Sanjiang Market
The developing city of Sanjiang in the northern part of Guangxi Province, China, is most likely not what one would call a tourist hotspot.
It’s a rather drab city, a scatter of unkempt businesses, dusty debris filled streets and caravans of overloaded obnoxious construction trucks.
However, as I’ve mentioned before, traveling to me is not so much about the famous attractions, but about checking out local life and cultural practices.
Sanjiang, Guangxi Province, China
From the chaotic Long Bien market in Hanoi to the distribution Thiri Mingalar market in Yangon, one thing that I can’t miss in any city is the chance to walk around a local fresh market!
Sanjiang had a great little fresh market exhibiting some fascinating sights and a wide range of smells.
Chicken and Duck Vendors
The entrance to Sanjiang’s central market was lined with baskets of live chickens and ducks.
Selling a Duck in Sanjiang, China
In China, chickens and ducks should be purchased alive and self butchered so that they are extremely fresh before being cooked.
Pictured above is a man tying the feet of a duck and getting ready to weigh it before taking it home. The duck was squirming and flapping its wings as it attempted to escape its inevitable fate.
Fresh Vegetables in China
Piles of fresh colorful vegetables are so beautiful to look at (I think so!). The colorful arrangement just makes me want to buy them all and bring them to a local restaurant and have a motherly lady stir fry them up with garlic and chilies!
Market Seller in Sanjiang, China
The man above set up a small table in the middle of the central street of the market with some tasty take-away treats!
Chicken Surgery
Unfortunately I got my camera out just slightly too late and could only capture the evidence of this highly interesting makeshift business.
The man sat on the small wooden stool with a selection of ancient tools and a chopping board. He performed surgery on live roosters, cutting a hole in their sides and pulling out the organ that makes a rooster “cocka-doodle-doo.”
Can you see the blood splotches on the right hand side of the chopping board? That was a pile of the organs he extracted. This was something I had never seen before and I thought it was pretty cool.
Vegetables Baskets in Sanjiang, China
Bamboo poles carried with a basket on either side is one of the most common carrying methods in Asia.
When the vendor arrives to the market he/she just takes out the bamboo carrying stick and conveniently places the baskets on the side of the street.
Basket of Produce
This technique is a great way to display produce!
Preserved River Fish in Sanjiang, China
Preserved river fish are a speciality in the Sanjiang area of China.
Different Kinds of Chinese Tofu
There are so many different forms of tofu in China.
This basket was filled witha few varieties, including a kind of tofu that looked like strips of noodles and a kind that resembled some kind of a wrapped up bratwurst.
Roasted Duck and Chicken
The interior of the local market of Sanjiang was packed out with roasted ducks, chickens, innards and pork odds and ends.
The pleasing aroma and bustling atmosphere was a lovely introduction to local life of Sangjiang, China. Since it was the day before the moon festival, many people were scurrying about trying to purchase the choicest meat.
So though the town of Sanjiang is not the most interesting city, wherever you go there are always hidden treasures to discover at the local market!
One of the best things about living in China is the food, and to find the most enjoyable we always head to the markets, but that’s the first we’d heard of the chicken surgery – I’ll look out for it from now on. We often use a home-stay in Heibei province and curse the roosters that wake us at dawn, when we’re just wanting a lie-in.
Steve recently posted..A guide to the top rated street food of Xi’an
Thanks Steve. I thought the rooster thing was so interesting as well because I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. I fully agree with you though, browsing local markets is one of my favorite things to do in any country I visit.
I gotta be honest, I think the rooster “surgery” thing is disgusting. I try to honor other cultures, but as someone who tries to be extremely mindful about what I eat (that means being largely vegetarian), the meat / poultry / fish aspects of these markets kind grosses me out.
All of that aside, your posts are always informative and engaging – even when they make me a little queasy.
Caanan @ No Vacation Required recently posted..The Value of Reliability (Expedia and Enterprise, We’re Talking To You)
Thanks Caanan, I definitely understand about the queasiness, and China doesn’t always treat their animals with much respect. That being said, I think southern China is a great country to eat vegetarian, or semi-vegetarian. Meat is often just eaten for flavoring, and veggies are all over the place – and fresh and delicious!
