330 Year Old Chain Stores

I am not trying to make this GQ tough-guy face, I'm just concentrating on
getting the camera pointed in the right direction to frame our photo, really.

My friend Efun and I went to the Yuyuan Gardens this last weekend. These 330 year old gardens took 18 years to build. It was a bit to Disney for me, a bit like the tourist pier in San Francisco with a bit more tact. Supposedly the most famous tea house in China is here. Both Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II drank here (together I wonder? You never know with Bill).

The famous Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse on the left

What surprised me most was the 330 year Haagen-Daz, KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks. I knew the Chinese invented those chains during the Ming Dynasty.

These chains are all expensive compared to the local fare. I'm not sure why they are always filled with foreigners. Shouldn't travelers and tourists be trying the local food such as BBQ pigeon on a stick?


Efun and I left the gardens to go find some local vegetarian food. Navigated the narrow alleys west of the gardens until we found a restaurant that had my favorite vegetable, hollow heart vegetable wok friend with garlic.

The little hole-in-the-wall eatery had a poster of the Chairman. I tried to make the serious face that Mao was sporting but it just looks like I am staring into space. I figure in about five more years my hair should be the same as Mao's so I'll have to come back for another photo.