Over the past five years,our sibling magazine the Beijinger has made it their mission to try every Chinese provincial government restaurant in the capital… alphabetically. Not an easy feat as there are 23 provinces in China and they aren’t exactly the most sought after, or conveniently located restaurants in the city.

But, that doesn’t mean they won’t deliver you to “Flavortown” or don’t deserve the attention of a true foodie. Quite the opposite actually. They provide a great opportunity for you to get some authentic tastes from the other provinces without ever having to board a plane, train, or automobile.

Here are the best of the bunch to have been featured in the Beijinger’s ProvGov column. Don’t be shy, check them out. After all, the varied and spectacular flavors of China aren’t always going to come to you. You need to hunt them down, and savor the journey. Your tastebuds will appreciate the effort.

Shandong

Just north of the Third Ring Road sits the unassuming Shandong Provincial Government complex and its adjoining white and airy restaurant. Shandong’s deep influence on China’s northern dishes may not be immediately apparent at your run-of-the-mill restaurant but here that rich history of cooking methods – quick frying, stewing, roasting, and boiling – and ingredients – heavy on the ginger, onions, vegetables, and seafood – come together for a Prov Gov menu far superior in breadth than many of its competitors, eschewing lackluster staples for innovative takes on traditional dishes.

A prime example would be the fried radish balls (RMB 48) which come neatly piled in a deep-fat fryer basket, a deft touch rarely seen in these official outlets, and loaded with a satisfying chewiness and a hint of dried squid. However, it was the hot and sour soup (RMB 38) that stole the show thanks to a perfect balance of sourness and generous chunks of warming duck blood, sliced onion, and poached egg as well as a slow-burn chili finish to heat things up a bit.

Daily 7am-9pm. 2 MadianNanlu, Haidian District (6201 1070) 海淀区马甸桥南路2号七省大院山东宾馆1楼

Xinjiang

In the mood to tuck into pulled noodles, roasted lamb, and circular bread – this government-run take on Xinjiang cuisine can boast being one of the city’s best.

A cold starter of tender Xinjiang-style chicken with peppers and a coating of chili oil (RMB 29) whet our appetites to the point that nothing but a pillowy, just-out-of-the-oven bun stuffed with ground lamb and chopped onions (RMB 4 each) would have curbed our salivation. The smoked horse sausage (RMB 46) is decidedly authentic, a mound of circular slices of cured meat that flake apart on your tongue. The lamb chuan’r, though not an easy dish to get wrong, is a little fatty for our tastes but adequately dusted with chili flakes and cumin, the cornerstone spices of Xinjiang cuisine.

Of course no proper Xinjiang feast would be complete without a big plate chicken (dapanji, RMB 98) and this “official” version ironically boasts the use of free range birds. In it, large chunks of chicken sit atop equally large pieces of soft potato, diced green peppers, and thick belts of chewy noodles.

Daily 11am-10.30pm. Xinjiang Provincial Government Office, 7 Sanlihe Lu, Xicheng District (6830 1820) 新疆伊斯兰饭庄：西城区三里河路7号

Ningxia

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is strongly influenced by flavors traditionally associated with the Hui people. Flipping through the menu, we decided to first play it safe with some cold noodles, the liangpi (RMB 20), which was fantastic; crunchy shredded vegetables blended with chewy cold noodles in vinegar with just the right amount of chili. The fried lamb chops with cumin (RMB 98) and the fried lamb with peppers and onion (yangrouxiaochao, RMB 46), stood out – the latter for its lamb variation on the usual pork-based bread stew found in homestyle restaurants throughout the city.

There are also a range of staple foods available, including baked goods, or even a great, big, steaming bowl of huixiangsaozimian (RMB 14).Its mixture of noodles, cubed carrot, and potato weren’t steamy enough to bring beads of sweat to our brow, but nevertheless worth ordering for the perfectly-cooked and demonstrably hand-pulled noodles, and the richly flavored, and slightly sour, broth. We mark this a veritable Prov Gov win!

Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-9pm. Ningxia Dasha, 10 Xiejia Hutong, AndingmenNeidajie, Dongcheng District (6406 1155)东城区安定门内大街谢家胡同10号宁夏大厦

Jiangxi

Jiangxi Province was home to the first revolutionary base in the early days of the communist movement. Hence, you should start ordering at the Jiangxi Provincial Government Restaurant with the much-eulogized dishhongshaorou (RMB 75); fatty pork braised in a sweet sauce.

Many of the other offerings on the menu are named after the provincial capital of Nanchang, home to over 5 million people. The Nanchang fried powder (RMB 20) was basically just fried noodles with some vegetables that probably came out of the freezer.A better surprise, however, came from the ‘repair the water whistle’ (RMB 28), a name that gives absolutely no insight whatsoever as to what the dish actually entails. In fact, the dish is comprised of a little frying pan filled with tiny pork dumplings– quite possibly the cutest thing we’ve ever seen. The dough surrounding the small parcels was slightly sweet, offset by the savory flavors of the pork and the scallions sprinkled on top.

Daily 11.30am-2pm, 4.30-9pm. Madianqiao, Beitaiping Zhuang, Haidian District (8200 3999)

赣人之家：海淀区北太平庄马甸桥江西驻京办内

Jiangsu

The cuisine of Jiangsu Province, or Su cuisine, is generally light and elegant, and characterized by clear soups and an abundance of river greens. These elements come together in one dish often referred to as Lion’s Head, which, thankfully, has no relation to eating the king of the jungle. Instead, it’s a stew containing large meatballs and bamboo shoots or cabbage. The Jiangsu Provincial Government Restaurant serves the balls, arranged in a beautiful green pot doused in a clear soup with a single green leaf probably placed there for aesthetics. We sampled both varieties: ‘crab roe lion’ (xiehuangshizitou), RMB 48 per bowl, and ‘Yangzhou (pork) lion’ (yangzhoushizitou), RMB 38 per bowl. Both varieties were soft and succulent, and came accompanied by a clear soup to offset the heaviness of the meats.

Other dishes we were excited to try were the ‘leek screw’ (jiucailousi, RMB 48), a fried mix of scallions and river snails, and the ‘smoked bean curd malantou’ (xiangganmalantou, RMB 32), both of which take full advantage of Jiangsu’s fertile offerings. What really stood out, however, were the soup dumplings. These comforting parcels of minced pork and abundant soup rarely go wrong, and in this specific case, really hit the spot.

Daily 10.30am-2.30pm, 4.30pm-late. Jiangsu Hotel, 1 Ganshuiqiao, Andingmen Waidajie, Dongcheng District (6422 6633) 
东城区甘水桥1号安定门外大街江苏饭店

Inner Mongolia

The menu consists mostly of hot pot (RMB 18 per individual pot of broth, with a choice of spicy, clear, mushroom, or tomato) and the standard additions, with, as you might expect, a heavy focus on lamb. Diving straight in, we ordered two types: lamb meat from the hind legs and one meat from near the ribs. Both were of good quality and flavorful. Portions, which range in price from RMB 58 to 138, depending on the cut you are after, are also suitably sizeable.Other hot pot trimmings offer the usual selection: fresh spinach, crispy cabbage, tofu, noodles, frozen dumplings, and large crispy slices of lotus root (RMB 8-28), paired with a sauce buffet.

Exploring the menu further, we found traditional Inner Mongolian shaomai (RMB 38 per basket), a lamb-filled variety as opposed to the usual pork. Larger than their southern Chinese cousins, the dough on these was thin and flaky at the top, and the lamb filling was juicy and tender. Even for someone who isn’t the biggest fan of lamb’s distinct taste (“what on earth are you doing at the Inner Mongolian Provincial Government Restaurant?” I hear you say – it’s all part of the job, folks) these were delicious, especially when dunked in a side helping of chili flakes and oil.

Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-9pm. 2/F, Inner Mongolia Hotel, 71 MeishuguanHoujie, Dongcheng District (6401 4499)内蒙古宾馆：东城区美术馆后街71号内蒙古宾馆二层

Heilongjiang

The menu is full of all that good stuff that you used to eat before you learned to speak Chinese, and before you discovered Chinese food wasn’t just gongbaojiding. 

