Today I Have a Dinner in Huguosi Snack Food Store

There is no better illustration of what Beijingers eat during the Spring Festival than food offered by traditional snack food (xiao chi: small eats) stores throughout Beijing. The Huguosi Snack Food Store is a great example of the

festive food shops.
The present location of the store was formerly the site of a famous temple fair in the western part of the city where the most famous "small eats" food brands flourished. In 1956 a state-owned traditional snack store was established.
Today the store is one of the few old brand-name state-owned businesses that still continue this tradition.
According to Li Qiuhua, manager of the store: nian gao (glutinous rice cake), dou bao (steamed buns with smashed red bean stuffing), xi zi bing (a cake with the Chinese character for 'happiness' on it) and mian yu'er (a cake shaped like a fish) are some of the most popular foods at the store during big holiday shopping.
Most of these foods carry auspicious meanings. For example, nian gao literally means: “better this year than last year”. The fish cake is considered auspicious because fish in Chinese (yu) means surplus. The Chinese hope they are prosperous and rich in each New Year.
Other foods available include many kinds of traditional Beijing 'small eats.' Some of the most famous treats are lu da gun (rolling donkey): a soft yellow rice and soybean cake, ai wo wo: a white glutinous rice cake with a variety of stuffing, wan dou huang: a smooth tasting yellow pea cake and jiao quan: deep-fried crispy flour ring.

I Am So Excited during My 2 Day Tours in Beijing

I have had a 2 days Beijing tour and I am so eager to tell you some famous attractions in Beijing. All these ancient buildings still abound with the sense of grandeur and wealth as they did in ancient times. They have an aura of pomp and magnificent that transcends the ages.

Forbidden City

As one of the best preserved historical site in Beijing, Forbidden City is the largest wooden cluster in extant in the world today. Forbidden City includes three parts: the outer court, the inner court, and the private imperial garden. The outer court was used for emperors handle court business and ministered state affairs. The inner court is the place where the emperor and his big family lived. The private imperial garden was used for entertain and relaxation. There are 24 emperors ruled the country from here over a span of nearly 500 years.

Repaired and rebuilt many times during some 500 years, the basic form and layout of the Forbidden City remains in the original state.

In addition, the Forbidden City takes pride in its precious treasures of more than 900, 000 cultural and art objects, many of which are state relics.

Forbidden City attracts numerous visitors, and it is a must for your holiday.

Badaling Great Wall 

 

As its name implies, Badaling Great Wall gives access to every direction. Built as a defensive outpost of the Great Wall, there are many watch towers and beacon towers on the wall. The top floor of Badaling Great Wall is wide enough for five horses to gallop abreast and ten people march shoulder by shoulder.

Threads its way through a jumble of mountains like a giant dragon, Badaling Great Wall is the most famous and best-preserved section of the Great Wall. You could visit it all year round for its dangerous mountain slopes, splendid scenery, and distinctive four seasons. Badaling Great Wall is really worth visiting during your tours in Beijing. 

Summer Palace

Covering an area of 290 jhectares, Summer Palace is a classical imperial garden extant in Beijing. The garden is mainly composed of two parts: Wanshoushan and Kunming Lake. More than 30 classical structures are scattering on the hill and around the lake. With a long history and a high fame, Summer Palace is very popular among tourists and many visitors come back again, only once is not enough.

During this Beijing tour, a look of wonder filled my face.