Best of the Blog: March/April 2017

With every new issue we tally the hits from thebeijinger.com and bring you the most viewed blogs from our website over the past couple of months.

Mandarin Monday: How to Order From a Chinese Menu Using Chinese Characters
Beijing’s a great place for culinary exploration. Most of us live surrounded by restaurants, and most of us have restaurants nearby serving cuisines we’ve yet to try. For many of us, our only limits are our time, our budgets, and our waistlines, but if you are one of the thousands of laowai living with Chinese menu illiteracy, do not despair. Walking into a restaurant, perusing the menu and ordering a meal is easier than you think.

Forget Biking in Bad Air: Worry About Protecting Yourself While Working Out or Clubbing in Beijing
Many Beijing pollution fighters have already read the article that ran in the The Guardian referencing a 2016 report on the effects of exercise in polluted cities – the one that said the benefits of cycling are rendered moot after 105 minutes huffing and puffing in Beijing's smoggy air. We looked at some other Beijing activities and how to protect yourself in those situations.

Cost of Marrying One of China’s Outnumbered Women Continues to Skyrocket
Do you fancy marrying a Chinese wife? Well, get ready to open your wallet: The average cost of a betrothal gift in China has skyrocketed as women become a rarefied commodity in a country dominated by men. A recent study published by the People’s Daily says the average cost of the cash gift that a son-in-law is expected to pay in Beijing is an average of RMB 200,000.

Transitioning at 69: The Heartwarming Story of a 72-Year-Old Transgender Beijinger
After decades of dreaming about it, Xin Yue has finally transitioned into womanhood. Better still: 69-year-old Leng Rui, Xin's wife of over 40 years and their daughter are both supportive of the lifelong Beijinger's brave decision, regardless of the fact that for much of Xin’s life, such acceptance seemed bitterly out of reach.

Tribe Open Third and Biggest Location in Solana
After successfully launching two previous locations in Gongti and Lido, homegrown Beijing brand Tribe Organic have just opened their third and largest location yet at Solana. At 335 square meters, the new location seats just over 100 people across a range of different seating areas, from (actually comfy) bar stools to banquets and tables for two.

Rat Out Your Neighbors and Make Sweet Money With This New Chaoyang Masses App
Get ready to earn money ratting out your neighbors with the new Chaoyang Masses HD app. The app can be used to contact the authorities about five main incidents: major cases, people finder, lost and found, suspects, and cars. We might start with the select few who habitually smoke in our office building's toilet, whenever they need to take a dump – that should get us a few extra mao.

Smog Makes 70 Percent of China Unhappy (the Other 30 Percent Probably Own Coal Mines)
Seven out of 10 China residents are unhappy about smog and 71 percent claim to wear masks on smoggy days, a recent survey detailed in the Global Times reports. One can only surmise the remaining 30 percent not depressed by smog are either too senile to know what's going on, or they run coal mines or air filter companies that are making big bank off the bad air.

Visa Run?: Great Restaurants to Try in Hong Kong While You’re There
Regular visits to Hong Kong aren't uncommon for Beijing folk. And why wouldn't you pop over to the 852 (that's their region phone code and what all the cool kids call their home city); there's fresh air, there's humidity, lots of people speak English, and there's a coastline with a breeze. But even when we do head over to Hong Kong, our jobs don't end: we keep our new restaurant radar on. Because otherwise how will you know which new spots are worth trying? Check out blog for the full list.

This article first appeared in the March/April issue of the Beijinger.

More stories by this author here.

Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Photos: Pai-Hang-Bang.com, Arteutile, Asianfusionweddings.com, dongying.dzwww.com, courtesy of Tribe Organic, News.china.com, Geografiavisual, Margaux Schreurs