The art of hawking

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The city of Beijing is both old and new. It boasts skyscrapers with cutting-edge technology as well as ancient palaces that belong to an era hundreds of years ago. In between this sharp contrast lies a sweet memory that's dear to the hearts of local Beijingers. It's a voice that's indispensable to old Beijing.

Downtown Beijing is the setting for an opening ceremony of a new local restaurant. What sets it apart from others is that this opening ceremony is infused with an old Beijing flavor. The ceremony's host, Zang Hong, steals the limelight with his distinguished hawking performance. After the show, he shows off his skills along with his grandson on local streets, in snack shops, and with local folk.

In the 1930s and 40s, Beijing residents could hear vendors hawking their wares one after another through the afternoon and alleys of old Beijing. They sold a huge variety of goods, from sweets, to vegetables and eggs. Zang Hong, who's now 77 years old, recalls the day when he made his first trip selling newspapers on a Beijing street at just 9 years old. Zang shares his stories of hawking with his offspring, in a hope that they can carry on the age-old tradition.

In a local shop that sells traditional Beijing snacks, Zang Hong is helping his grandson figure out the huge variety of snacks. From the name of each snack, and how to make them, to the address of each item's birthplace Zang Hong remembers all of them well. But what he's best at is the performance that accompanies the selling of each snack. When he hawks, his voice is as loud and melodic as any enthusiastic young lad. It has taken him nearly half a century to hone this skill.