Chinese Language Blog

You know, they say time flies when you’re having fun. Well, the last year has gone by in a flash, and I’ve had tons of fun writing and producing videos for Transparent Chinese in that time. Throughout the past year, the blog has seen videos about many different aspects of life in China: festivals, traveling, culture, food, and so much more. A complete list of videos can be found HERE, on our YouTube page. If you’re relatively new to the Chinese blog, and you haven’t been following my video posts over the past year, here are a few of my personal favorites for you to get started with.

A Rainy Day in Beijing

This is the first video I posted to the Chinese blog, and it includes a trip to the Planning and Exhibition Hall in Beijing on a rainy day. Here, you can check out a miniature model of the entire city of Beijing.

It’s So Stupendous, Riding the Beijing Tube

Ever wondered what it’s like riding the busiest subway line in Beijing at rush hour? Well, wonder no more!

Wang Fu Jing Night Market (王府井夜市)

One of the most popular tourist destinations in all of China, Wang Fu Jing features plenty of shopping, and even more eating. Stroll along the Night Market, and check out some interesting snacks, such as silkworms, ostrich, and scorpions.

Taste of a Mule

Speaking of interesting snacks, one of Beijing’s favorite treats is the 驴肉火烧 (donkey meat sandwich). Delicious and cheap, this delicacy makes for a great lunch.

Santa Con Beijing

What happens when 100 Santa Clauses invade China’s capital city? Find out in this short highlight video of the annual Santa Con extravaganza that takes over Beijing every December.

Chinese Valentine’s Day/Night of Sevens Festival (七夕节)

Learn about the history of this ancient Chinese festival, which is celebrated in a fashion similar to Valentine’s Day in the West these days.

From Jiankou Great Wall to Mutianyu

Hike from the old, unrestored Great Wall at Jiankou to the modern, tourist-friendly section of Mutianyu.

Beijing Roast Duck (北京烤鸭)

China’s most famous dish, the Beijing roast duck was a favorite amongst Chinese royalty in the past, and remains one of the most popular dishes in the entire country to this very day. In this video, pay a visit to Beijing’s finest kao ya dian, Da Dong.

Harbin

The capital city of the northeast province of Helongjiang (黑龙江), Harbin (哈尔滨) is icy cold in the wintertime. Thanks to its below freezing temperatures, the city plays host to an Ice and Snow Festival every year. In this two part series, join me on a visit to both the ice and snow parks, as well as the tiger park on the outskirts of the city.

Summer Activities

Summertime is tons of fun in Beijing, as you will realize in this short video highlighting some of the more fun activities that can be enjoyed during the warmer months.

There you have it… my Top 10 of the Transparent Chinese videos over the past year. Thanks to all of our readers for your continued support, and I hope you’ll all enjoy the posts and videos in the next year even more!

If you are feeling adventurous, the WangfuJing Snack Street or 王府井小吃街 (wángfǔjǐngxiǎochījiē) in downtown Beijing is an place to try new and exotic foods. Located just northeast of Tiananmen and the Forbidden Palace, 王府井 is a bustling area of 老北京 (old Beijing) coupled with massive and newly constructed mega-shopping complexes and hotels. For most people visiting or 参观 (cānguān) Beijing, you’ll probably find yourself lodging, dining and being shuttled through this area often.

The prices are a little steep compared to the rest of Beijing, but nowhere else can you find such an eclectic mixture of foods you didn’t think existed. I talked about 串儿 in much detail already, but there is much more to 王府井 than just meat on a stick. Like these scorpions or 蝎子 (xiē zi), which are coated in oil and deep fried (while still alive).

Mmmm….tastes like a cross between chicken and popcorn.

