The Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army is commonly regarded as one of the Eight Wonders of the Ancient World and has received great international fame and praise throughout the years. In 1987 it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and has remained one of the most culturally significant sites in China since the day it was first discovered. The Terracotta Army is located 37 kilometres to the east of Xi’an city in the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses. The Army was established as part of the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China and the first person to unify the regions that make up modern day China. The history of the Terracotta Army is delicately intertwined with the history of China itself. A trip to the Terracotta Army rewards the visitor with a surreal, almost chilling, insight into what coming face to face with Qin Shi Huang’s formidable army would have been like.

Historian Sima Qian[1] recorded that the building of Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum began in 246 B.C., when the Emperor was only 13 years old, and supposedly took over 700,000 labourers and 11 years to complete. Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum was built on Mount Li because, with its rich gold and jade mines, it was considered a particularly auspicious location. The mausoleum was designed to protect the Emperor and provide him with everything he would need in the afterlife. Thus the mausoleum is a necropolis, an immemorial, stone representation of the palace that Qin Shi Huang occupied in life, with offices, halls, stables, towers, ornaments, officials, acrobats and, most importantly, a lifelike replica of his army. The presence of the necropolis was corroborated by Sima Qian, who mentions all of the features of the Mausoleum except, rather bizarrely, the Terracotta Army.

After the death of the Emperor in 210 B.C., the Mausoleum was hermetically-sealed and remained unopened for nearly 2,000 years. It wasn’t until 1974, when some farmers were attempting to dig a water-well near Mount Li, that Pit one of the Terracotta Army was accidentally unearthed. Archaeologists flocked to the site and began excavating the area, eventually discovering three more pits of Terracotta Warriors in the process. The warriors were all found arranged as if to protect the tomb from the east, which is where all of the states that were conquered by the Qin Dynasty lay. To date, approximately 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses have been uncovered from these pits.

Pit one of the Terracotta Army is still by far the most impressive, boasting 6,000 figures arranged in their original military formation. Pit two contains the cavalry and infantry units, as well as a few war chariots. It is thought to represent a military guard. Pit three is thought to be the command post since it contains high-ranking officers and a war chariot. Pit four has been left empty for unknown reasons, although it has been posited that perhaps it was simply left unfinished by its builders. Other non-military terracotta figures have been found in other pits, such as officials, acrobats and musicians, but these pits are not arranged in the same way as those containing the Terracotta Army.

What makes the Terracotta Army so brilliantly unique, on top of its impressive size, is the fact that every single figure is different. Their height, uniform and hairstyle are all different, depending on military rank, and the face of each warrior has been uniquely moulded based on a living counterpart. Originally the figures were all beautifully painted and held real weapons but tragically most of the paint flaked off when it was exposed to dry air during the excavation and the weapons had almost all been looted long before the site was excavated. In Pits one and two there is evidence of fire damage and it has been posited that Xiang Yu, a contender to the throne after the death of the first Emperor, may have looted the tombs, taken the weapons and attempted to destroy the army. Many of the current warriors on display have been pieced together from fragments as they were badly damaged when the roof rafters collapsed during the fire.

In spite of this unfortunate damage, some of the figures have maintained their colour, such as the famed Green-Faced Soldier[2] of Pit two, and some weapons, such as swords, spears, battle-axes, scimitars, shields, crossbows, and arrowheads, have been recovered from the pits. Some of the weapons were coated with a layer of chromium dioxide, which has kept them rust-free for nearly 2,000 years. Some are still sharp and carry inscriptions that date manufacture between 245 and 228 B.C., meaning they were used in combat before they were buried here.

It is important to note that each warrior was not moulded and fired as it is now but was crafted as part of the first known assembly line to have existed in the civilised world. The heads, arms, legs, and torsos of each warrior were created separately at separate workshops and then assembled later on. It is believed that originally only eight face moulds were used and then clay was added and sculpted onto the face after assembly to give each warrior their individual facial features. During the time these figures were being mass produced, each workshop was required to inscribe its name on whatever part it had made, which is how we know that each part of the warriors and other figures was manufactured separately.

