New Year Flower Market

Around Chinese New Year flower markets traditionally spring up in various locations around the city selling not only horticultural products but also pets, fireworks & lucky charms for the new year. One arrived in my neighbourhood and for the last few days has been chocker block with people doing last-minute shopping for the festivities.

View From My Apartment

The view from my bedroom window – super busy and crowded. Due to the messed up economy, plenty of good deals are on offer as the vendors try to flog all their inventory.

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I have no idea what these strange yellow fruits are. If anyone knows please leave a comment – they’re definitely not lemons before anyone asks! I wonder if they’re for eating or just ornamental. (Update 26/01: The fruits were identified by Shuo as Solanum mammosum – they’re only for show and are poisonous so definitely not edible!!).

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Baby Turtles!

Buy two, get one free on baby turtles today only – supposedly the turtle is a sign of longevity. Mice, rabbits and goldfish are also on offer, not sure whether they were for pets or eating…

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This man is hand-painting signs to hang above your front door. Most of them read “Happy New Year” or variations on the same theme. They’re supposed to bring good luck to the household and ward off evil spirits.

Most people are off work for the week (including yours truly) and while I don’t have a definite plan yet there’s bound to be something interesting going on and the possibility of another excursion or two 🙂

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David avatar
Originally from the UK, David is product manager and wanderer currently based in Munich. Prior to this, he lived in Japan and China for over 15 years. He started Randomwire in 2003 to chronicle his travels and occasional musings. Feel free to drop him a line.

6 responses

  1. Aku avatar
    Aku

    Crazy stuff on sale! Is selling baby turtles on the street even legal?
    I don’t know what those fruits are, but I’d guess either yellow kiwis or some sort of melon.

    Reply
  2. David avatar
    David

    It’s definitely illegal in the UK, but in China I doubt it. The jury is still open on the fruits – could possibly be kiwi’s although I can’t seem to find any pics like the ones I saw. I think they’re probably too small to be melons but I could be wrong!

    Reply
  3. Shuo avatar
    Shuo

    hehe,the yellow fruites are called Solanum mammosum.I once rented a booth and sold things with my friends at this kind of flower market.^^

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_mammosum

    Reply
  4. David avatar
    David

    Thanks for ID Shuo! What an interesting plant but definitely not something I’d want in my home.

    Last night just before midnight the flower market packed up and this morning the street cleaners tidied everything up.

    Reply
  5. vincent avatar
    vincent

    I think the animal is bought and released, to bring good karma.

    Reply
  6. Katrina avatar
    Katrina

    In the US, it’s illegal in all 50 states to sell a baby turtle to the public in connection with a business. Most of the turtles in the picture are red-eared sliders, which are native to the US. Releasing them “to the wild” outside of the US (and even in some parts of the US) is likely to create bad karma, as these turtles can cause ecological havoc when released to where they are not native. They are considered an invasive pest in many parts of the world.

    Reply

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