The largest market in Nanjing

Westerners love pictures of markets in foreign countries, especially Asia and, it seems, China in particular. Newspapers and magazines in the States have a seemingly continuous stream of pictures with street peddlers, open markets, and the stereotypical Chinese fruit seller with a long pole to balance across the shoulders. The concept of an open market, especially with live animals or seafood, is especially foreign to us. I will venture that we find this particularly fascinating because Asia, and again especially China, is being heralded as one of the fastest growing and wealthiest economies in the world, and yet they have these seemingly "primitive" (from the strictly Western viewpoint) markets. It's almost as if we look at these pictures and think, "Oh, look how cute and uncivilized they are with their peddlers and markets." I actually find it much more gratifying, and would even go so far as to say humane, to buy from a market than a large conglomerate supermarket.

When I went to one such Chinese market with a friend, I explained that one would probably never find a market like that in the States (在美国是看不到的). She asked, "Then how do you buy your food?" I replied, "Everything is already packaged, prepared, killed, and/or ready-to-eat... And most importantly the bones are (usually) removed, especially from fish. We buy our food at a supermarket."

Americans especially hate the idea of knowing where meat comes from and squirm at the idea of eating a fish head or chicken feet. These parts of the animal, however, are especially valued and tasty in China.  My omnivore friends in the States usually say, "I'll eat meat but I don't want to know where or how it got to my table!" I personally don't really understand this view, as I believe it's important to acknowledge not only the work and effort that went into bringing food onto your table, but also the environmental and economic costs and effects of buying and eating meat (and vegetables for that matter). In this way, I think it is more personable and gratifying to buy food at open markets in China, where you can meet and talk directly with the sellers... or even buy live crabs, chickens, or ducks, if you are so inclined.

Anyway, I usually shop at one such market close to home, but last week my friend took me to the largest food market in Nanjing. Besides the initial culture shock of extremely unsanitary conditions, especially for the meat (you can imagine... butchers not wearing gloves, raw meat sitting out unrefrigerated, ect), it was very eye-opening. This type of market was definitely something you would never see in the States. It consisted of one huge pavilion with at least one hundred vendors selling every kind of food you can imagine. I included some pictures, which are on the next page (click on "Read More").

WARNING: In respect of some people's sensitivities, I will warn there are pictures of live chickens and ducks in inhumane conditions.

Bicycle cart taxi: the sign says (roughly) "personal transportation"

Chickens for a sale outside of a shop

Entering the largest market in Nanjing

Vegetable stand

Christmas!

Butcher

Ducks for sale

Chickens and roosters, not a pleasant site but probably more humane than on the farm

Live crabs

Water snakes

Fishes!

Seafood stand

The auntie at this stand was so excited that I was taking a picture of her chickens, she arranged them prettily for me. I don't know what the black chickens are.

Shoe stand on a bicycle cart: there was a women in front, pulling this entire shoe stand by herself.

 Chinese word of the day:

Today I decided to include a word that is commonly used in everyday Chinese, but that you would rarely hear in the States:

封建 - feng1 jian4, literally "to confer or bestow a building or establishment," aka feudalism.

Chinese people always use this when they are criticizing their own society, saying "We are so backward and feudal!"