Wangfujing Critter Market

Wangfujing is a popular shopping district in central Beijing. One day, Katie and I were walking along Wangfujing's main street with Brendan, a friend from home. We found an alley that turned out to be the famous “critter market.” This place looked like it was designed intentionally to gross people out with its strange foods and beverages for sale. It proved to be a fun experience.

Here are some photos:

The main pedestrian avenue in Wangfujing is full of fast food restaurants and modern shopping malls. And of course, construction cranes.

We found a crowded alley and shuffled forward.

Movement caught the corner of my eye. This man was completing a bouquet of seahorses and scorpions on sticks. The scorpions' legs and stingers twitched under the bright overhead lights.

The vendor was a showman. He allowed the scorpions to crawl on his hand. Katie was disgusted. From behind the lens, I was saddened.

“No way I'm eating live scorpions!” Brendan said.

Eventually the showman convinced us to buy a stick. The scorpions were deep-fried. They tasted like bacon.

I also bought some cicadas. Crunchy on the outside, squishy in the middle.

There were many more vendors in the alley, selling all sorts of tasty meats.

Katie washed her meal down with a delicious dry-ice cocktail.

Brendan, me and Katie, going strong after our interesting dinner.