7:30am and the streets are bustling with locals…many are elderly Chinese (often with their grandchildren)….they’re in their element, out and about, primed for business (and socialising)!
There’s an awful lot of yelling (which for a non-morning person, seems a tad extreme) but it’s all par for the course when you step into the whirlpool of commotion that is the morning wet markets, in the middle of north west China!
It’s a fascinating kaleidoscope of colour, set up right in the middle of a quiet village street, which come afternoons, will resume its place as a peaceful haven of tranquility.
But for now, it seems, everything and anything is up for grabs….
Cooking up a barbie? This is where you get your fresh meat, looking, well extremely fresh, perched on the back of a truck for your perusal…
Note: Large axe at the ready, sitting on a tree stump – (obviously the perfect chopping board)!
Just across from the meat truck, fresh crisp bread (that make the perfect pizza bases) is being baked in a giant kiln at a rapid pace…
A trike loaded with fresh flowers sets off for the day.
Further into the flurry of heaving bodies — noodles are being frantically weighed and chopped on the back of bikes; truckloads of Tofu stand at the ready and people are hastily exchanging their hard earned cash for tonight’s dinner.
Eggs of every shape and colour overflow from baskets on the footpath and vegetables in every shade of green are laid out along the ground, ripe for the picking.
Fresh fish (and I mean so fresh they are alive) flap in buckets until you make your selection. (Don’t mind the ‘Wai guo ren’ (foreigner) stifling her shriek as she spies the fish being retrieved and hastily hit over the head ready for purchase.)
It’s clearly a feast for the eyes and at times an assault on ones senses….
Just to the side of the markets is a large park. Wednesday morning and it’s brimming with life.
Every single nook and cranny is occupied.
It occurs to me that no one does mornings like China’s senior citizens!
Pockets of the park are punctuated with groups of women dancing in unison….
Lone men sit playing their favourite instrument. There’s no busking, this is simply playing for pleasure. Others stand under the shade of a tree practicing Tai Chi.
Stationary exercise machines are being given an emphatic work out and strange sports that clearly involve a high degree of skill are underway with gusto!
Men huddle together playing Mahjong; a choir is gathered under a small pagoda singing to their heart’s content.
Just nearby rows of ping pong tables are witnessing some lively games.
Others, content to go it alone.
And then this…. a traditional sword dance!
Good Morning Xi’an!
This is China.
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The closest I have been to China is Hong Kong but your photos really bring it to life. What a great idea! Thank you for sharing, I really feel I know what a morning in your part of the world is like now. I should do something similar – although it probably wouldn’t be that safe to go to the parts of town with a camera where all the interesting stuff happens 🙁
Hi Clara, Glad you enjoyed. It pretty much sums up China in the mornings. The country’s senior citizens are incredibly active! Yes, I imagine you could get some fantastic shots where you are but safety is an issue. That’s one of the great things about a lot China (and HK) you always feel very safe. Thanks for popping over to MMM. Cheers, Nicole 🙂
I’m exhausted just looking at all this morning activity! I’m not a morning person at all! But the light is gorgeous in your photos which is always a great reason for making the effort to get up early. This post reminds me of mornings in Vietnam, when I lived there ages ago, which were also a hive of activity, especially older citizens. #travelathome
Phoebe @ Lou Messugo recently posted…Chocolate and France
Nice! I wish I could be so active in the mornings. But I guess it’s all about how you’re raised, society, and doing what you’ve got to do! Such a cool prospective. Thank you for sharing it 🙂 It’s the everyday things in other cultures that fascinate me the most.
Found you through the #TravelAtHome linky!
Thanks Jessica! Glad you found me! I agree, I love the different ‘everyday’ things. Never stops amazing me! Cheers, Nicole 🙂
The market looks amazing. There’s something very universal about it but at the same time with a charm and energy all its own.
Bob R recently posted…The Dandy Dozens: Piran Café’s Top 12 Pics and Posts for 2015
Thanks Bob! Yes it’s really quite unique….i’ve been to a few markets around the globe, but this one really blew me away, especially with almost every corner of the park packed with people all doing their thing! Amazing stuff. 🙂
What a fabulous photo essay – Xian certainly looks full of life (although I struggle to get up in the mornings so not sure how much I would appreciate it in person). Thanks for linking to #TravelAtHome.
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Ha Ha! Yes I’m definitely not a morning person, either! Hence, this was the one and only time in the whole year I made it to the markets! 🙂 Well worth it though! Thanks for having me on #TravelAtHome x