Scorpions for Lunch
Beijing back alley market takes adventurers beyond usual tourist traps
Jul 7, 2014 | 9:19 am
With an estimated population of 21 million and an ultra-modern urban core that belies Beijing's history, finding an old-fashioned market is a pleasant surprise.
Photo by Shelby Hodge
With a population of approximately 21 million [https: /blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/06/19/beijing-now-has-almost-as-many-people-as-australia/] and skyscrapers crowding nearly every vista, ultra-urban Beijing maintains a number of inviting old-world surprises beyond the antiquities of the Forbidden City and Summer Palace. Just steps from the modern retail shrines of the famed Wangfujing [https://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/beijing-walking-tour-2/] pedestrian shopping street where major brands such as H&M, Forever 21, Chanel and Gucci rule, we stumbled upon Wangfujing Xiao Chi Jie or Wangfujing Snack Street. The traditional marketplace is one where delightful chaos and local color are the orders of the day.