Wangfujing specializes in a variety of strange things, skewered and cooked on a stick. They have everything from starfish to sea-snakes, and almost every kind of insect imaginable, coated in sauce and bbqed for your snacking pleasure. If scorpions don’t float your boat, here are some other treats that I recommend trying next time you visit Wangfujing Snack street):

Fried Ice Cream （炒冰淇淋 bīngqílín)

Grilled Oysters on the halfshell （半牡蛎 banmǔlì)

Rock “rich and influential" crab （富贵蟹 fùguìxiè）

Steamed buns （包子 bāozi)

Or you can chow down on some creepy crawlies

Bargaining or 谈判 (tán pàn), while not very common-place in western society, is a staple of Chinese shopping. While super markets, malls and mega-shopping stores are becoming more common-place in China, street markets, bazaars, expos and old fashion mom and pop stores are still the places to shop when looking for a discounted price or just a way to pass the time. The reason for this is simple: you spend hours walking around, searching a smorgasbord of miss spelled clothing, and slightly used knick knacks for that thing you just have to have–only to spend 5-10 minutes bargaining over a mere 5 kuai (about 65 cents) before it can be yours. Sure, time is money (时间就是金钱), and that’s why you need to hone your bargain skills.

Most foreigner’s I’ve met in China take a while to come around to bargaining, but usually fall in love with it after their Chinese begins to improve. Some, on the other hand, still absolutely hate it and see it as a waste of time…go figure. To be honest, it’s really dependent upon your personality (个性) and your willingness to endure and stay patient（耐心）。You probably will be yelled at (but fear not that’s the way sales works there), likely you’ll have you arm grabbed or your walkway blocked by a excited sales person，and possibly be insulted or threatened…don’t worry all this means you’re doing well.

When I first started street bargaining, I was exhausted within 20 minutes and completely terrified by the hordes of people fervently trying to get my attention. However, I soon realized that with the right skills, vocabulary and patience, I could get anything I wanted for dirt cheap.

Here’s some tricks I found very helpful in the process:

First, never ever show money or have your wallet out until you’re about to pay. This isn’t just to avoid being pick-pocketed, but also shows that you aren’t that interested and maybe are less wealthy than your foreign looks would entail (Often I would tell them “我是大学生，我真的没有那么多钱 [I don’t have much money because I’m a college student] or the simpler我是穷人 ［I’m poor]. However, be careful with the last one, making sure your tones and pronunciation are correct, as 穷人 （poor person) sounds similar to 凶人 (monster) when a learning foreigner utters it (This I know from experience and led to many jokes and smiles on my first few trips out on the street markets).

Second, always have a fixed price in your head of what you are willing to spend. This helps for the later bargaining process, because odds are you’re willing to spend more than you can get it for. I’ve heard this as ‘the rule of three’ from other foreigners, meaning, a vendor will often sell you the good three (and sometimes up to six) times what a everyday citizen (人民) would pay for it. Usually I ask for a price, laugh upon hearing it and then either pretend to walk away or say “太贵了，不宰我，给我便宜一下” or “That is too expensive, don’t rip me off, give me a cheaper price”. This will usually lead to a bargaining war which may or may not involve the use of calculators. Stick with the rule of three price, pretend to walk away, or tell them “我会看一看别的东西，可能回来” or “I will take a look at other goods and maybe I’ll return”. This is a devastatingly effective trick （厉害）because a) it will instantly show whether or not the vendor was cheating you out of a price and b) it will tell you if other vendors on the street have the same goods for sale.

Third, if possible bring a “bargain buddy” “谈判朋友” to help you tag team the vendors. The trick is to use vendors against each other, often yelling back and forth to one another in Chinese about who’s offering a better price. If a vendor is refusing to give you a fair price, signal your buddy to come over and in Chinese have them tell you the quality seems bad （质量很底）or that someone else down the street gave him a better deal. It’s not fool proof, but it often works and really helps you practice your Chinese. You can also get group discounts when bargaining, so having one or more buddies around gives you more leverage (影响 yǐngxiǎng) if you’re willing to buy in quantity.

(My 谈判朋友 being assaulted by a 服务员 at Yashow Market. She was much more flexible on price cuts after he agreed to let her touch his foreign hair.)