Buying Bottled Water
by machomikemd
Off course, when touring other countries, it is best to buy bottled water whether it is mineral water, purified water or spring water and in beijing it is no different eh. A Bottle of Mineral water here varies on where you buy it. if from convenience stores, it's about 5 RMB and on Restaurants about 8-10 RMB and on Restaurants and tourist sites, About 1 RMB at Supermarkets for a 500 cc bottle. (note the price disparities). 1 liter or above is about 2 RMB in Supermarkets, 10 RMB in Tourist Areas and 8 RMB in Convenience stores and 15 RMB in Bars and Restaurants. Softdrinks are cheaper! since beijing imports it's water from nearby provinces since it has a limited supply.
Art Creation -- paper-cut
by wwliu
Papercut is an art form originally created in China. Around the first century A.D., the Chinese invented that most flexible, versatile and adaptable of materials -- paper. The first papercut can be traced date back to the period known as the Northern and Southern Dynasties (A.D. 386-581). In the T'ang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906) papercuts are the subject of a poem by the poet Ts'ui Tao-yung and from other sources of this period they are described as being used to decorate plants and worn by ladies in their hair in form of butterflies and flowers. Here are some sample of Chinese Papercuts.
Today, many Chinese people still do it . It become to an art what is more and more attentive. In northern of Shanxi, Shanxi and Hebei, women who are unschooled can cut paper by superb. They have labor all life and all theme of paper-cut are labor and life. Without any designing or roughdrawing, what they thought is what they cut. This cut skill is going to extinct that society is enhancing protection.
I hope after hundreds years, thousands years, our posterity would see so pretty paper-cut and know how to do it.
Ceramics market
by schwein
Walking to the Temple of Heaven, the girl and I stumbled upon a medium sized ceramics market, to the side of a park.
The market is located to the north of the eastern Temple gate. Just follow that road up, it's on the left.
Prices were good, as it's away from the main tourist area downtown. Bargain hard!
Shop amongst the Locals
by junkgirl about Xidan Shopping Area
Shopping in Xidan can be a bit overwhelming due to the large crowds especially on weekends but this is more non-touristy shopping compared to Wangfujing and as a result, prices can be lower.
You can get a glimpse of how the locals shop and what they buy.
There are a few department stores such as TImes Square, besides the shops on the streets. We also went into a multi-level market type store selling clothings and bric-a-bracs. It is somewhere in Xidan (in Xidan, it is sometimes hard to know which direction you are in amongst the sea of people)
One thing we found intersting about the department stores in Beijing is that the number of floor levels is unbelievable, at least 4-5 levels for a standard store. You'd think you have arrived at the last level after 4 up-escalators to find that there is still another escalator leading up! Anything you fancy..there is no should. Things can be cheap but can be expensive too. Shop around before actual purchase to get an idea of the price because you might find that thing you just bought to be 50% cheaper somewhere else.
Orange
PARTYING LIKE THERE'S...
by omar_samra
Orange
PARTYING LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW AT NEW YEAR'S EVE.
Club Orange is pretty new and is a very trendy and fun place to be. The crowd is mostly Chinese and Japanese with a few foreigners around.
The club has 2 rooms and plays both hip hop in one and funky trancy style music in the other. There was 2 live shows when i went (New Year's eve). A group of Chinese/Japanese rappers rapping in English and Chinese, who were awesome. As well as a gorgeous singer who sang over some wicked tunes the DJ was mixing. Not looking you would think it was part of the track, i was really impressed.
Overall, definetly a TOP NIGHT!! Anything goes i think. I wasn't too dressed up and my friend wore a tracksuit bottom and a t-shirt. Although many people are very fashionable. We were just the scruffy travellers.
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Near Hu Tong
A little bit of decor
What a beautiful alley in a tower, don't you agree
inside
