Finding Yellow

 

Two Saturdays ago, Brittany and I stepped onto the 903 city bus, maps and cameras in hand. We set out to explore a part of the city we had never been to before. We got a little distracted about three-quarters of the way to our intended destination by grumbling tummies and a bustling market. So, we got off the bus and began our exploration early with a lunch of shao mai (“sh-ow my”; ground beef and vegetable  steamed dumplings) and sesame paste-drenched long-leaf lettuce. Then, we made our way off the main street and stepped into alleyways that made up stop to wonder if we were still in the same city we in which we started out that morning.  Weaving through the market stalls and narrow streets, pork was replaced with lamb and beef, Chinese characters interspersed with Arabic swirls and everything highlighted with yellow instead of red.   

Yellow is a royal color in China, a color only the emperor was once allowed to wear. Now, it is the color of choice for food stalls, doors, and signs in Hui (“hway”) neighborhoods. The Hui people, the largest minority group in our city (one of the 56 officially recognized minority groups in China), share blood lines and religion with those in the Middle East. Descended from Arabic and Persian traders, they primarily practice Islam.  Hui communities, like the one Brittany and I stepped into, are dotted with mosques and moon-topped minarets, men with white embroidered caps, and restaurants with ornate swirled symbols that indicate they serve only Halal food. 

The long line of patrons (even during Ramadan) at one yellow-walled food stall piqued our curiosity.  Yellow-aproned men and women worked non-stop in assembly-line style.  Even though we had already eaten lunch (it was a light lunch J), Brittany and I decided we couldn’t forego a taste of the specialty from this neighborhood hot spot. The first woman took our money and handed us a plastic ticket.  The next woman pulled dough out of a three-foot-high pot and handed to the woman on her left who rolled it out.  Down the line the dough went, undergoing numerous transformations.  It was spread with seasoned ground meat, folded, rolled again, sizzled in a shallow cast iron pan of oil and finally cut before served to and enjoyed by the hungry guests. It was delicious and well worth the wait and the reputation! 

 

The next stop was a sampling from the vendor who sold a rainbow of dried fruit. We chose pear and lotus root slices, yellow grape tomatoes, and toasted sugar candy to snack for the rest of our journey.

 

Brittany and I found one of the largest mosques in our city, all cream-colored marble and gold,  reaching to the sky. It was built just a few years ago to combine four mosques into one to make the land available for high rises and shopping malls.  Across the street was a newly built place of worship, but in the traditional Chinese tiled roof and red door style.

On to one of the largest indoor markets in the city to buy paper and then to a local fast food chain to enjoy cold drinks (I chose green bean tea!) and escape the coming rain. Another ride on the 903 was a fitting end to our day of exploring. We hope to go again soon, riding a different bus and finding new colors and new treats, wandering down new alleyways and discovering more treasures of our fascinating city!