Halloween in China

So! You think that Halloween is not observed in China? Well - guess again!

Yesterday, I made my weekly pilgrimage to Zhongshan City to eat sushi - yes, there are sushi restaurants in China - and what did I discover at the shopping mall? That’s right! Halloween decorations!

Just when I think that I have witnessed everything that makes China seem more western - clothes, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, rap music - then another thing comes along - Halloween! Oh by the way, the past few days on TV, American horror movies! Last night was Resident Evil and Poltergeist.

Now I am beginning to wonder if I should buy some candy this afternoon. Just in case the little goblins or ghouls show up and start knock, knocking, knocking on my door. And who knows, if nobody shows up, maybe I will go “trick or treating” or maybe put a jack-o-lantern outside my door.

Tags: China, Halloween, horror movies, Zhongshan

Let's go Shopping-Wang Fu Jing AvenueBeijing-Day 1

This photo is only about 1/8 of the street. This place is huge!

So after a day of standing in line at TianAnMen Square, touring the Forbidden City and all of it’s museums, waiting for our tour bus to arrive 2 hours late and enjoying dumplings and roast lamb at one of Beijing’s dumpling restaurants, a quick vist to Beijing’s BeiHai Park, we were whisked away to Wang Fu Jing Avenue - Beijing’s premiere shopping district.

This area, crowded with people, is a “street” that is closed off to vehicle traffic. You can cross the street without the fear of being ambushed by any type of gas-burning conveyance.

The only thing you have to fear is people, lots of people! People walking, people moving, people jostling - yeah let’s not forget jostling. Bumping, shoving, pushing, laughing, talking, spitting (Chinese people love to spit), snorting, coughing, smoking, shopping, reading, resting, haggling, eating, eating and walking, eating and haggling, eating and reading, eating and (Chinese people love to eat). People!

Stores, stores, stores - Hat stores, clothing stores, restaurants, fast food restaurants, American fast food restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds), a 7 story shopping mall, silk stores, gift stores, book stores, all kinds of stores, more stores than you can imagine….wow!

Tags: China, China cities, Beijing, travel, China travel, shopping, China shopping