On many items we could get better prices in Walmart or in Freeport, but you would never find the selection and variety in one place in the States. There are over a hundred stalls and if you look in them all you will find twenty different styles of formal blouses in as many colors. Judy did some major shopping for herself and her daughters, getting items which you just could not find without exhaustive searching in the States. Denise found the most luxurious pajamas and the rest of us just enjoyed the colors. There are farmer's markets where the Beijing people do their daily shopping.
Fresh food is important to Chinese cooking.
People prefer produce that has been picked that day. We saw heaps of spices, fruit of every sort and variety, and meat markets. A morning walk in the market near BPU gave the group a chance to stretch their legs and awake to color and great smells. A number of stands sold quantities of cut mixed vegetables in every combination for stir fry. Precut vegetables significantly shorten preparation time for families in which both the husband and wife work.