How did China Mojo spend their last full day in Beijing? We all agreed that we must have a Thanksgiving dinner together to celebrate our trip, and Peking Duck, China’s signature national dish, seemed like the obvious choice for a Thanksgiving meal.
Downtown Beijing's Wanfujing Street - shopping mecca.
After a dawn patrol run to the top of Jianshan Park for an early morning Forbidden City photo opp, I met our Mojo’ers @ 9:00 in the lobby for one last day of shopping and exploring. After stocking up on steamed buns, fruit and snacks, we headed south to the subway, heading southwest to the 3rd ring road and off at Panjiayuan Antique Market (also known as the “Dirt Market), Asia’s largest outdoor antiques extravaganza. Skateboarders Colin and Ryan brought their trucks with them, riding, jumping and flipping their way downtown, to the bemused stares of the locals, while many of our Mojo’ers confidently navigated the Beijing subway with their new downtown street savvy and nifty maps – they’ve come a long way in this city of 22 million in just a few days. The day was cold and hazy, typical Beijing winter weather, but our Mojo’ers proved to be aggressive in the haggling department despite the chill, departing the Dirt Market with vintage Mao’s Army backpacks, Tibetan singing bowls, jewelry and works of art, and even an antique Chinese sword (go Anya, go!). Of all of our Mojo’ers, Katrina Mott wins the “most aggressive/successful haggling” award hands down – her success has become legend among the group.
Yak tongue for Thanksgiving lunch in downtown Beijing.
From the Dirt Market, we split up for the afternoon. I headed north by taxi with a mojo posse to try Tibetan food at a place called Makye Ame, which proved difficult for our taxi drivers to find, despite its central location just off of Jiangguomen Jie. Lunch was well worth the hassle – tsampa, yak tongue, grilled yak with potatoes, yak butter tea and Tibetan beer (not quite as flavorful as Uighur, but cold and frosty). Our Tibetan server, James, even sang for us after lunch with his drum, telling us of his dream to be a pop star and showing his record on his iPod. Jen and I caught a cab back to the hotel, while the rest of he group headed on to the Pearl Market for more shopping and mayhem.
China Mojo eats Tibetan at "Makye Ame" for Thanksgiving lunch.
After a two hour Dragonfly full body massage (“Xie Xie,” Beijing) at an upscale therapy treatment center down the street from our hotel (I’d been looking forward to it all week, buoyed on by stories from fellow Mojo’ers visits), I met our Mojo’ers in the lobby and we got lost one more time in the upscale APM mall trying to find the fourth floor Quan Ju De Peking Duck resto – the perfect meal to celebrate our Beijing Thanksgiving together. Over dinner, our Mojo’ers all shared stories of what they were most thankful while downing delicious crispy duck skinned meat, liver, kidney, and head, accompanied by a wide variety of veggies, Jello-like dessert sides, steamed rice and Yanjung brau. Once more to the night market for – Hen Hao! – sea urchin, starfish, centipede, bird’s nest, and YES, sheep penis.
Skyler shares some starfish.
Jen eats sea urchin.
Rob snarfs sheep penis.
Note the horrified stares of the onlookers in the photos. And then, one last celebratory drink and dessert at one of Beijing’s most famous expat hotel bar restos – the Emperor’s Palace, known for its rooftop view of the Forbidden City and downtown Beijing.
China Mojo a ‘go go – and the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving in Beijing.
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