Diggin’ the energy in these photos. I can hear it, I can smell it and the colors are knocking me out! Thnx.
Maria recently posted..Farming the Wind
Awesome to hear that, thanks Maria!
Awesome, I love a good chaotic market!
Todd @ Todd’s Wanderings recently posted..Can Travel Make the World a Better Place?
Thanks Todd!
Being a vegetarian, I certainly appreciate the greens and vegetables, but I simply can’t eat a duck I need to kill myself first or a fish which is staring at me with dead eyes. Having said that, different cultures have different ways of eating, drinking and living and the joy of travel is to watch and find out. Nobody forces you to eat soemthing that won’t go down well, but what’s wrong with looking???( and recording)
Thanks Inka! I agree, seeing different ways for food preparation and how markets are handled around the world is great to observe when traveling. Though I’ll eat almost everything, walking around markets in China, I really noticed the amazing assortment of fresh vegetables – so colorful and beautiful!
One of the things I like to do when traveling is imagine what my life would be like if I had been born there (I waste MUCH time playing these mental games with myself, lol). For instance, can you imagine being a live duck vendor??
NLM recently posted..I’ve Been Wondering About Some Stuff
Thanks for the comment! I think trying to imagine what it would have been like to be born there is a great idea! You would really imagine a different perspective of situations in all kinds of different cultures – and hopefully understand them a little more. I love the idea, I’m going to start doing that more too!
I’m not a vegetarian, but there’s no way I could kill my own duck or chicken (hypocritical I know). Very interesting look at a local market and the sounds like a great place for observing local culture.
Laurel recently posted..Andechs Monastery: A Place for Pilgrimage, Praying and Beer Drinking
Thanks Laurel. I think it’s hard to butcher your own meat unless you grew up butchering your own meat when you were a kid. I’ve butchered a few chickens myself, when I lived in Congo, but that was a long time ago…
Your photos are amazing Mark. They really take you there.
That is definitely a market that gives you a whole different perspective on food. I’ve dove for crab and shellfish and killed them for dinner, but I must say, I’d be tempted to buy the whole lot of ducks, drive them out to the country and let them go.
I am a fan of the quick death for our dinner, as the interim, seems like a cruel form of torture. But I guess for the buyer, it means they are getting their dinner fresh.
~ Emme
Emme Rogers recently posted..A Day of Eating in Yuen Long (Hong Kong)
Thanks a lot Emme. China is not the nicest country to animals, but I guess they’ve been doing things the same for so long in a similar manner – but they do eat fresh meat!
I love chicken but I am not sure I could kill it myself. How spoiled we are here in America!
Jeremy Branham recently posted..Conversations with strangers on a plane or watching airplanes?
Hey Jeremy, yup – not so many people butcher their own chickens in the US anymore!
Always had a fascination with markets around Southeast Asia. Love the pics Mark!
David @ Malaysia Asia recently posted..Kopi Luwak Coffee in Bali, Indonesia
Me too David – I can’t get over Asian fresh markets, always fascinating!
Visiting the local markets is always something we love to do and you’ve nailed the reason why – there’s always hidden treasures to discover there!
Shirlene from Idelish recently posted..{USA} Luxurious Grand Wailea in Maui
Great to hear that Shirlene!
Very colorful, just like India! I will have the fresh vegetables…
Thanks for sharing this Mark, have a fabulous day:)
Arti recently posted..Temples in Haridwar – Mansa Devi, Chandi Devi, Daksh Prajapati Temple and Bhim Goda Tank
Thanks Arti, hope you have a wonderful day too!
I’m really fascinated by that photo of three different types of tofu. I had no idea it was made into noodles.
Technosyncratic Travel recently posted..Drugs & Grunge: Another Side of Berlin
Yah, I thought at first it was noodles and sausage or something like that. I couldn’t believe it was tofu either!
love how colorful this post is!!
i don’t think i could kill my own meat. I’m such a wuss…
Thanks Jen!
Boy, a health inspector would have a field day here! lol Well, at least no one is going hungry…food abounds…everywhere. Very cool article and I’m still trying to move past the chicken surgeon story. Yikes!!
Renee King recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday
Thanks Renee! It’s a great thing that health inspectors are a little more relaxed in China!