The disanxian (RMB 36), the star of the show, was the right balance between sweet and savory, with the morsels of pepper, potato, and aubergine fried to a slight crunch. Things got even better when the Dongbei dadoufu (RMB 32) arrived, with tofu chunks floating in a delicious gravy that was definitely not vegetarian-friendly.We also tried a variation of jingchangrousi  (RMB 46) which came with larger pancakes than most Beijing-style restaurants usually provide, and more flavors to stuff the pancake with, too.

Even the guobaorou (RMB 58), a dish that usually is ruined by heavy batter throughout Beijing, was tasty. The batter was light, and the sweet sauce wasn’t the kind that makes you instantly head into a food coma. Although more than a couple of pieces per person is generally unadvisable, we cleared the entire plate.We’re going to actually say this was one the best ProvGov missions.

Daily 11am-2pm, 5-9pm. 5 FuxingmenBeidajie, Xicheng District (6802 5511)
西城区复兴门北大街5号

Fujian

The Fujian Provincial Government Restaurant itself looks quite posh, however, the problems started as soon as we opened the menu: shark’s fin. Right. Firstly, the dishes were extremely expensive (shark’s fin soup at RMB 328). After flipping through a couple of pages of over-priced, show-off ingredients that are or aren’t endangered and/ or poisonous, we finally made our decision: crisp-fried dried tofu rolls with minced pork (RMB 42), sautéed sweet and sour pork tenderloin with water chestnut (RMB 48), a Fujian style bowl of noodles in satay sauce (RMB 26), stir-fried tofu and bamboo shoots (RMB 38), and stuffed glutinous rice balls stuffed (RMB 24).

The crisp-fried dried tofu rolls were served with a refreshing, sweet chili sauce. The sautéed sweet and sour pork tenderloin was also not too bad, but the water chestnut took us all by surprise. Note that the noodles are not made using satay sauce as we know it, but rather a local Fujian variation.

The glutinous rice balls were awesome, and came stuffed with a delightful mix of crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, covered in black sesame powder. They were so good that we might actually go there just for the desserts – the menu is home to a few other attractive sounding desserts, including deep fried taro rolls, egg tarts, and ma yuan.

Daily 9.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-11.30pm. 3F, Fujian Dasha, 11 AnzhenXiliSanqu, Chaoyang District (6442 8833)
朝阳区安贞西里三区11号福建大厦3层

Hainan

Upon entering, the staff were friendly without being over bearing as they guided us to a suitable and clean table. There were even crispy white table cloths on the tables and they poured us cups of water without having to ask.

We flicked past the first few pages because they were a mix of abalone, sea cucumber, and other expensive but not very tasty dishes. We settled on a popular Hainan dish: Wenchang crispy chicken (RMB 188 for whole, RMB 98 for half). While this is not one for the lazy or picky eater due to a large number of bones, the chicken was exceptionally tender and the skin certainly crispy.Our sides of steamed greens with olive vegetable (RMB 38) and braised eggplant with sauce in casserole (RMB 58) were both very flavorful. The greens were served in a little dim sum-style basket, retained their crunch, and had a dash of oyster sauce for flavor, while the eggplant was cooked thoroughly and topped off with mince in a dark sauce.

Perhaps this one is worth coming back to, especially for the crispy chicken.

Daily 11am-9pm. 188 AndingmenWaidajie, Dongcheng District (6426 9558)
海南美食：东城区安定门外大街188号海南大厦1层

Guangdong

At first glance, this restaurant that featured some of our favorite delicacies from the south didn’t seem ideal, but once the dim sum came out there was a big sense of relief.

The barbecue pork buns (RMB 18) were brimming with the eponymous sweetened pork. The same goes for the Hong Ma barbecued pork puffs (RMB 18) that were gone within a split second, calling for a swift second order. The mushroom and vegetable buns’ “less bun, more stuffing” approach was also highly appreciated. Finally, the steamed shrimp dumplings tasted fresh with not too much dough, and no unnecessary flavoring.The only serious disappointment was the steamed vermicelli roll (RMB 23), in this case it was made using really thick vermicelli with barely any stuffing. The limp rolls were left to the side, untouched.

To experience the breakfast dim sum carts, you’ll need to get there between 7am-10.30am. Otherwise, they serve dim sum from the kitchen until 1.30pm. Between 11am-2.30pm and 5.30-9pm, they also serve non-dim sum Cantonese dishes from a separate menu.