When the British Museum held an exhibition of the Terracotta Warriors from 2007 to 2008, exhibiting a small selection of real figures from the excavation sites, it resulted in the most successful year they had since the King Tutankhamen exhibition in 1972. So popular and stunning are the Terracotta Warriors that they have attracted attention worldwide, bringing about some of the most successful exhibitions in the world, including one at the Forum de Barcelona in Barcelona and one at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. If the possibility of seeing them individually has managed to generate this much hype, imagine what it must be like to see them altogether, in military formation, in almost the exact same positions they were in when they were originally placed in their tombs.

The Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses and the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum have now been incorporated into one tourist attraction known as Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Park. There you’ll find regular free shuttle buses that will take you from the site of the Terracotta Army to Lishan Garden. Lishan Garden acts as the perfect complement to the Terracotta Army as it contains Qin Shi Huang’s burial mound, ritual sacrifice pits, the Museum of Terracotta Acrobatics, the Museum of Terracotta Civil Officials, the Museum of Stone Armour and the Museum of Bronze Chariots and Horses. The Museum of Bronze Chariots and Horses is a wonderful exhibition of all the figures found throughout the pits that are crafted from bronze rather than terracotta. They loom out of their glass cases, lifelike in their shimmering skin. The other museums are based around pits where terracotta figures are still being excavated and present the perfect opportunity to watch a live archaeological dig. The chance to watch the Terracotta figures being unearthed and thus the opportunity to watch history being made is one that we know you won’t want to pass up. The only area that is not open to the public and has not been excavated is the main tomb, where the Emperor’s remains rest. In spite of an on-going debate as to whether the tomb should be opened or not, it is universally thought that it will remain undisturbed as a mark of respect to the Emperor.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang wanted to build a monument to his achievements that would last throughout the ages. With his stunning Terracotta Army, whose popularity has not waned since they were unearthed, still standing in their original military formation as a testament to his prowess, I think you’ll agree that he achieved what he set out to do. Thanks to this incredible feat, China’s first Emperor has made himself truly immortal.

[1] Sima Qian (145–90 BCE): A Chinese historian whose most noted work was called “Shiji” or “Records of the Grand Historian”

[2] The Green-Faced Soldier: A single Terracotta Warrior whose face has inexplicably been painted green instead of pink

The Terracotta Army is one of the many wonderful stops on travel Explore the Silk Road in China and Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

Fujian-style Soup

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Fujian people cannot have a meal without soup. They may be the biggest “soup fans” in all of China. So Fujian chefs have a reputation for being soup experts.

fujian soup01Fujian-style soups are slightly different to Guangdong or Cantonese-style soups, which are also very famous. Cantonese-style soups are generally thicker and take longer to cook than Fujian-style soups. Since they are a staple dish in every meal for an average Fujian family, most of the homemade Fujian-style soups are easy to make. However, even the simplest Fujian-style soup has at least five ingredients. The mixture of ingredients used in any Fujian-style soup is considered by many to be a work of art. The combination of ingredients is not just chosen because of its delicious taste, but also because of its health benefits. Physical health is always the key aim for the Chinese when it comes to drinking soups.

 

 

Join our tour to taste Fujian-style Soup:  Explore the distinctive Tulou(Earthen Structure)

The Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau, sometimes referred to as the Huangtu Plateau, is made up of terrain that is unlike anywhere else in the world. The arid, dusty countryside, covered in sparse vegetation, looks almost surreal and certainly uninhabitable. Yet locals of Shanxi and Shaanxi province have made the Loess Plateau their home for hundreds of years. It is one of the focal destinations of the Silk Road and thus its presence and history is delicately intertwined with that of China’s development. Another fact is that it serves as a wonderful destination for tourists to experience a completely alien landscape that has morphed and adapted over thousands of years.

