Saturday 8 October 2011

Flower, Bird, Fish & Insect Market









We chanced upon this market at Xizang Nan Lu after visiting Dongtai Lu Antique Market. AAA found this market far more interesting because you get a glimpse into the insect for pets/gaming trade that the locals indulge in. It was a hive of activity and we were happy to be there. Majority of the shops here were chock full with insects such as cicadas, grasshoppers etc. and all the interesting stuff that comes with rearing and fighting insects. There were some bird pet shops, an aquarium shop, plant & flower shop, a shop that sells fishing equipment, etc. 





Walnuts - I did not know what they were for but they must be prized as some were displayed in showcases. I looked it up and I found this article on Walnut Therapy which was very interesting. We may even find some inspiration for tatting designs in them. Watch this report by CNTV here.  Now I wish I had bought a pair.

What did I actually buy here? I bought some jade beads which I strung up into a necklace and a pair of earrings.




3 comments:

  1. Walnuts, you eat them, crack the shell open and eat the inside, they grow on trees in the UK. It takes a tree twenty years before they produce a walnut.
    I would enjoy the birds and the fish as long as they are not going to be eaten, but the insects sorry I would run a mile.
    Thanks for sharing these great pictures of life in your country lovely to see how other people live.
    I always enjoy your blog and the things you are always finding something new to show us.
    Have a lovely weekend.
    Margaret

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  2. There are English Walnuts and Black Walnuts. I have tons of Black Walnut trees on my property. They have a taste distinctively different from English Walnuts which are milder. The shells are often used in crafts but there is also a professor at Purdue University who has developed ways to use the shells in roads, manufactured goods, and other things. The hulls that surround the nuts are used as a natural dye. They also stain your fingers something awful. The wood from the trees is a prized for it's hardness, dark color and depth of color. I prefer the taste of English Walnuts but every so often I like a slice of black walnut cake. The walnuts in your photo look like even a different variety.

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  3. I do not know what kind of walnuts they are but some looked huge, especially those in the showcases. We do have shelled walnuts for sale at the supermarket and sometimes unshelled ones near Christmas. But rolling walnuts in your palm (not black walnuts, otherwise we end up with stained palms) for good circulation, I think I need a pair too.

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