Daily 7am-1.30pm (dim sum menu), 11am-2.30pm, 5.30-9pm (regular menu). 5/F, Guangzhou Dasha, Heng Ertiao, Xidan, Xicheng District (5855 9988)
广和茶轩：西城区西单横二条3号广州大厦5层

Photos: the Beijinger

This article appeared in the beijingkids September 2019 Family Foodies issue

As the ancestral homeland for many overseas Chinese, Guangdong has a very rich history. One of the places where this is perhaps most obvious is the region around Kaiping, a city-administered as part of Jiangmen, approximately 140 kilometers from Guangzhou. If you ever find yourself in Shenzhen or Guangzhou with a spare day or two, Kaiping is worth the trip!

Kaiping was a region of major emigration at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and the area has a wide range of diaolou, or watchtowers, scattered through the rural landscapes. These diaolou served two purposes, housing, and protection against banditry. Many western architectural features are featured in these towers, and recently some of them were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

Zilicun (自力村)

Perhaps the most famous of the diaolou clusters, Zili Village, or Zilicun, is a beautiful sight with impressive, fortified watchtowers looking out over vast fields of green. The watchtowers have most of the original furniture intact, and there are still portraits of its residents hanging on display. They are indicative of the wealth that many overseas Chinese returned from America to China with.

Entry here is RMB 80, and there are a few buildings that you can enter and enjoy the view from the top. You can also get an RMB 150 ticket to cover all clusters in the area as well as the Li Gardens that are nearby, build in the 1920s and 1930s.

Chikan Village (赤坎)

Chikan Village is a really interesting village, though you’ll need to go here soon if you want to enjoy it in its former glory. The village has already been emptied and feels like a ghost town, and signs indicate that there are plans to demolish the entire village and turn it into a sort of ‘tourist destination’ with newer buildings that look like the old buildings.

This seems a rather odd way to preserve a village that has been designated as a National Historic and Cultural Town of China. One of the most impressive sights is a three-kilometer long riverside stretch of European-style buildings.

Jinjiangli (锦江里)

One of the few villages that still had residents living here, Jinjiangli has three famous diaolou, the most well-known being Ruishi Lou. You can enter it and climb to its balcony, but for the best views, there are surrounding neighbors who are more than happy to let you on their roof for a small fee (RMB 10 per person).

The village also has a couple of little restaurants for if you’re arriving hungry and want to experience local cuisine.

Sanmenli (三门里)

One of the most inhabited villages of them all, Sanmenli, has the oldest diaolou of the area at its core: Yinglong Diaolou. Being off the beaten track, you don’t need a ticket to go here.

This huge, almost windowless watchtower was built during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century but is unfortunately closed to the public. Again, we asked nearby neighbors whether we could take a look from their roof, as the view was impressive from high up.

Getting there

Get a bus to Kaiping from Guangzhou Railway Station or from Tian He Bus Station. The travel time for both of these buses is about two hours, and they depart every 30 minutes between 7am and 7pm.

From Shenzhen, you can get a bus from Shenzhen Qiaoshe Bus Station or from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. This bus takes approximately 3-4 hours, depending on traffic.

Getting around

The easiest thing to do is rent a car to take you to these spots, as they are approximately 10 kilometers from Kaiping and then another 5-10 kilometers from each other. Alternatively ask a taxi driver to take you there, wait, and take you back.

Staying there: While the sights can be covered in a (long!) day trip, we recommend staying over in a hotel in Kaiping (there are plenty of options available online), so that you have a day and a half to cover the four clusters listed above.

Need a break from the big smoke? Get Out, with our handy travel guides, right here.

Photos: Margaux Schreurs

It’s a common scenario: Your parents are coming to visit and their dining preferences are unadventurous, to say the least. So where on earth do you take them? Having entertained many guests over the years, we’ve put together a guide to non-adventurous hutong dining for the parental units. Don’t worry, we did include a few more exciting options because you have to challenge them a little!

The first day (or the unadventurous)

Mr. Shi’s
Mr. Shi’s Dumplings and standard foreigner-friendly fare served in a clean environment are made even more accessible by the English menus and foreigner-focused staff. Their branches throughout the city also make for a good option for those parents daring enough to wander the mean streets of Beijing by themselves while you’re at work.