It is called the Loess Plateau because it is an elevated plain of flat land that is covered in loess. Loess is a type of soil made up of silt and sediment that has been deposited on the plateau over time by wind storms. This type of soil is very easily eroded by water and wind, making the landscape of the plateau very unstable and changeable. The Loess Plateau itself surrounds the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River and covers an area of approximately 640,000 km². To put this into perspective, it is roughly the size of the whole of Afghanistan. This massive plateau covers parts of Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia. The climate in the plateau is semi-arid, meaning the winters are cold and dry, while the summers are very warm and in many places can be very hot. The rainfall tends to be heavily concentrated in summer, bordering on monsoon-like, and the plateau receives a substantial amount of sunshine all year round.

loess plateau02The earliest records of this area are from people travelling along the Northern Silk Road. After the return of the explorer Zhang Qian during the first millennium BCE, the Han Dynasty began trading with the Western Regions by travelling through the southern part of the Loess Plateau, which formed part of the Northern Silk Road. They would exchange goods such as gold, rubies, jade, coral and ivory with bronze weapons, furs, ceramics and cinnamon bark.

In ancient times, the fact that the soil in the Loess Plateau was extremely fertile and easy to farm, coupled with the appearance of the Silk Road, meant that the Loess Plateau became heavily populated by farmers. These farmers took shelter in constructions known as Yaodong or Loess Cave Houses. These are houses that are carved directly into the cliff-face and are naturally air-conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter, meaning they are cheap and easy to live in. During the 1930s, the Communist Party led by Mao Zedong used several Yaodong in Yan’an as there headquarters and most Yaodong in China are still in use today.

The ancient Yaodong in the Loess Plateau are a must-see and are unlike any other building on earth. Their cultural significance dates back all the way to the Silk Road and leads right up to the Cultural Revolution. The fact that they are still used as homes today gives any visitor an insight into how people in ancient times would have lived and farmed crops or animals in the Loess Plateau. The Yaodong and the Loess Plateau act as a time-capsule that transports you back to what life was like after the establishment of the Silk Road.

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Join a travel with us to discover the amazing land view of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi Province: Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

Shaanxi Province

Shaanxi Province is often referred to as one of the birthplaces or cradles of Chinese civilization due to its incredible significance to China’s history and development. Its name is sometimes abbreviated simply to “Shan” or “Qin”. Over a period of 1,100 years, from the Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, 13 feudal dynasties set their capital in this province. The first dynasty to unify China, the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 B.C.), set its capital right at the heart of Shaanxi Province in the ancient city of Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an). Chang’an was considered one of the four great ancient capitals of China and was also an important hub along the Silk Road.

The name Shaanxi means “Land West of Shan” as “Shǎn” (modern-day Sanmenxia) was the ancient name of the narrow mountain pass where the Yellow River flows down from the Loess Plateau. In total Shaanxi borders eight official provinces, including Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia. Its geographical location has resulted in a stunning mixture of different terrains and climates. Geographically speaking, due to its diversity Shaanxi can be separated into Northern, Central, and Southern parts.

shaaxi locationNorthern Shaanxi is north of the Beishan Mountains and consists primarily of the Loess Plateau and the Maowusu Desert. It has cold and very dry winters, dry springs and autumns, and hot summers. Central Shaanxi, also known as Guanzhong, is the home of Xi’an and Mount Huashan. It is located south of the Beishan Mountains and north of the Qinling Mountains. This area enjoys cool to cold winters, and hot, humid summers. Southern Shaanxi is to the south of the Qinling Mountains and is well known for its stunning natural attractions, such as Nangong Mountain National Forest Park and Yinghu Lake. This area enjoys temperate winters and long, hot, humid summers. The annual mean temperature of the province is roughly between 8 to 16 °C (46 to 61 °F), plummeting to lows of up to -11 °C (12.2 °F) in the winter and reaching highs of up to 28 °C (82 °F) in the summer.

Shaanxi Province is renowned for its many historical sites, including the Terracotta Army, Zhaoling Mausoleum, Qianling Mausoleum, the Zhenbeitai section of the Great Wall, the Great Mosque, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, and the Great Wild Goose Pagoda to name but a few. It is also boasts its own unique styles of cuisine and is the birthplace of the famous Biángbiáng noodles, which are known as one of the “ten strange wonders of Shaanxi”. Other cities of import in Shaanxi, aside from Xi’an, include Baoji, Hanzhong, Lintong, Tongchuan, Xianyang, Yan’an and Ankang. If you want to know more about the origins of Chinese civilization, then you need to visit its source. You need to visit Shaanxi Province.

