While taxis or Didis may be the most convenient form of transportation to or from Beijing Capital Airport, we can’t deny that taking the subway is still the cheapest way to go. A one-way ride from or to the city terminal Sanyuanqiao (三元桥, Sānyuánqiáo, or “Three yuan” Bridge) subway station on Line 10 costs 25元.

We know that 元 yuán is the colloquial term and sign for the rénmínbì, the Chinese currency. So I have always wondered why that station is called “Sanyuan Qiao.” Of course, the bridge can’t cost only three yuán, so there must be another reason why it is named as such.

So in today’s Subway Sunday, we travel to Sanyuanqiao and try to explain that baffling station name. In this edition, we’re joined by Hope Sun, a travel guide at Foreigner China Network. She studies International Business English at Beijing City University.

Hope: You must be thinking why Sanyuanqiao subway station is named after the “Three Yuan” Bridge. Well, it’s the nearest landmark to the subway station which links Line 10 (Third Ring Loop line) and the Airport Express line.

Sanyuanqiao is located in the northeast part of the Third Ring Road. The bridge is at the intersection of the ring road and National Highway 101, the road that connects the city center to the districts of Shunyi and Miyun.

As we all know, China’s cultural heritage is rich, and you might be surprised to learn that the “Three Yuan” Bridge has something to do with Taoism.

While the literal meaning of Sanyuanqiao is “Three Yuan Bridge,” there are a couple of explanations for the origin of its name. The most famous one is about an ancient Taoist temple called Sānyuán’ān (三元庵) built somewhere in the present-day area which includes the bridge.

The “Sanyuan” part of the temple name is taken from the Taoist story of the “Sānyuán Dàdì” (三元大帝) or “Sānguān Dàdì” – or in English, the Officials/Officers of: Heaven, Tiān guān (天官); Earth, Di guān (地官); and Water, Shuǐ guān (水官).

In Taoist mythology, and Chinese theology in general, the Sanyuan Dadi are deities but not on the same level as other gods. However, the Sanyuan Dadi are still well-known because they are closely related to people’s life. In ancient times, farmers who worshiped the Three Officers worshiped the heaven, earth, and water, as the three were important factors in nature. In Taoist thought, the Officer of Heaven blesses people and gives them happiness; the Officer of Earth absolves people of crimes; and the Officer of Water saves people from calamities.

The Sanyuan Dadi

However, there are other explanations for the name of Sanyuanqiao.

There used to be a water supply treatment plant (Shuǐyuán bā chǎng 水源八厂) located south of the Sanyuan Bridge. There is also a nearby community named Sānyuánlǐ 三源里, built in 1979. Now, that area houses the famous Sanyuanli Market where people can buy fresh meat and hard-to-find produce like rosemary and basil, as well as nuts. The characters 源 and 元 are both pronounced yuán, and people use the latter as it is easier to write.

The last possible reason is that the bridge is a junction of two major roads in the area, the Third Ring Road and the National Highway 101. “San” is taken from Sānhuán (三环, or literally the Third Ring), and “yuan” from the idea that the National Highway 101 is the first radial highway in the series of trunk ways originating from Beijing to other nearby major cities (yuán 元 also means first).

So there you have it! If you know or want to share any story about subway stations or subway travel in general, let us know by emailing webeditor@beijing-kids.com or by leaving your comments below.

Next on Subway Sunday: We go southwest of the city center to see the “joyous pavilion” at a park that used to be a breeding ground for mosquitoes!

Additional research and reporting: Cindy Lee

Photos: money.163.com, Baidu (1, 2, 4), sogou.com, yourenotfromaroundhere.com

More stories by this author here.
Email: andypenafuerte@beijing-kids.com
Instagram: @coolkidandy

There are a lot of things from home I miss here in Beijing, decent skincare, “normal” toilets, and of course my friends and family. But MOST of all, I miss my home cuisine, and the ingredients that are easy to buy in Western supermarkets. I want to recreate some food that my family miss, share my recipes, and know where to get the ingredients. If you see a blonde lady on a bike with a toddler and bags of groceries, that’s me, on the hunt for little pieces of home.

Fish fingers are one of my daughter’s most missed culinary delights from England. Two chef parents and she still misses the good ol’ orange fish fingers from the frozen section of the supermarket. I got ecstatic when I found a box at Jenny Lou’s but when I learned it was RMB 60 for 10 fish fingers, I had to put it back. My daughter had a major supermarket meltdown, and felt like I had broken my child’s heart.

