In the fall of 1989 there was a bumper crop of Chinese Cabbage in Beijing. This was before ‘capitalism with Chinese characteristics’ and everyone was required to buy 40 kilograms (over 80 pounds of cabbage). The Chinese cabbages were trucked into Beijing, piled up on street corners, in front of the state stores – and everywhere. Then it had to be bought, taken home and stored, in courtyards, in apartment building hallways and balconies – everywhere.
- Chinese cabbage riding home
- Chinese cabbage in shopping carts.
- Chinese cabbages stored in Beijing courtyards
For more Wordlessness this Wednesday click here. (Forgive the formatting. Computer acting out today) I’ve written about our time in Beijing here and here. And here.
For goodness sakes. What piles of cabbage.
That’s a sight. I love the pictures. Cabbage is so good!
Those are some absolutely amazing photos.
Yael from Home Garden Diggers
Lisa – It is very strange to see piles and mountains of cabbage every where is a big city!
Yael – In the summer, back then anyway, there were always mountains of wonderful little Beijing watermelons. The only things that quenched my thirst during the dry Beijing summer.
How fascinating! Did they stay fresh enough? How did people store them? I love Cabbages, but people must have gotten sick of them that year?
PlantPostings – The outer leaves dry out and the inner leaves stay amazingly fresh for quite a while. They were stored in hallways, on apartment balconies and in apartment courtyards. People did get tired of eating it, but what could they do.