Join a travel with us to explore more about Shaanxi Province: Explore the Silk Road in China and Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

Fujian Province

Fujian Province, located in the Southeast of China, is one of the richest provinces in China, even though nearly 90% of the land is mountainous. Since it is a mountainous region, most of the fields in Fujian are not fit for farming, but this subtropical province is suitable for growing tea and fruits. The flourishing tea trade contributes a lot to the wealth of the residents of Fujian.

Fujian has a long coast, which in recent years has proved economically advantageous but in the past it meant that the province was frequently invaded by pirates. Fujian and Taiwan have longstanding ties since Fujian’s coast is directly opposite Taiwan and the Taiwan Straits. The Hoklo people that live in southern Fujian speak the same dialect as Taiwanese people. Nowadays, Fujian and Taiwan have many corporate alliances and trading between them has increased.

Historically, Fujian’s coastal position also brought on several periods of prosperity thanks to their seafaring prowess and their many ports for trading goods. However, when the Ming imperial court issued a ban on maritime trade that would last for 200 years, from the14th century right through to the 16th century,, Fujian suffered an almost complete economic collapse. Living in a mountainous region, the people of Fujian were not able to stave off the impending poverty through farming alone. So a large number of Fujian people were forced to migrate to other countries.

The history of Fujian is full of such immigrations and emigrations. Fujian people are regarded as some of the bravest people in China, as they are never afraid to venture outside of their homeland and fight for a new life wherever they end up. At the end of the 19th century, the hinterlands of Fujian experienced a sudden wave of emigrations. To avoid the impending poverty, more than a million people from Fujian immigrated to Southeast Asia, where their chances for survival were better. Nowadays there are many people in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore that can trace their lineage back to these Fujian immigrants. The custom of emigration seems to still be a common trend in Fujian. Nowadays, the people of Fujian still frequently try to migrate to other countries. Instead of immigrating to Southeast Asia, the vast majority of them now choose to go to Japan, America and Europe.

Although the people of Fujian have a habit of immigrating to other countries, out of all of the provinces in China, Fujian has maintained its traditional Han cultural heritage much better than the others. meanwhile other cultures from East Asia and even the West World also integrate with Han culture very well.

FUJIAN TEA FIELDSThanks to its location, Fujian has a subtropical climate, which means that it is often sunny, warm and it frequently rains there. This means it is also a wonderland of tropical fruits including oranges, pomelos, loquats, pineapples, lychees, longans (dragon’s eyes) and bananas.

Join our travel to discover the mysterious Fujian Tulou: Explore the distinctive Tulou(Earthen Structure)

Traditional Shanxi Dough Cuisine

There is an old saying in Shanxi province which states: “China has the best flour-based foods in the world, and Shanxi province has the best flour-based foods in China”. For over 2,000 years, the people of Shanxi have used their skill and imagination to develop more than 1,000 different kinds of flour-based dishes, so you’re bound to find something that suits your fancy! While noodles are regarded simply as a staple food in other parts of China, in Shanxi province they are the star attraction. The noodles can be pulled, torn, cut, rolled, or shaved to form a variety of shapes and sizes, which are in turn boiled, stir-fried, or quick-fried with a myriad of toppings and other ingredients. The signature dishes of Shanxi cuisine are characterised by their saltiness, with a touch of sourness endowed by the locally produced vinegar.

This special type of vinegar, known as Shanxi aged vinegar or Shanxi mature vinegar, is so integral to the local culture that there is even a Shanxi Vinegar Culture Museum located in Qingxu County! Although pork and chicken are used prolifically, lamb remains the most popular meat in the region and serves as a reminder of the strong cultural connections that the province has with the nomadic cultures of northwest Asia. For example, the most common dumpling filling in Shanxi is lamb mince with carrots, which you’ll struggle to find outside of the province. The signature dishes of Shanxi cuisine may not feature on any gourmet menus, but their traditional cooking methods and authentic flavours are sure to leave you in noodle heaven.