Xian Lao Man
Another great place to send or take your parents for its wide-ranging menu (that is also available in English but may be slightly intimidating for its small writing and extensive options). While the staff here don’t speak English and are in fact often quite surely given that their average age is around 15 years old, the food is very good and very foreigner-friendly If worst comes to worst, there are always others foreigners around that can help you order. Expect a short queue during peak lunch and dinner times.

Nice Rice
This trendy Hunan eatery spans two floors and offers a great introduction to regional dining for parents. The English, picture-heavy menu, clean surroundings, and occasionally English-capable staff make for a good bet for people who are new to China or are still working through that initial culture shock. Given that they serve Hunan cuisine, expect the dishes to be spicy but not too spicy.

After the first day (or for the slightly more adventurous)

Spring Trees (Andingmen location)
Spring Trees presents a clean eating environment for the slightly more adventurous (it even has tablecloths!), but the menu is a little less attuned to foreign tastebuds, providing a more authentic spin on Sichuan cuisine. That being said, the food here is not overly spicy and chili can be avoided altogether depending on what you order. However, we do recommend the mapo doufu, of course, and the dandan noodles. The staff here are also notably some of the friendliest we’ve encountered in Beijing.

Jindingxuan (Ditan location)
For a taste of Southern Chinese food, we recommend the infamous 24-hour, bustling four floors of Jindingxuan. While very clean and easily accessible because of its English picture menus, the queuing outside and the raucous atmosphere indoors might be a turn-off for someone who has only been in China for a day. Still, Jindingxuan provides an unmatched experience for anyone wanting to eat cheap dim sum coupled with the excitement that comes from true mayhemic Chinese hospitality. Bonus: throw your parents into the deep end with an order of chicken feet.

Baron Rozi (Dongsishitiao location)
Slightly outside of the hutongs, near Dongsishitiao, is Baron Rozi Xinjiang Cuisine, one of the city’s newer Xinjiang restaurants. Try the dapanji (pictured above) and of course, a great rendition of the city’s ubiquitous lamb chuan’r. The Uyghur entertainment of dancing and music makes Baron Rozi the perfect place to bring visitors, and the palatial surroundings don’t hurt when you’ve got fussy parents in tow.

The last night (or for the adventurous)

Zhang Mama
A Sichuan mainstay for those of us living in or frequenting the Andingmen area, Zhang Mama can be a bit of an attack on the senses with lots of smells, tastes, and general over-stimulation (think screaming). Expect a long queue and no English menu, but the restaurant will give your parents a good introduction to Sichuan cuisine if they’re not fortunate enough to be traveling south.

Bonus points

Lamb spine hot pot
Offering exactly what the name suggests, lamb spine hot pot is really tasty and if your parents can get over the initial “wait, what?” it is worth taking them to. There’s one over on 21 Cheniandian Hutong, or if you’re in the Wangfujing area try 101 Baofang Hutong.

“Baby poo dumplings”
Located opposite the branch of Mr. Shi’s Dumplings on Cheniandian Hutong, this restaurant actually serves up superior dumplings than Mr. Shi’s. The catch? The staff definitely don’t speak English and you’ll have to navigate a Chinglish menu, and most “interesting” of all, multiple the Beijinger staffers have seen the owners’ baby do a number one or a number two in the restaurant at some point in time. Is the risk worth delicious dumplings at much lower prices than Mr. Shi’s? That’s your call.

Photos: Dianping, Margaux Schreurs

This post first appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger. See more stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Getting ready to go to a ball, gala, or other special occasions? When getting dolled up for a formal occasion, your hair is often the last thing you want to think about, and can often be the most stressful aspect of your look.

Blow+Bar, a Singaporean lifestyle groom bar that offers everything from haircuts to perms, blowouts, updos, coloring, highlights, and even nails, is the perfect one-stop-shop to get ready before a big night out. And best of all, you’ve got access to wine and bubbly while you’re relaxing and getting ready; the ultimate hair, nails, and predrink solution.

