A Tour of China in Winter
Part 2b
An Aquarium Market in Xi'an
By Howard Norfolk
Original to Aquarticles.com
It was New Year's Eve in Xi'an, Central China. Our guide had the day off but I wanted
to visit some aquarium stores, have lunch, and then visit the Banpo Neolithic Village. Our
guide suggested that I hire one of her tour company's minibuses, to save the hassle of
looking for individual taxis. This seemed extravagant until she told me the cost - US$24
for the day, driver included. The driver's share must have been about $12, so no wonder he
was pleased with the $6 tip I gave him at the end!
He first drove my friend and I to The Flower Market at Wenyi Road, on East Youyi Road,
Xi'an -
The market was in a walled compound. Notice the 'Chinese pick-up
truck' driving by.
Click on photos for enlargements, then
go 'BACK'
Those 'trucks' can carry big loads.
The above tricycles were motorised, but pedal cycling is still the way
most people get around in China. Before you gloat too much over this, bear in mind that
the exercise Chinese people get from pedalling their bikes makes them fit and healthy
people. On their dollar-an-hour wages they can't afford many processed or pre-packaged
foods either; so all in all, they don't have the obesity problems that our motorised
fast-food societies do!
There must be an aquarium store around here somewhere? ...Yes, that
third symbol means 'water' and the fourth means 'everything'. In other words, 'aqua
supplies.'
Actually I can't really read these symbols, which means I'm in a minority group. Did you
realise that in the World as a whole, more people can understand these symbols than can
read ours? I was surprised when I read this, but believed it when I added up the numbers.
There were lots of aqua suppliers. Lanes went around outside of the
square, and many of the shops sold fish. The white plastic basins outside on the pavement
contain goldfish.
The market had about thirty aquarium shops, and I don't think they've
changed much since the Ming Dynasty! (which ended in1644).
They were Asian-style, small square cubby-holes with sliding metal doors
coming down to close them at night. Most of them had no front wall or window - they were
completely open to the elements even in the cold weather. (It was -10°C that day). A few
of them had sliding glass doors or draughty plastic screens, but many had open fronts.
Shopkeepers huddled around little coal stoves to keep warm, and even some of the fish
tanks were heated by being placed on cabinets with built-in stoves.
...By the way, given Xi'an's long history, I wouldn't be at all surprised
to hear that ornamental fish have been sold at this spot since the Ming Dynasty.
The Chinese developed goldfish 1000 years ago, and the keeping of fish was a part of their
lifestyle even before that. By the 14th Century they had begun to keep and breed goldfish
indoors. The main differences between now and the Ming period would be the use of
glass and plastic containers instead of porcelain and wood, the (sparing) use of
electricity, and the introduction of fish species from the New World.
 
Most of the shops were small square holes-in-the-wall. Here is one
of the better ones, and another that isn't so well run.
It was a school holiday. This boy was trying to keep warm by his
stove...
...and this lady was checking that her cabinet heater stove was
working OK.
This family was passing time by watching a tiny TV.
Goldfish
Goldfish are the most popular fish in China, since they are cheap and easy to
keep.
 
Some of the more expensive goldfish were in glass tanks, but many
were in plastic basins outside.
 
There were a few koi and larger goldfish in the basins too. I didn't
see many koi in the market.
 
It was so cold (-10C) that ice was forming over the fish, as can be
seen particularly in the photo on the right. The fish nets came in handy for scooping off
the ice.
 
Lots of nice little fish, priced at just 1 or 2 yuan each (US 12 or
24 cents). These photos show how pretty goldfish look from above, which is how they were
originally always viewed.
 
Catch your own fish.
Tropical fish
Since it was winter, only the more elaborate shops sold tropical fish. In summer
I am sure that many of the basins on the street contain tropical fish too.
 
Angelfish
 
Discus together with, rather incongruously, Chinese sailfin suckers.
These discus were US$12 each, and the suckers $3.60.
 
Gars with bristle-nose catfish....and the hybrid 'blood parrot'
cichlid.
Tinfoil barbs and red devils....oscars and black tetras.
Tiger barbs were only 1 yuan each (US 12 cents) as were most of the
other small fish.
A shopkeeper proudly pointed these out to me - some of the few
loaches and catfish that I saw in China.
The same shopkeeper had another rarity - African cichlids.
 
This boy's guppies and swordtails were sitting on a nice warm
cabinet, so he kept close to it too!
 
Weather loaches and some other small fish were offered by the
hundred, as feeders.
Aquatic plants
At the indoor mall I visited in Beijing they also sold plants from basins on the floor.
They didn't here - perhaps it was too cold - but I'm sure they do in the summer.
 
Some plants were displayed in heated indoor tanks.
Healthy plants
Display aquaria
I saw lots of beautiful Chinese-style display aquaria, where they use detailed little
ceramic models to create pastoral scenes. I think that gazing at these ideal miniature
country dioramas must help relieve the stresses of crowded city living.
 
These two have a 'stream' made from clear glass with pebbles
underneath. The photo on the right shows how it is done.
 