Knife-Cut Noodles (刀削面)

The act of making Knife-Cut Noodles is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the stomach! The noodles are produced by mounting a giant block of dough either on a washboard or simply hoisted over the noodle-cutter’s shoulder. Skilled noodle-cutter’s will use a special knife to deftly shave beautifully tapered noodles straight off the block of dough and into a pot of boiling water. It takes years to master the art, and an experienced chef can supposedly shave off noodles at a rate of 200 per minute! This has given rise to the local saying: “One noodle in the boiling water, one flying in the air, and one just being cut”. Another variation, known as Scissor Cut Noodles (剪刀面), involves using a giant pair of scissors to cut the dough instead.

The noodles are typically served in a mild meat-based broth that has been seasoned with a dash of Shanxi aged vinegar. They are then topped with a plethora of tantalisingly fresh ingredients, including cucumber, leek, mung bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, pickled green beans, cubed tofu, and pork slices. In some restaurants, the noodles may be served with a thick sauce that resembles a ragout. In a province known for its excellent noodles, these are the most popular, so use your noodle and try a bowl!

Kaolaolao (栲栳栳)

If you want to try something oat-tilly different, Kaolaolao might be just the noodle for you! Unlike other popular types of noodle in Shanxi province, the dough used in Kaolaolao is made from oat flour instead of wheat flour. The dough is kneaded and moulded into tubular-shaped noodles, which are long, wafer thin, and slightly light yellow in colour. Their unusual name is derived from their circular shape, as a “kaolao” is a traditional type of bucket used by farmers and made from bamboo sticks or willow twigs. Speaking of buckets, sampling these delectable noodles is definitely something you want to cross off your bucket list!

The noodles are placed side-by-side in a steamer and, from above, they resemble a neat little honeycomb. Once they are thoroughly steamed, they are served with one or more dipping sauces. Rich tomato and garlic sauce, fabulously tart Shanxi aged vinegar based sauce, or spicy chilli sauce all form a perfect accompaniment to these delicate noodles. Some restaurants offer an alternative variety known as Ganbian or “Dry-Fried” Kaolaolao, where the noodles are quickly dry-fried with a mixture of garlic, onion, and fiery chillies.

Sorghum Fish (高粱面鱼鱼)

Much like Cat’s Ear Noodles, Sorghum Fish are named for their shape rather than their content. The short, fat noodles are thought to resemble a school of plump fish, and are made using sorghum flour. It’s really that simple! This dish is particularly popular in the region surrounding the city of Xinzhou, where sorghum is a major crop. The sorghum dough is cut and rolled by hand into its distinctive shape before being steamed. Once the noodles are cooked through, they are usually served with a simple sauce made from Shanxi mature vinegar, although they are sometimes stir-fried with lamb and a smattering of fresh vegetables. Even in a landlocked province, you can still make fish the dish of the day!

Cat’s Ear Noodles (猫耳朵)

Don’t worry; no cats were harmed in the making of these noodles! Cat’s Ear Noodles are named for their distinctive shape, which supposedly resembles tiny cat’s ears. According to local legend, one day the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) dressed himself in ordinary clothes and hired a boatman from Shanxi province to take him to West Lake in Hangzhou. They suddenly became caught in a violent storm and the rains were so heavy that they had to stop their journey. After some time, the weather did not improve, and the Emperor was racked by a painful hunger.

He asked the old boatman for some food, and the boatman replied: “All I have is some flour, but I don’t have a rolling pin to make noodles for you”. The boatman’s daughter looked down at the little kitten in her arms and swiftly thought of an idea. She began making the noodles by hand and used her fingers to create small indents in each noodle. Once they were finished, the old boatman cooked them and served them to the Emperor with a simple sauce. The Emperor was overwhelmed by how tasty the noodles were and, when he asked the boatman’s daughter what she wished to call the dish, she decided on “Cat’s Ear Noodles”. When the Emperor returned to his palace, he hired her to be his chef and, from that day onwards, her family wanted for nothing. What a purr-fect ending!

To this day, traditional Cat’s Ear Noodles are made by hand and their characteristic shape is produced by the chef pressing their thumb into the dough until it naturally rolls up. Much like Knife-Cut Noodles, they can be served with a wide variety of soups or sauces, although they reputedly taste best when sautéed with cabbage, soy sauce, and Shanxi aged vinegar. After all, as the old saying goes, less is more!

