Donnerstag, 28. April 2011
Day 54: China: Hetian – City of Jade, Silk and Carpets
In one of my last entries I had already mentioned that Hetian was famous in history for its production of silk, jade and carpets. Despite the incredible heat in the city, I nevertheless decided to leave the hotel and find out whether the city can still be called the City of Jade, Silk and Carpets or not. Decide yourself - here is what I found:
Carpets
One of the carpet factories in Hetian
Carpet weaving
Some working steps before
Jade
The Hetian jade trading centre
Merchant praising his jade
Jade in different shapes and colors. The pure white is the most precious.
Silk
Silk cocoons
Silk threads
76 years old - started this job when he was 15.
Spindle - more than 200 years of history
Fast with the hands...
...and also with the feet
The finished fabrics are sold at the Bazaar
---------------------------------------------
Do you still remember “La Grand Dame” from Dushanbe? Well, I discovered a similar refreshing oasis right in the heart of Hetian. It is not French, the owner would probably call it Venetian. He wanted to call his Café “Marco Polo”, unfortunately he did not get the permission to do so. Now it is called “Marco’s Dream Café” (Well, I have to admit I would have also preferred Marco Polo, but it shouldn’t be the name of a place making you decide to go in). The Café was opened in 2007 by a Malaysian couple. Both of them, as well as their two little daughters, speak English without accent. When they came to Hetian, they worked for an American NGO, and later decided to open the Café. All of them are very friendly and usually come over for a chat. They offer Malay food, but also some Western things – I tried the chicken with ginger rice. Best of all was the desert, a chocolate strawberry cake and REAL coffee – soooo good!
I told the owner that I was really happy in this moment – Pilaf and meat on a stick since weeks already – I couldn’t stand it anymore. Now I would finally get a piece of good cake. “That’s just what I told the Chinese when they asked me why I would open a Western-style Café in Hetian. When western foreigners arrive in Hetian, they will long for western coffee and cake!” I have to say he was more than right…
For anyone who should ever make it to Hetian, please check out this place. It is located just around the corner of Tuanjie Square 团结广场. It is a little hidden, but you can recognize it by the small wooden coffee tables and chairs standing in front of their window. They will also be included in the next Lonely Planet.
Carpets
One of the carpet factories in Hetian
Carpet weaving
Some working steps before
Jade
The Hetian jade trading centre
Merchant praising his jade
Jade in different shapes and colors. The pure white is the most precious.
Silk
Silk cocoons
Silk threads
76 years old - started this job when he was 15.
Spindle - more than 200 years of history
Fast with the hands...
...and also with the feet
The finished fabrics are sold at the Bazaar
---------------------------------------------
Do you still remember “La Grand Dame” from Dushanbe? Well, I discovered a similar refreshing oasis right in the heart of Hetian. It is not French, the owner would probably call it Venetian. He wanted to call his Café “Marco Polo”, unfortunately he did not get the permission to do so. Now it is called “Marco’s Dream Café” (Well, I have to admit I would have also preferred Marco Polo, but it shouldn’t be the name of a place making you decide to go in). The Café was opened in 2007 by a Malaysian couple. Both of them, as well as their two little daughters, speak English without accent. When they came to Hetian, they worked for an American NGO, and later decided to open the Café. All of them are very friendly and usually come over for a chat. They offer Malay food, but also some Western things – I tried the chicken with ginger rice. Best of all was the desert, a chocolate strawberry cake and REAL coffee – soooo good!
I told the owner that I was really happy in this moment – Pilaf and meat on a stick since weeks already – I couldn’t stand it anymore. Now I would finally get a piece of good cake. “That’s just what I told the Chinese when they asked me why I would open a Western-style Café in Hetian. When western foreigners arrive in Hetian, they will long for western coffee and cake!” I have to say he was more than right…
For anyone who should ever make it to Hetian, please check out this place. It is located just around the corner of Tuanjie Square 团结广场. It is a little hidden, but you can recognize it by the small wooden coffee tables and chairs standing in front of their window. They will also be included in the next Lonely Planet.
