Saturday, 29 April began the 5-day worker’s holiday in China, including Monday, 1 May—Labour Day—a statutory holiday—ending on Wednesday, 3 May. This is what we would call a ‘long weekend.’
Welcoming gateway, Qianmen Street. Photo: SLCT
Long weekends often see many people working in the capital Beijing travelling to their home provinces to spend the holidays with family and friends. Post-pandemic, according to Reuters, “Authorities are expecting 19 million trips to be made across China’s vast railway network on Saturday, the first day of the five-day holiday, which would be the highest number of rail trips made in a single day in the country’s history.” The numbers may be higher, as the weather was brilliant: sunshine and clear skies.
Heritage architecture, Qianmen Street. Photo: SLCT
I went out with new friends from China, Bulgaria and Pakistan to get a taste of Beijing life. We took the metro to Qianmen Street (Qian Men Da Jie), an 845-metre-long remnant of old Beijing’s commercial centre. We arrived fairly early to see buildings and highlights and enjoy the old-world ambience ahead of the crowds that were surely not far behind.
Shejia Hutong, Beijing. Photo: SLCT
We dropped off a station before because the municipal government, anticipating the rush to the area, closed the station, which would have emptied thousands into the space, creating havoc. Smart move, besides, we got to walk through Shejia and Sanjing Hutongs, which we would have missed otherwise.
Tiny car in small hutong lane, Beijing. Photo: SLCT
Inside a hutong. Photo: SLCT
Inside a hutong lane on Labour weekend holiday…hoping the owner of this vehicle is enjoying a good rest. Photo: SLCT
Hutong heritage architecture. Photo: SLCT
Our must-see and must-haves at Qianmen Street were fried things on a stick, on offer at a stall within a 1796 building: skewered scorpions, centipedes, grubs, locusts, seahorses, starfish and pupae. I followed up with spicy octopus.
Insect food on sticks. Photo: SLCT
I kept away from the sugary snacks, and had tea-flavoured soft-serve ice cream and cold sour juice—both were delicious and refreshing.
Traditional sweet stuff, Beijing. Photo: SLCT
We stopped at a bookstore where at the top floor, you get an excellent view of the Tower gate and Beijing Old Railway Station. Yes, I bought a few books, and was pleased to see VS Naipaul’s A House for Mr Biswas. The Chinese translation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s100 Years of Solitude, is required reading in China’s high schools.
View from Page One bookstore. Photo: SLCT
A couple of hours of karaoke, followed by a brisk walk in a nearby pocket park that was surprisingly busy, ended a great Day 1 of the Labour holiday.