Taste Traditional Shanxi Dough Cuisine on our travel: Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

Beijing Roast Duck

 

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Beijing roast duck is undoubtedly the most famous dish in Beijing and also the most popular in local restaurants, for both tourists and locals. Believe it or not, it actually originated from Shandong Province. A restaurant named Bianyifang created its own technique of closed oven roasting in 1416, then, in 1864, another restaurant, named Quanjude, improved on this technique and created their own technique of hung oven roasting, which is now the most popular method for roasting duck in Beijing today. Jujube wood, peach wood and pear wood are generally chosen as the fuel for the oven because they give off plenty of heat with little smoke and impart a fruity fragrance. However, if you want to try duck that has been cooked using the closed oven roasting technique, you can still go to Bianyifang, which still maintains its original technique of cooking duck.

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The best Beijing roast duck has crispy golden skin and meat that just melts in your mouth. To truly experience its mouth-watering flavour, first dip a slice of duck meat into some sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce, then wrap the slice in a soft pancake along with some slices of vegetables, such as spring onion and cucumber.

 

 

 

Join our tour to taste Beijing Roast Duck: Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

Beijing Traditional Snacks

Generally speaking, there are 11 well-known brands of traditional snack in Beijing and they have all been famous for nearly 600 years, usually since the first generation of the family that made them. Each of these brands of snack belongs to a family and has been run by said family across 3 to 6 generations.

 

Fragrant Fried-Flour TeaFragrant Fried-Flour Tea (Cha Tang)

Cha Tang is essentially made by adding hot water to fried flour. The fried flour is usually mixed with chestnut powder or lotus root powder, and instead of using sugar you can substitute it with osmanthus sugar.

Famous brand of fried-flour tea: Chatang Li

 

Rolling Donkeys (Lü Da Gun)

Rolling Donkeys are glutinous rice rolls that are mixed with sweet red beans and skinned using soybean flour.

rolling donkeys

Golden Pea Cake (Wan Dou Huang)

This special type of cake is made from white peas, which are mixed with sugar and osmanthus. It is smooth, cool and has a delightfully fresh taste.

yellow pea cake

Stuffed Sweet Rice Cake (Ai Wo Wo)

These cakes are made with glutinous rice and can contain a variety of different fillings, such as sesame seeds, peach kernels, and shelled melon seeds.

aiwowo

Bean Rolls (Yun Dou Juan)

These are made using bean flour and are filled with sweet red bean paste.

bean rolling

Famous brand that produces rolling donkeys, yellow pea cake, steamed rice cakes with sweet mixed-fillings and bean rolls: Niangao Qian

 

Fried Pouch Roll (Dalian Huo Shao)

This is a pouch-shaped roll with crispy skin and it is usually filled with traditional Chinese dumpling fillings such as leek and pork.

Famous brand of fried-pouch roll: Dalian Huoshao

fried pouch rolls

Boiled Mutton (Bai Shui Yang Tou)

To make this snack, the sheep’s head is boiled in water only, in order to maintain the mutton’s natural flavour. Salt is sprinkled on the mutton before it is served.

Famous brand of boiled mutton: Yangtou Ma

yangtouma

Savoury Tofu Pudding  (Dou Fu Nao)

It is made using very soft tofu and served with a paste that is usually made from a mixture of a plant called the Long Yellow Day Lily (Hemerocallis citrina), a fungus called the Wood Ear mushroom (Auricularia auricula-judae), other types of mushroom and eggs.

Famous brand of savory tofu pudding: Doufunao Bai

tofu pudding

Yogurt (Nai Lao)

This yogurt recipe is special because it follows the Mongolian way of making yogurt, and usually has raisins and melon seeds added to it.

Famous brand of yogurt: Nailao Wei

奶酪

Boiled Cow Stomach

In this dish, the slices of stomach taste tender and are usually served with a bowl of sesame seed paste.

Famous brand of boiled cow stomach: Baodu Feng

爆肚

Fried Flour Lumps with Vegetables (Chao Ge Da)

After being boiled in water, the lumps of flour are fried with beef, mutton pieces and vegetable slices.

