World Mind Sports Games – Getting to know Beijing

Since all those bridge players are in Beijing, I thought it might be fun to talk about some interesting things in Beijing.

Beijing is the bicycle capital of the world.  There is a lot of bike theft.  Many of the bikes are old or beaten up but even they have locks. 

Another one of Beijing’s interesting is the use of bicycle locks as a security device.  The picture shows a glass door with some extra security, a bicycle lock.

 

Tea is the drink of choice in Beijing and it needs to be drunk as often as possible.  That sounds like my kind of place.  I drink at least 8 cups of tea a day.  So many people in Beijing use a tea jar (which I first noticed last year in Shanghai)

It is  a jar filled with tea and tea leaves.  It is made of transparent glass or plastic so you can show off exactly what kind of wicked tea you’re brewing.  The ones I saw in China had what looked like a little forest growing in them.

Another common site is the use of inflatable arches as marketing signs, most of them in red or occasionally yellow.

  

Of course there are the many people that will stop Westerners on the street to sell them just about anything.  Among them are the gallery girls (occasionally boys). 

These girls tell you that they are studying art or English at university and that their school has an exhibition nearby and urge you to come see it.  They are actually trying to hustle you to a store where they sell you art or souvenirs often at somewhat inflated prices.

 Apparently Beijing is extremely noisy and often the same background music is played over and over again.  Another sight are the street vendors selling their wares.  Below are baked sweet potatoes.  My own rather crazy digestive system won’t allow me to eat such items but I have heard from friends that they can be quite good.

Sweet baked potatoes 

and of course the traditional lanterns