We talked to Ashley Soh, co-founder of Blow+Bar, to find out more about getting an updo done at Blow+Bar in Beijing, how Blow+Bar differs from other hair salons throughout Beijing, and what styles they offer for people with different types of hair. We also got to see first-hand – courtesy of our two more than willing models – what some of their updos look like, and how they can transform you ahead of a night out.

Before the updo

Before the updo

“We’re different [from other salons]because the environment here is different, it’s much more chilled and we serve free wine and bubbly,” Soh tells us. “We have our own collection in our look book, from perms, to highlights, and color.”

A tousled updo

The look book is an easy tool for those who aren’t very familiar with updos, detailing the various styles with pictures for easier reference (RMB 248-498 depending on the style). You can also bring a photo in if you’ve seen a style somewhere else that you want to try, and the entire process should only take approximately one hour.

Sideswept waves

“We are very consumer oriented, so our styles and looks are created with the consumer in mind, whereas most other hair salons create their styles with the hairdressers in mind; what the hairdressers are good at, and what they think is nice,” Soh says of their approach that has won the brand awards from magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Elle in Singapore.

An elaborate updo

And even if you have shorter hair, not all is lost. There are still plenty of updo styles available to you, like a wavy Gatsby-style updo, or a sidesweep or a low chignon to have you feeling glamorous.

Ready for a glamorous night out

Best of all, Blow+Bar has 30 percent off all services throughout until the end of April, making it even easier to take the dive and head in with your friends to get ready for your next formal occasion. Given Beijing’s relatively dry weather conditions leading up to summer, you can get your tresses ready up to five hours before an occasion, leaving plenty of time for you to focus on your outfit and makeup, or just simply relax.

Models are Emma Qi and Alina Galkina. The dresses in this shoot were provided by Linvina Bridal and makeup by Frau Romanova. Photos by Uni You.

This post is sponsored by Blow+Bar. 

This article first appeared on our sister website, The Beijinger.

This April 1 marks two years since CandleX was founded, aimed at promoting awareness on depression and providing social support throughout Beijing. Since then they have hosted a number of mental health workshops, peer support groups, community campaigns, and shared knowledge with embassies, schools, community, and media.

To celebrate everything CandleX have achieved, come Saturday they’re throwing a big party (that doubles as a fundraiser), starting off with dance workshops at 4pm.

The first dance workshop is suitable for all levels and will focus on contact improv dancing, billed as wild and athletic, but also quiet and meditative. The class will start with simple contact points such as the fingers, hands, and arms. The second workshop, an American tribal-style bellydance workshop, starts at 5.45pm and is a modern combination of Oriental, flamenco, and Indian dance. And finally, the third workshop kicks off at 7pm, and focuses on swing dance. Tickets to the workshops are RMB 60 for one, RMB 100 for two, or RMB 130 for all three.

At 8pm, the general party kicks off with the CandleX crew. All proceeds from the evening, including tickets bought to enter a raffle on the evening, will go towards more mental health projects round Beijing.

Tickets for the party are RMB 50 if you get them before March 26 (limited to 50 spots only), or RMB 60 at the door. Get your tickets here.

To find out more about CandleX and their other events, check out their website.
Images: Huffington Post, courtesy of the organizers

More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

This article originally appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger.

This Sunday, March 12, Innovative Educators of Beijing invites job seekers and employers alike to present the Connect the Dots Job Fair.

Connect the Dots’ job fair differs from other job fairs in that it specializes in education jobs, generally at schools, but not just in the teaching fields. Positions on offer will include those in IT, design, sales, marketing, curriculum designers, administration, counselors, health, and hygiene.

Mostly they are international schools hiring for full-time positions, but there are also other institutions offering part-time work. Currently, there are 59 open positions available for job seekers!

Jobs like these are interesting because of their perks: longer summer holidays, a life-long learning environment, and, if you’ve got kids, tuition fees are often covered.

To read more about the specifics of how the fair works, check out the event listing here.

The fair will be held at the Canadian International School between 1pm and 4pm, and entry is free. If you’re a job seeker looking to register, click here. If you’re an education institution looking to sign up and recruit, click here.

Alternatively you can scan the relevant QR code on the poster above.

More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com 
Instagram: s.xuagram 
Images: veteranstodayjobs.com, Connect the Dots

This originally appeared on our sister site, theBeijinger.com