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Beijing's Winters. They're Brilliant, and They're Back

(By guest blogger Chris Devonshire Ellis)

Ah, winter in Beijing. Nothing is quite like it. Although we haven't really got past late autumn yet - when the leaves of the poplars turn a glorious yellow, for two short weeks of the third season, it certainly feels wintery, and all the usual winter character starts to show.

Roast Chestnut sellers appear on the streets, their charcoal blackened wares sold in wrapped up old newspapers, but with that distinctive nut warming, yellow meat awaiting within. Chow down, with blackened fingers, as your breath winds upwards in a chilly spiral of munching gusto. Sweet Potato salesman too, cousins no doubt of the Roast Chestnut vendors, tout their fruits, bright yellow orange flesh between roasted brown skins; on a cold chilly day, sustenance never tasted so good. I astound the staff at the St. Regis, used to me now in the Press Club Bar, they accept my grimy parcel of potato as I unwrap it on the expensive marble bar top, and bring black pepper, and slices of butter for me to spread on the steaming yam. Ordering a glass of imported Shiraz, I effortlessly manage to combine both the upward mobility of the new China elite with the proliteriat days of the culural revolution in just two consumables - Imported Red Wine and Roast Sweet Potato.

A nod too, albeit not necessarily to winter, to Beijing's yoghurt delights - little grey clay pots, delivered early in the morning, and only sold by small street corner shops - covered in greased paper tops, RMB1 and it's yours. Pop the top with the straw, and suck out the contents, like a Praying Mantis on an unfortunate grey cocoon. Breakfast in a backstreet. Sometimes it snows, most often not. But a southerly wind from Siberia can and does drop a lot of snow, and early too, just three years ago five inches landed on November 15th. But that cutting wind, that howls around the corner and knifes you in the stomach - only in Beijing. It's a perverse form of icy machismo that leaves an overcoat unbuttoned.

So too the blue skies, and big winds. Pollution is banished, and the evening air brings with it the promise of hot soups, steamy jazz in a Beijing bar, and girls wearing knee length leather boots with woollen bobble hats. Nowhere does winter quite like Beijing does, and for a while at least, it is good to feel it's forgotten chill.

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ah, bliss

On November 7th, 2007 chriswaugh_bj (not verified) says:

Autumn is my favourite season in Beijing, but you're absolutely right about winter here.

And if the St Regis were anywhere near as civilised as they pretend, they'd be roasting their own kumara (that's the real, ahem, Kiwi English word for "sweet potato") in the bar. It's hard to beat a roast kumara.

[comment removed]

On November 7th, 2007 Anonymous (not verified) says:

Editor's note:
This comment has been remove for inappropriate content

Beijing Cool

On November 7th, 2007 YamGirl (not verified) says:

Chris - you nailed it. Write more - please!!! I can smell those sweet potatoes!!!

But it's warmer than normal...

On November 8th, 2007 Anonymous (not verified) says:

What a shame people have to post hurtful comments. As someone's mum said, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything. I think it's possible Chris is a climate change denier though. Writing about Winters being back in 2007 seems...wrong.

Imported Shiraz

On November 9th, 2007 Anonymous (not verified) says:

I would have thought that Chris has excellent sense when it comes to drinking imported Shiraz. Have you tried the domestic stuff ? Get real man. You're just here trying to harrass him. Naff off and get back to your little hole at whatever other nasty website you come from.

The Winter of 2005

On November 9th, 2007 Chris (not verified) says:

Actually I referred to the winter of three years ago when we had a ton of snow one night. It was November 15th - only 6 days away, and I was actually in the Press Club Bar (drinking, yes, imported Shiraz) and it had been cold that afternoon. Then it began to rain. Then it got even colder, and colder....the rain turned to sleet, then snow, and the temparature plummeted by about 20 degrees. A massive cold front had swept down from Siberia, across Mongolia and right down to Beijing. It dumped five inches of snow in about as many hours, tree branches snapped under the weight, and I ended that evening having, snowball fights with Don St. Pierre outside the Grand Hyatt before hanging out at the Red Moon bar. Where we drank a load more - imported Shiraz ! (Don is the owner of ASC Wines and a good buddy of mine. Always make friends with influential people who own wine importing companies or bars).

Anyway, the next day, bright and sunny, but still very cold, Beijing was in clean up mode. The snow lasted a week, and we didn't have any more at all that winter.

So although Anonymous (whose now been banned from this site) has a thing about drinking imported Shiraz, I can assure you it goes does very well after a heavy Beijing snowfall.

Shiraz Rocks

On November 14th, 2007 Henry (not verified) says:

I was at a wine tasting last night in Shanghai - Shiraz !!!! Very good it was, and Shanghai is getting cold. Check out Torres Wines at www.torreschina.com The idiot who posted those comments doesn't know what hes talking about. Gotta be better than beer !!!