(Revisit) China New Year and Fireworks
China | Revisit | 9 day |
It’s been almost 6 years since I was last in China, and I’m so glad to be back!
Trip to Tianjin
Tianjin is a city that I am exploring on this trip. It’s known as the Florida of China because of how unique and interesting it is.
I took the bus there instead of the high speed train; There are many people communicating with their ancestors and burning money as part of the tradition
I meandered through the neighborhoods, stopping from time to time when I came across interesting signs.
The older streets are particularly nostalgic as they represent my memories of China from the late 90s and early 2000s.
The markets have been renovated from their original state - they’re much cleaner but less lively.
Even transportation is digitalized, and unique in its own way.
Left: Shared bikes, Right: Cultural message
In addition to markets, there are also automated vending machines everywhere. You unlock them with WeChat pay, then the bill comes to you when the machine detects which items have been taken off the shelves.
For breakfast, I made sure to eat Jianbing, a favorite breakfast in the city of Tianjin. It’s a special type of crepe with a crispy filling.
Other snacks that I tried include a special Uyghur (Xinjiang) noodle dish, as well as a typical breakfast roll snack.
There are beautiful fireworks everywhere on NYE, which became unbanned just recently.
Loud bangs were going off everywhere, creating an amazingly festive atmosphere that reflected the hopes and excitement for the new year!
Winter Lightshow
On 大年初一, we visited the local waterpark which had a beautiful lightshow for Chinese New Year. The lights were on a whole other level!
There are so many animals, dinosaurs and spirits. Not to mention the live music performance and street food.
There is a talent performer inside the budaoweng 不倒翁 mascot.
Exploring more Tianjin
Tianjin is a place known for its good food, and I took the subway to 西北角. It’s said that you can eat a different breakfast local speciality for a month without repeating! (Note: there are many Halal options as the market is originally known for the diverse ethnic groups in China.)
The lines are crazy long, and takes about 30 mins to wait your turn.
Not the healthiest, but the ZhaGao is crispy on the outside and sticky on the inside.
I also tried the other local delicacy known as “tea soup”. The vendor mixes the paste intensely, before moving the huge Gong to add hot water to it. I think I might have asked for too many nut mixes.
My next stop is the Drum Building. There were many good local eats, local souvenirs and locals having fun.
The MaHua is giantic, and real!
The clay figures are a local specialty, featuring life-like figurines made out of clay.
I also visited the old cultural village, where they were full of Chinese snacks, memorabilia and more.
I am always impressed by these cool-looking bus-van fusions
I then decided to walk towards my next destination, which led me to the shores of HaiHe, which connects the Ocean to Beijing!
Left: People were walking across the ice!!!; Right: Liberation bridge
I came across a couple of funny / nostalgic banners by the police station as well.
Left: a reference to LeiFeng, a popular good person who loved to help others
I saw the Italian area of Tianjin, where the Italians once occupied. The Marco Polo square is now transformed into many shops with an ice rink!
Left: World Clock; Right: Porcelain House
When walking across the shopping street, I came across a cultural museum (free), so I took the gamble. I was happy to learn about the origins of this city and what made it special. Unfortunately, it was a one-way underground walk, consisting of 30% guided tour of public education, and 70% forced sales pitches of endless rooms of products to buy.
Lastly, I arrived at Five Avenue. This is where all the old embassy and international areas are, holding a nod of Tianjin’s colonized past from the West.
Back to Beijing
Ms. Q and I had a really great time together in Beijing.
We visited Beijing Zoo, where the Pandas were absolutely the star of the show! MengMeng / MengEr are some popular pandas out of the 5-8 total.
The lines for one panda were so long that we missed the chance in the first 30-minute period, because they only allow people in in waves.
Do you like my selfie with the Panda on the tree as the background?
In the afternoon, we walked through the old HuTongs of Beijing. The old streets are filled with history, and it housed so many famous people (even the last emperor of China)!
We also stopped by to eat some authentic food!
Left: JaJiangMian; Right: Skewers
We walked along the HuTongs to the QianHai and HouHai area right behind the Forbidden City.
There were so many people and shops by this beautiful sea / river.
Memories
I absolutely loved my trip back during Chinese New Year. It was so special.
I was in awe of Beijing’s transformation. I mean, just look at this subway system and how beautiful it is.
During my last evening, I saw this automated library, which is just so neat, under the evening streets lit by the DengLong lamps.
I hope to be back soon!
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