October 2007 Archives

One of the less commonly visited historical sites in Beijing is the Drum Tower (or Gulou). Originally built in 1272 during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Drum Tower has undergone repair on several occasions during the Yuan and Ming (1368-1644) Dynasties, remaining largely unchanged through its current state. The drum tower was used to mark the time, with a total of 24 drums. As a tourist attraction, the tower still marks the time with drum performances by three drummers who perform every half hour. The tower ceased to have a practical function when the last emperor evacuated the city in the 1920's.

The video is of the every 30 minute performance in the Drum Tower.

The climb to the top where the drums are stored is not for the physically impaired - the steps are incredibly steep and treacherous. The view of the city, in a full 360 degrees is one of the best places to get a sense for the surrounding hutong.

Also in the tower is a water clock, which precisely marks time.

Across the way from the Drum Tower is the Bell Tower (or Zhonglou), which housed bells also used for audible announcements throughout the city.

Roast duck tastes better in Beijing. I've had it several times in the United States, but Peking Duck is always better in its birthplace. My favorite place to eat Peking Duck is hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant, located in the rapidly shrinking Hutong east of Tiananmen Square. The experience of visiting Li Qun has changed in the past couple of years - you used to wind through the roads of the hutong, pursued by pedicab drivers on your way to the restaurant. With Beijing rapidly tearing down portions of the hutong, replacing narrow streets with roads and housing with updated apartment living, there's a direct path to get to Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant.

Some of the old signs still remain.

Once inside, the feel of the restaurant has changed very little. The first thing you see is the brick oven where ducks are roasting. A narrow corridor leads either to the main dining area or to a private dining room if your party is too large for the 4-top seating that makes up most of the cramped dining space.

There are two ways to order (both require calling ahead to let the restaurant know how many ducks you need). You can either order a complete meal, including ducks, pancakes, hoisin sauce and fixings, along with some additional dishes; or you can order a duck and sample things from the menu ala carte. If you're brave, you can try things like duck feet in mustard sauce and fried duck gizzards, or stick with things more familiar to a Western palette.

For assistance in getting to Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant, I highly recommend calling to have a cab driver get directions in Chinese. The staff speaks reasonably good English, so you'll be able to hand off the phone (and call ahead for ducks) even if you don't speak any Chinese. You can also print this card for additional help in getting to the restaurant.

While there are now several countries, like Vietnam and Cambodia, rumored to have the best price in the world on tailored suits and custom tailored shirts, Beijing is still among the most affordable places to get a quality tailored suit. For about US $100, you can get a tailored suit equivalent in quality to something you might pay $700-1000 if purchased in the United States. Tailored shirts are typically US $20-25 for quality fabrics.

Many of these tailor shops exist at markets throughout Beijing. The Alice My Tailor shop is on the more reputable end of the spectrum, offering reasonable prices up front, with some wiggle room for negotiation. Located in the Ya Xiu Sanlitun Market, Alice My Tailor is in stall #3186, which is on the third floor. I walked in with a group of four guys, all looking for suits. We browsed the rows of fabrics to pick the material for our suits, got measurements taken, and only then the negotiation on final pricing began. This is where they hope to get you - you're seemingly committed to buying, but haven't agreed on a price. As long as you're willing to walk away at least once, you will get the price you want.

The initial quote was higher than what we hoped to pay, although admittedly reasonable by Western standards. We wanted a total of 5 suits, along with some tailored dress shirts, giving Alice My Tailor a fair amount of business all in one go. Prices were reasonable for 4 of the 5 people in our party, but the tallest guy in the group was going to have to pay over 25% more because his suit required more material. The price came down by 100 yuan on suits for the 4 of us fairly quickly, with no movement on price for the 5th suit. Remaining a united front, we agreed to all walk away if our friend couldn't get a better price on his suit.

As we were walking out the door, one of the salespeople called us back and offered a price 100 yuan higher than what the rest of us were paying, or about a 14% premium, which still seemed high, but far more agreeable. In the end, we purchased all 5 suits, several dress shirts, and even came back to purchase more when the fitting returned.

Some additional tips: If you're getting a suit on a short trip to China, make sure you schedule the tailor visit early in your stay. The tailor shops can turn a suit around in 3-4 days if necessary but are much happier to have about a week (it's more difficult to get great pricing for rush orders). Expect to make at least two visits - one for the initial measurements, one for a fitting, and possibly a third for pickup. The last visit may be replaced by having the tailor shop deliver to your hotel.

Alice is also mentioned in That's Beijing In Style.

A Fun Ti Carnival is best described as the Chinese equivalent of dinner theater. As the wait staff brings endless dishes to your enormous beer hall style table, the stage provides belly dancers, musicians, and enthusiastic crowd participation for entertainment. The restaurant is run by native Ulghur people from the Xinjiang province, which is located in the northwest part of China on the old Silk Road. The food is good but not amazing, with everything from potato salad, to curry, to gigantic skewers of meat, to traditional Chinese fare filling the table with more food than you can possibly eat. By evenings end, you'll likely not remember what you ate because you've had too much fun watching the stage show. The restaurant is famous for closing the evening with everyone dancing on the tables. While I don't know I'd go so far as to agree with the restuarant's own claim to being as famous as the Great Wall, if you have a group of people looking for an entertaining dining experience, A Fun Ti Carnival is an experience you won't soon forget.

A Fun Ti Carnival