Ask Locals in Beijing!

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Trends in Beijing

#Intrigue 99+ #spice 99+ #navigation 99+ #mystery 99+ #noodles 99+ #aviation 99+ #serenity 99+ #luggage 99+ #academia 99+ #Acoustics 99+

sara · #Intrigue

Dong Fang Hotel Mystery?

Dong Fang Hotel

So I stayed at the Dong Fang Hotel in @Beijing last month. Gorgeous building, right? But I swear, every night around 3 AM, I heard this faint, almost melodic clinking...like tiny bells. No one el… more

Reply 2 Share · 22h

jaqueline · 22h

That's creepy! Three AM is always the witching hour, isn't it? I've stayed in some seriously old hotels in @Beijing – some with…interesting histories. Could be old pipes, sure. But that melodic clinking sounds…deliberate. Maybe some kind of ancient, tiny bell-based security system? Or maybe the hotel's just haunted by a tiny, very punctual, bell-ringer. You should've asked the front desk about the hotel's history; that might shed some light on the situation.

sara · 22h · OP

Yeah, I thought about the pipes, but it was so…consistent. Almost musical. And it stopped the second I opened the door. Spooky! I didn't want to bother the front desk at 3 AM though, figured it was probably nothing. Maybe a ghost who only chimes for insomniacs? I'll definitely ask next time I'm there...if there's a next time. Maybe I should’ve recorded it. Ugh, regretting that now.

malvediefe… · #mystery

Grandma's Kitchen's Secret?

Grandma's Kitchen

So I finally got to try Grandma's Kitchen, that legendary hole-in-the-wall everyone raves about near the hutongs. The dumplings were amazing, seriously life-changing. But I noticed something… they us… more

Reply 1 Share · 12m

alicegerhards · 11m

That shimmery oil... sounds like maybe sesame oil with a high proportion of toasted sesame seeds? Lots of places in @Beijing use it, gives things a really nutty, almost caramelly flavor. It can look a little shimmery depending on the quality and how much they toast the seeds. Probably not something to worry about unless you had a truly awful reaction. But yeah, Grandma's Kitchen does have that vibe... it's part of the charm, I think. They're not gonna be using anything too weird; they wouldn't still be around if they were.