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China Food & Drinks

The Disappearance of Beijing Street Food

Over the last two years, Beijing has cracked down on its street vendors, leading to the slow disappearance of traditional street food in the city center. According to some locals, the city is “killing its street food”.

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Over the last two years, Beijing has cracked down on its street vendors, leading to the slow disappearance of traditional street food in the city center. According to some locals, the city is “killing its street food”. What’s on Weibo’s Ryan Myers and Manya Koetse take some time off social media to take a walk in one of the capital’s famous snack areas to explore Beijing’s most popular street foods.

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Ryan Myers is a teacher and Chinese language & culture specialist who has been based in Beijing for over a decade. Myers conducts professional workshops throughout China for Chinese audiences, ranging from professors in university to young students, and is specialized in cross-cultural teaching.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Sherpu

    March 1, 2016 at 5:00 am

    As a foodblogger for Chinese food http://www.sherpu.com, this is really sad. I better plan my visit to Beijing soon before more of food history or traditions is gone for good.

  2. Wendy

    March 21, 2016 at 3:54 am

    Just a few minutes ago, I wanted to buy my breakfast. I work near Xi’erqi metro station. Normally you can find around 20 food stalls there, but today there was a van collecting all the small kitchens… There were people standing around the area looking very stunned / sad (they looked like the owners of the stalls). The area around the metro station is normally very lively but this morning I got a very uncomfortable feeling as I was walking there..

    • Steve in US.

      April 6, 2016 at 9:13 pm

      I’ve been to Beijing four times in the last nine years and plan on going back in two weeks. One of the things that I loved about the city and China is its food Street venders on every corner almost. Being the city has developed so fast in the last twenty years the street venders gives Beijing the true feeling of part of its culture and uniqueness. I’m sad to read that in the last two years the capital is removing most back alley venders for progress sake. Last time I visited was April 2013. Cya soon…

  3. Aiffa

    April 29, 2024 at 6:24 pm

    It’s disheartening to see the decline of traditional Chinese cuisine. As someone deeply passionate about Chinese food and its cultural significance, I feel a sense of urgency to visit Beijing soon. I fear that more of its rich culinary history and traditions may vanish if not preserved. A trip to Beijing is not just about indulging in delicious meals but also about safeguarding a part of our cultural heritage.

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