Famous brand of fried flour lumps with vegetables: En Yuan Ju

Fried Flour Lumps with Vegetables

Stewed Mutton and Beef (Jiang Yang Rou, Jiang Niu Rou)

The meat is boiled for six or seven hours and the delicious, unique flavour is mainly thanks to its seasoning, which is a secret recipe made using several herbs.

Famous brand of stewed mutton and beef: Yue Sheng Zhai

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Baked Wheat Cake with Stewed Pork and Pig Offal (Lü Zhu Huo Shao)

This snack is really a challenge to try, yet it is probably the most common and popular snack in Beijing. To make this dish, pork and some pig offal are stewed in a special soup that contains several different herbs.

Famous brand of baked wheaten cake with stewed pork and pig offal: Xiao Chang Chen

Baked Wheaten Cake with Stewed Pork and Pig Offal

Tang Hu Lu

The original recipe uses Chinese hawthorn to form small balls, which are covered in sugar syrup, like a small toffee apple. Now, as well as Chinese hawthorn, various fruits can also be used.

Famous brand of tang hu lu: Tanghulu Guo

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Other famous Beijing traditional snacks:

fried cream cake

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almond curd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best place to try all of these traditional snacks is Jiu Men Xiao Chi, which is located in Xiaoyou Hutong, on Houhai’s northern fringe.

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Join our tour to taste Beijing Traditional Snacks: Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

Qikou

Nestled on the banks of the Yellow River to the east of the majestic Wohu Mountains, the village of Qikou was once one of the most prosperous settlements in Shanxi province. The name “Qikou”, which roughly translates to mean “moraine” or “a rock in shallow water”, may seem relatively uninspiring, but it is actually derived from the significance of the location that Qikou occupied along the Yellow River. It is at this point that the riverbed suddenly narrows from about 500 metres (1,640 ft.) to just 80 metres (262 ft.) in width, which forces the river into a tight channel and causes it to deposit a large amount of sediment on the riverbed. This in turn means this section of the river is impassable by boat. 

Historically, the Yellow River represented a vital waterway via which goods were transported between northern and southern China. In order to keep this transportation system running smoothly, Qikou became a major trading port where merchants would dock their ships and have their wares transported the rest of the way over land by camel or horse-drawn caravans. It rose to prominence during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, where it was widely recognised as one of the most important ports along the Yellow River. In its heyday, hundreds of boats berthed at its docks, over 200 hotels and 380 shops catered to its many visitors, and more than two thousand dockworkers laboured tirelessly in its myriad of warehouses. It remained a bustling trade hub until the 1940s, when water and caravan transport was gradually superseded by rail.

Although it may no longer be the glorious trade port it once was, Qikou is still a picturesque ancient town with many historic buildings that have been beautifully preserved. In order to protect them from flooding, many of these houses, known as “yaodongs” or “loess cave houses,” have been physically carved into the steep hillside along the banks of the Yellow River. Looming over these houses on a raised platform, the Black Dragon Temple is the ideal place to enjoy a panoramic view of town. The temple is dedicated primarily to two separate deities: the legendary Black Dragon; and Guan Yu, a military general from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) who was eventually deified.

Located about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Qikou, the small village of Lijiashan is renowned for its myriad of over 400 yaodongs carved into the cliff-face of Lijia Mountain. When Qikou began to flourish as a port town, many wealthy merchants living in the town decided, for the sake of safety, to build secret homes for their families deep within the mountains. Lijiashan was one of the settlements established for these merchant families, which is why the cave dwellings of Lijiashan are particularly lavish and elegantly decorated. After all, a man’s home is his castle!

Pingyao

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At the grand age of 2,700 years, Pingyao is one of the oldest cities in China and was once the financial centre of the entire country. The city was established during the reign of King Xuan (827-782 BC) of the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046–771 BC), although it had to be largely rebuilt in 1370, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was during this time that the city was expanded and its famed city walls were constructed. By the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), it was home to more than 20 financial institutions, which represented more than half of the total number in the entirety of China.

