for antiques, local snacks, fashionable (and unfashionable) clothing or flowers – Marketswe’ve got you coveredof with our Tianjinselection of the city’s best markets. A GUIDE TO SHOPPING IN THE CITY BY DOMINIQUE WONG PHOTOS BY HOLLY LI 2 July/August 2016 HAIMEN CULTURAL SHOPPING MARKET The market’s proper name may be Haimen Cultural Shopping Market due to its location by the river, but we prefer the affectionate moniker ‘Grandma’s Market.’ Although we came up with the nickname because of Haimen’s proximity to our photographer’s grandma’s house, it seems particularly appropriate, given that the small shops selling tasteful clothing for men, women and children. The clean European-style building is rather inviting,market’s and offerings we see are plenty skewed of designs towards that more would mature delight tastes. mom Split and into dad. three The sections,other two the sections first is housemade upa massive of food market and assorted goods markets. The fruit is cheap and the offerings exhaustive. Look out for the power drills, jade bracelets, TV remotes and rocks. If you are after a one-stop shop, try Grandma’s Market for a picturesque and comprehensive shopping experience. Daily, 8:30am-7:30pm; hours vary; Jinjiang Lu, Hebei 海门购物文化市场 河北区江都路岷江桥 (近满江道) CAO ZHUANGZI FLOWER MARKET Go West, they said. So we did – and we implore you to do the same. Gigantic interconnected glasshouses await you: greenery for miles and succulents galore. It’s a gardener’s paradise, but those who simply want to brighten up their rooms (RMB1,000+), tree or rock, or pick a pot of fragrant lavender or cacti. Need some outdoorwith a plant furniture? or two Caowill Zhuangzi’salso find something got it. Meanwhile, to suit. You the can building go big next with door a fountain is full of fresh flowers at ridiculously low prices. We’re talking an enormous bunch of orchids for RMB35, a generous gift bouquet of flowers for RMB120 – that kind of subwaything. While stop theand prices market are (a competitive, distance ably note covered that thereby a RMB5 seems tuk-tuk to be limited ride) there variety is aon large offer. mall The and flower children’s market park, is a bit ensuring ‘out there,’ fun forliterally, all. but between the closest Daily, 9am-5pm; Cao Zhuangzi, Xiqing 曹庄子花卉市场 西青区曹庄子 July/August 2016 3 Located in busy downtown Tianjin, Nanshi Food Street stands out, due to the ancient- NANSHI FOOD looking building resembling a palace. Inside, a rich array of food shops are spread through the market’s four quarters, while upstairs houses a number of sit-down STREET restaurants serving cuisine from all around the country (with a few international to satisfy even the fussiest diner. Visitors can try traditional Tianjin snacks such as the goubulioptions steamedfor good stuffedmeasure). bun, With erduoyan over 100 fried food cake shops and crispyand restaurants, deep-fried Nanshi dough istwist. bound There are tourist vibes, sure, and the decor is in need of refreshment (it looks like the place hasn’t been refurbished since the 80s). But, all food considered, it’s still a cool place to check out. If nothing else, you can stock up on local snacks for friends and family back home. Daily, 6am-11pm; Shenyi Dajie, Heping 南市食品街 和平区慎益大街 SHENYANG DAO ANTIQUES MARKET Shenyang Dao Antiques Market brings Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley to mind. There is a sense of magic in the air as friendly shopkeepers peddle old wares and treasures in winding alleys. A bounty of revolutionary memorabilia, trinkets, furniture, clocks and more await the keen antique eye. Are the goods real or fake? Probably a bit of both. if you’re on a budget, RMB10 dried corn necklaces, we can only surmise that these are someBut with real RMB200-ly good deals.pieces Locals of broken say thatporcelain that Thursdays (“from the are Yuan the dynasty,” best time we’re to visit told) (or or, worst, depending on how you deal with crowds), as the number of vendors increases to pack out the place. Daily, 8am-5pm; Shenyang Dao, Heping 沈阳道古玩市场 和平区沈阳道 4 July/August 2016 DA HUTONG That’s ‘da’ as in ‘big’, rather than slang for ‘the’. And big it is. Encompassing four buildings – each with four levels – as well as outdoor stalls, Da Hutong is the largest wholesale market in Tianjin. A hive of activity, the area is vibrant and, like all good markets, a bit messy. Trolleys are piled high with brightly colored underwear; samples of local peanut candy are willingly doled out; and rubbish (within reason), Da Hutong stocks it – and at super-low prices. The goodsdots the on sidewalk offer include after baby a day gear, of trade. cosmetics, Whatever kitchenware, you’re looking household for buy nail polish for RMB7 and have a thoroughly good time. The marketappliances, closes clothing, reasonably accessories early though, and stationery. so get there You with can eattime snacks, to spare and bargain to your heart’s (or wallet’s) content. [Note: as we went to print we heard news reports that Da Hutong will soon be Daily, 9.30am-5pm; 104-244 Beima Lu, Hongqiao 大胡同 红桥区北马路104-244号 relocated to Wangdingdi] TAOBAO STREET If you are young, looking for fun or simply enjoy the atmosphere of a closely packed market, check out Taobao Street, where you can pick up cute T-shirts emblazoned with tongue-in-cheek slogans (we particularly waimao attire (labeled clothes that are typically withlike ‘PSYCHO’) small shops or thanquality a street. But with 20-kuai gym bags and NBA- exported for sale). The indoor market is more of a colossal garage filled shopkeeper tells us) it’s as if Taobao Street really is Taobao: the sounds of dealsprinted being socks made selling are for like RMB15 clicks of (“these a computer are really mouse, expensive while theonline,” quality a of the gear on offer is just as suspect. But there are many gems hidden away here, with one store near the back of the long ‘street’ selling quality brands such as 'Calvin Klein' at discounted – yet not absurdly cheap – prices. Daily, 9.30am-5pm; 59 Jintang Lu (close to Ren Ren Le Supermarket) 名家淘宝 街 津塘路59号(近人人 乐超市) July/August 2016 5 BAZNDEI Eat Your Art Out Yunnan is a province that has inspired countless artists: There are the winding al- the diversity of dishes found in leyways of Lijiang, the soaring peaks of Tiger the(RMB150 region. per person) reflects Leaping Gorge, the sights and sounds of We start off with liang cai Kunming. All these scenes have been immor- (cold dishes), which include marinated food. Excitingly, the cocktail menu here was talized in literature, poetry and mushrooms and lightly seasoned bean designedAnd there’s by Le more Procope’s to Bazndei’s Kevin Wang. menu It’sthan a paintings. sprouts. Then comes the meat. A bowl of multi-page affair, featuring Yunnan ingredi- ents such as Pu’er tea, fresh mint and citrus. newest Yunnan restaurant, features some of pepper. Fried pork is served alongside sliced We enjoy a lovely lemongrass cooler, which theseAnd paintings so it’s fitting on its that very Bazndei, walls. Tianjin’s potatoes.diced chicken The staroverflows of it all with is a sliceslarge tilapia,of fiery served on a banana leaf in classic Yunnan food down with a delightfully fresh passion bustle of Joy City’s ‘Imagination Factory’ style. We rip hunks off the slender bones un- fruitis fizzy, juice. light An and extensive refreshing wine and list wash is also our (theBazndei small cobbledis a haven street of tranquility full of restaurants in the til there is meat no more.