These both have streams as well, and nice backgrounds.
I can only think that the person who designed this must have learned
his skills in some other country! Fortunately this was the only one of its style that I
saw.
Du Pin
Although he didn't speak any English, one shopkeeper was particularly friendly, and
interested in the photos I was taking. He gave me his card which was in Chinese. I later
asked our guide to translate the card. It said his name was 'Du Pin,' and that he designs
bonsai rock gardens and fountains, and wholesales decorative rocks.
 
Two of Du's creations were on display. One was near his stove so the
fountain was working, but the other one had frozen solid. (Near the water-wheel can be
seen a frozen goldfish on its side).
 
I took a photo of Du in front of his masterpiece, and then he
invited me to be in a photo with him.
He had a good stock of bonsai aquarium ornaments.
  
The ornaments were in neat rows.
Du presented me with a Chinese fisherman model and a piece of rock as
gifts. I liked these, so I bought a few more ornaments from him.
My friend Mani watched as Du wrapped up my gifts and purchases.
 
Du also sold rock for gardens. There was a big pile of it at the
back of his shop.
Dry goods
When Du looked out into the lane he would see some fish tank makers -
The view from Du's shop.
 
Tanks were hand-made here.
 
Another shop sold goldfish bowls, and yet another offered plastic
flowers to decorate them with.
 
Gravel, pebbles and coral.
  
This shop specialised in fish foods and medications. Is that a
goldfish spawning mop?
Foods were available both pre-packaged and (at another store) in bulk.
My friend Du Pin had some competition - this shop also specialised
in aquarium ornaments.
Other shops
In China, ornamental fish are traditionally sold alongside garden plants and supplies,
which makes sense since goldfish are kept in ponds, which are part of the garden.
 
The flower part of the market was not very lively, due to the cold
weather. A few shops had some spring bulbs ready. The flower shops seemed more prosperous
- most of them had glass fronts.
This one was open for business - a large heated shop with lots of
colourful indoor plants.
Pots had their own section of the market.
 
Some birds were displayed miserably out in the cold.
 
These men were rather roughly trying to transfer a mynah bird from
one cage to another.
This unfortunate cat looked on. When I first saw it, it was perched
on its plastic feeding dish to insulate its feet. It was mewing pitifully for attention in
the -10C cold.
A shop at the far end of the market sold dog supplies, including
winter coats for dogs.
This open area must be full of pet sellers in summertime, but
meanwhile it was being used to sell books.
Did you notice anything missing here? I did - the complete lack of
'Xmas' fever. Despite the fanfare on TV and the decorations, trees and Santas in upscale
malls, hotels and restaurants, these ordinary tradespeople were not attempting to cash in
on the new-fangled commercial season. Nor did they seem too excited that it was 'New
Year's Eve 2005'. They would have been much more eagerly awaiting the Chinese New
Year on February 9th, when it would become Year 4702, the Year of the Rooster. At that
time most people would be taking a week off work to celebrate the Spring Festival. My
guide said don't visit China then - everything closes down for the holiday!
....It became lunchtime, and our driver took us to a fancy restaurant that
was full of businessmen in suits getting very drunk and helping themselves to communal
food on rotating-top tables. We three shared five heaping plates of different meats and
vegetables, soup, noodles, rice, tea, two beers, some tiny cups of wine, and I had a
coffee. I knew our driver couldn't afford to chip-in for such a lavish meal, so I paid for
the whole thing. It was US$9.60, with no tip expected.
Postscript
After returning home I decided to decorate a little 10 gallon aquarium
Chinese-style, using Du's ornaments and some juvenile swordtails and guppies from my
indoor pond.
Here is my Chinese aquarium.
After historic Xi'an we flew to the scenic resort city of Guilin.....
Go to the next in this series:
China Tour Part 3a: The Spectacular Scenery
of Guilin
The whole Tour of China in winter series:
Part 1a: Introduction, and the Tourist Sights
of Beijing (Tourist sights)
Part 1b: A Visit to the Beijing Aquarium
(Public aquarium)
Part 1c: An Arcade of Aquarium Shops in
Beijing (Aquarium shops)
Part 1d: The Beijing Museum of
Natural History (Tourist sights)
Part 2a: Xi'an and the Army of
Terracotta Warriors (Tourist sights)
Part 2b: An Aquarium Market in Xi'an (Aquarium shops)
Part 3a: The Spectacular Scenery of Guilin
(Tourist sights)
Part 3b: A Visit to the Guilin Ocean
Aquarium (Public aquarium)
Part 4a: The Space-Age City of Shanghai (Tourist sights)
Part 4b: A Visit to the Shanghai Ocean
Aquarium (Public aquarium)
Part 4c: Jiangyin Road, a Street of Aquarium
Shops in Shanghai (Aquarium shops)
Part 5: Fish Seen in Chinese
Restaurants (Native fish)
Part 6a: A Photographic Visit to Ocean Park,
Hong Kong (Public aquarium)
Part 6b: The Goldfish Pagoda at Ocean Park,
Hong Kong (Public aquarium)
See also (after a previous visit to Hong Kong):
Tung Choi. The Amazing Aquarium Store Street in Hong
Kong (Aquarium shops)
Or, back to:
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