Getting lost on the way to the Back Lakes was awesome because we accidentally stumbled upon this market. Only after I identified it on the satellite picture view did I learn the name of it: the 'Sihaun Market'. Also, our night market guide Angela thought this might be the market she takes people to visit on tours. So when I looked it up on Hias Gourmet, voila! "A cavernous structure in central Beijing, as large as 12 Olympic sized swimming pools laid end to end, Sihuan Market with its discreet entrance covers 15,000 square meters and nourishes one-third of Xicheng district's 878,000 residents. Meat, fruit, vegetables, tea, grains and spices converge here from across China's 22 provinces, before scattering to smaller market aisles or Beijing homes. As we weave through the 500-odd stalls, dodging bicycles that buyers use to move among the stalls, we discover the sights, sounds, and flavours of one of the last remaining large scale markets in Old Beijing."
