2008-3-06 14:37
Red lanterns, traditional courtyards, hundreds of restaurants along the street ......This is Guijie Street, Beijing's famous eating street, known to locals as 'Ghost Street'. Eating on Ghost Street is about more than food and drink, it's a way of life for many Beijingers.
Tucked behind Beijing's Inner Dongzhimen Street, "Ghost Street" stretches 1,442 m from Dongzhimen cloverleaf junction in the east, to Jiaodaokou East Street in the west. Along the street there are more than 150 shops, including 100 restaurants, making it one of the most unique streets in Beijing.
The name of the street is said to derive from Beijing's old "Ghost Fairs". These fairs mainly sold groceries, vegetables and fruit ran from late at night until dawn. The traders' kerosene lamps formed a ghostly sight from which the name "Ghost Fair" derived. Another explanation is that I the bustling Inner Dongzhimen Street was filled with taxi drivers eating late - night snacks, and most shops didn't put up their shutters until the dawn while some stayed open all night. Later, the Commerce Commission changed the Chinese characters of "Ghost Street" into "Gui Jie". The pronunciation is the same but the meanings are completely different. Gui refers to a round- mouthed food vessel with two or four loop handles in ancient China. This name weakens the ghostly overtones and enhances the eating character of the street.
The structure of Guijie Street is like a dumbbell - bigger both ends and smaller in the middle. Restaurants at the ends are flourishing businesses, but the center area is rather dull. The reasons for this may be that it's inconvenient to transport goods to the middle of the street, and there are not so many stores in the middle.
Ten reasons for loving it
What Guijie presents is beyond the normal dining experience. It has become the microcosm of the nightlife and food culture in the capital of Beijing. Beijingers are obsessed with Guijie for ten reasons:
The charm of the character gui. Three or five years ago, the character gui wasn't understood by many educated people because it was rarely used in daily life. However, nowadays many people not only known how to read it but also know what it means. The pronunciation of gui in Chinese is the same as the word for ghost, adding a touch of suspense and mystery to the street's atmosphere.
The temptation of "spicy little thing". Guijie's speciality dish 'spicy little thing' is what first comes to many people's mind when they think of Ghost Street. "Spicy little things", short for "spicy peppery little lobster", is a dish of lobsters fried with a lot peppers and chilies. The lobster is called "bug-thorn cricket" or "pincers shrimp", is not liked much by southerners, but greatly enjoyed by Beijingers.
Many dishes deeply loved by local people originated in Guijie Street. Besides "spicy little things", spicy crabs, scorpions and stewed red mutton are all specialties first invented and popularized in Guijie Street.
Nice waiters. Besides "spicy little things", the name Guijie Street conjures up images of great service by well trained handsome waiters and waitresses in floral clothes. Stepping out of your car, you will immediately be warmly welcomed and led to a restaurant by several boys, and as soon as you enter several sweet-voiced girls will ask what they can do for you.
Favorable prices. People who work or live in Beijing often go to restaurants with friends or business partners but high standard restaurants are neither relaxed nor economical. But a meal in Guijie with several friends, including a dozen of beers and scores of lobsters will only set you back about 100 yuan.
Entertainment. On the night that Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Olympics, all Beijing's shops were closed except those in Guijie St. The whole street was illuminated by 100 stores working busily all night. About 5,000 people descended on the stree singing, drinking, hugging and crying for happiness. About 5,000 kg of "spicy peppery little lobster" were scoffed that night.
A place for exploration of you career. For many years Guijie St has provided a living for people who have nothing to do with eating. Girls selling roses, peddlers vending cigarettes and cds, and taxi drivers cruising for fares all add to the streets' liveliness.
The most vivid reflection of nightlife in Beijing. It's not easy to find somewhere that's open all night after a busy work day in this cold, windy city. Guijie Street's 100 restaurants serve specialties from Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, and Hu'nan provinces including everything from hotpots to barbecues making it a favorite spot of night owls. . During weekends, thousands of people indulge themselves in beer and "spicy little things" until midnight, and then go home to sleep.
A cradle of friendship and love. New friends and new lovers find themselves melting into each other, along with all the other people as soon as they go to Guijie St. Rolling up their cuffs, grabbing for lobsters with both hands, and shouting loudly they come closer to each other by getting rid of their every day masks. The hot dishes bring out sweat as well as true emotions. It is said that after going to Guijie once, your affection will increase tenfold.
The most Chinese way for dining. You never need to worry about interference when eating in Guijie St, as other people are too busy shouting and laughing while they eat to payany attention to you. Guijie St fits Chinese people's dining style. Businessmen with accents from all over the country may make deals occasionally, acquaintances meet by chance, people swill beer, scoff lobsters, shout and boast as much as they like.
A place shows the most equality. Beijing is China's political and cultural center, home to a galaxy of celebrities, stars and moneybags, who often tend to put on airs. But in Guijie St they have to sit outside waiting their turns just like everyone else. There are no privileges in this street and you may be surprised to discover regular customers are actually famous authors, musicians or actors.