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The Jin merchants who owned these institutions swiftly rose to prominence and became the most important economic influence on Shanxi province. You could say their sudden wealth meant they were laughing all the way to the bank! Nowadays it is home to some of the most well-preserved ancient structures in the country, many of which are located on its picturesque Ming-Qing Street, and it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The City Walls

The city was built according to the typical layout of ancient Chinese towns, but also conformed to a traditional theory known as Bagua or the “Eight Trigrams”. To this end, the temples and government offices were located on both sides of the central axis, while the residential houses and commercial markets were in the town centre. This layout has been retained to this day, and the city is still home to some 50,000 residents. The ancient part of the city is surrounded by the city walls, which are 12 metres (39 ft.) high and stretch for 6 kilometres (4 mi) in length! The wall itself is heavily fortified, with four towers at its corners, 72 watchtowers, over 3,000 battlements, and a 4-metre (13 ft.) deep moat at its feet.

The walls are punctuated by six barbican gates in total, with one each on the north and south sides, and two each on the west and east sides. From an aerial perspective, this supposedly makes Pingyao look like a tortoise, with the west and east gates as the legs, the north gate as the tail, the south gate as the head, and the criss-crossing lanes within as the patterns on its shell. This has earned it the nickname the “Tortoise City”!

This resemblance is no accident, as tortoises are a symbol of longevity in traditional Chinese culture. It was believed that, by having city walls in the shape of a tortoise, this would ensure that the city would remain secure in perpetuity. Much like the tortoise and the hare, the slow and steady pace in Pingyao meant it definitely won the race! The city walls are in such great condition that visitors can still take a leisurely stroll along them to this day.

Exchange Houses

In ancient times, these city walls protected not only the people, but also the financial institutions that Pingyao eventually became famous for. Among these, the most renowned is known as Rishengchang or “Sunrise Prosperity”, which was established in 1823 and is thought to have been the first bank in China. During its heyday, Rishengchang controlled nearly half of the silver circulating in the country. It may have traded in silver, but it was worth its weight in gold!

Rishengchang

The need for piaohao or “exchange houses” such as Rishengchang arose when traders began using silver coins during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Rampant banditry meant it was unsafe for merchants to carry large sums of silver with them as they travelled, so these exchange houses were able to provide money transfers, accept deposits, and give out loans. While Rishengchang’s base was in Pingyao, it founded branches in major cities throughout China, Japan, Singapore, and Russia, and used bank drafts to move money from one branch to another.

It managed to maintain its prosperity for a staggering 109 years, until it tragically went bankrupt in 1932 due to the advent of modern banking. The development of Rishengchang is considered so integral to the economic history of China that its original head office was restored and converted into a museum in 1995. It was even immortalised in the 2009 film Empire of Silver, about a wealthy banking family living in Pingyao during the turn of the 20th century. From the silver trade to the silver screen, Rishengchang was destined to shine!  (Find more stories about Jin Merchants.)

Temple of the City God

Alongside the city walls and Rishengchang, the other major attractions within the ancient city are the County Government Office and the Temple of the City God. While the County Government Office was designed to rule the “yang” of the human world, the Temple of the City God held sway over the “yin” of the spiritual world. These two buildings were placed on the same street in order to balance each other out, with the office in the west and the temple in the east. The County Government Office was originally built in 1346, during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and is the largest of its kind in China. It represented a vast complex containing the home of the local magistrate, various offices, a prison, a court, meeting rooms, and a scenic garden.

In the same vein, the Temple of the City God is comprised of several decorative courtyards and magnificent halls. This Taoist temple was constructed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and, unlike other city god temples in China, it honours the God of Wealth and the Kitchen God as well as the City God of Pingyao. While it is a popular tourist attraction in the city, it should be noted that it remains an active house of worship and is frequently visited by residents eager to appease their local deity!

 

Outside the city walls, two other temples have been included as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple. Shuanglin Temple was built in 571 AD and is renowned for the more than 2,000 coloured clay statues that bedeck its halls, which were crafted between the 13th and 17th centuries. Similarly, Zhenguo Temple was constructed in 963 AD and boasts a number of magnificent sculptures that date all the way back to the Northern Han Dynasty (951–979). In short, Pingyao may not have the notoriety of the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, but its historical pedigree is beyond compare!

 

Join a travel with us to explore more about Pingyao Old Town: Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages