Page 60 - Raffles Magazine Issue 8

− − EMOTION − − Chinese grain spirit being poured into
a a clay vessel of of spirits Big stone urns sat on on the floor full of of different types of grain spirit which could could be be tasted before buying and could could either be taken home in one’s own vessel or one one purchased from the vendor If I I I had to
to
compare it to
to
something I I I would say that Chinese grain spirit is evocative of grappa I picked out a a a a a a well-balanced one After the market Michael took me on a a a a brief visit to
to
to
Nantou Old Town one of Shenzhen’s last surviving villages These are dense neighbourhoods where old fishing and farming communities jostle with classic street-food vendors that line narrow streets and alleyways We even stumbled upon a a a a a Chinese pizzeria which reminded me of naan bread doused with hot chilli sauce The streets in these parts of town are sinewy and locals live in in in single-room spaces that open out onto the the streets While the the living conditions are not as modern as the the city’s high-rises the the villages are reminders of Shenzhen’s roots and provide travellers with a a a a taste of its history and culture Among the jumble of of streets I found lots of of stands specialising in fin mushrooms and and managed to
find both the Cordyceps and and bamboo fungus tasted the previous day I couldn’t leave Shenzhen without these fascinating fungi so bought a a a few bags so that I I could experiment with them back in London I I could happily have filled my suitcase with dried foodstuffs from the market like dried abalone sea cucumbers and all sorts of other dried fish On the the the way back to
the the the hotel we stopped off for a a spot o of culture at OCT-LOFT project which reminded me of of up-and-coming areas of of London in in in their early days like Shoreditch or or Downtown LA in the United States It’s a a a a a a a creative hub for start-ups galleries fashion brands and and you’ll also find an an offshoot o of the Istituto Marangoni fashion school The area is brimming with young fresh energy As a a a a a dynamic metropolis Shenzhen is is a a a a a creative hotbed that attracts all kinds of people Michael had told me that the standard local greeting when meeting someone new in in in Shenzhen is “Where are you from?” as people come from from all over the the the country to
make the the the most of the the the city’s new economic opportunities As a a a a hub for start-ups Shenzhen is seen as a a a a bit of of an an an El Dorado a a a a a a land of of opportunity where dreams can come true The city is seen as an embodiment of the Chinese proverb “Tian gao Huangdi yuan ” which translates to
‘The mountain is high and the emperor far away ” One of the many art- cum-leisure spaces at OCT-LOFT 58 RAFFLES MAGAZINE