Fish fingers always come to my rescue when I’m too tired to make “real” dinner in England. The promise of some Omega-3 always made it a bit less cheeky. In Beijing I will be the domestic goddess mother I always wanted to be, and make them myself. The fish fingers will not look exactly like the orange ones from the freezer isle, but that might be a good thing. The best fish to make fish fingers with is cod (just like the image below) that you can get from Sanyuanli market.

Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
200 grams panco breadcrumbs
100 grams flour
500 grams cod, cut into finger size pieces
Salt and pepper
Steps
1. Put all the flour, the panco breadcrumbs, and beaten eggs in 3 separate bowls.
2. Season all the ingredients in the bowls with salt and pepper.
3. Dip the cod strips in the flour.
4. Then dip the fish in the eggs mixture.
5. End with dipping the fish in the panco breadcrumbs.
6. Bake on a 180 degree preheated oven on a baking paper for around 15 minutes.

Pauline van Hasselt has been working for beijingkids since October 2016. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of this year. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I set out to find my own delights for a Beijing Thanksgiving. After spending four years in Texas, I came to appreciate the culinary delight of a great Thanksgiving feast. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday from the US; I think it’s one of the most well balanced menus a holiday can have. Sorry England, but the mince pie just does not do anything for me.

Living in Beijing has lots of fun factors, stepping on the bike and looking for groceries is one of them. Grocery shopping is almost like a puzzle, and it is so rewarding to find something I need, and get it for a reasonable price. Normal household items might not be so normal in China. So expats have to be creative if they don’t want to break the bank. I bike around Beijing, sourcing my groceries in Chinese supermarkets, import stores and markets. Moving to Beijing this summer from London broke the bank, and this made me worry about Thanksgiving.

This feast  is always at the end of the month, so I set myself a goal of creating a magical first Thanksgiving here in Beijing on a budget, with a wonderful menu inspired by my time in Texas. Even though we had the most horrible experience moving to China, we still have lots to be thankful for. I armed myself with a list and pollution masks then stepped out on my bike with my daughter (3 years old). We searched for the hardest things to find on a budget, a whole turkey, rosemary, pasta, cheese, butter, bacon, cranberries, and pecans. I will add a few recipes underneath that I created with ingredients that will help you fake a Thanksgiving dinner like a Chinese pro. Remember a few things when grocery shopping in China: you have to be creative, have time, and most importantly, be able to settle.

Our Menu This Year:

Main Course: Brown Sugar Rosemary Turkey, Baked Mac and cheese, Corn Bread Stuffing, Oat and Corn Muffins,  Green Beans with Bacon, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Orange Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce

Our Desserts: Pecan Pie, and Pumpkin Pie

I looked online for a turkey but was a bit disheartened, so we went to the Sanyuanli market to do some bargaining. Unfortunately, the cheapest turkey I could find was still RMB 400. So we had to settle, do the unthinkable and buy a chicken for RMB 2.23 instead. We will brine it to make it taste like a turkey. Underneath,  find a recipe for chicken or turkey brine. It can be used for both, it just depends if you want to spend your money on a dodgy, expensive turkey or stay cheap and get a few chickens instead. All is not lost, we still have all the sides to make it taste like real thanksgiving feast for my family. We found a bag of pecans at 250 grams for RMB 35 this was a pretty sweet deal as I can make a seven person pie out of it. I calculated the total cost of the pie. It will be around RMB 50 bringing a budget price of around RMB 8 per person.

We continued through the masses of shopping people in the market looking for fresh rosemary and found a spicy deal of RMB 5 per bag. That’s cheap, even for European standards. After the market, we biked over to Jenny Lou”s in Sanlitun. We were still looking for fresh cranberries, cheese, pasta, and butter. We found a cheesy discount of two bags of  grated cheddar for RMB 30.60 and a pound of butter for RMB 25.80. These are the small things that make me jump with joy. We found some pasta shells on sale for RMB 9.90, so the baked mac and cheese is sorted. Unfortunately, the cranberries seem harder to find, I didn’t fret when I found a can of cranberry sauce for RMB 19.90. This is where we had to settle. I added a recipe underneath to personalize your cranberry sauce. Nobody will suspect that it’s from the canned section.

We continued our shopping spree to the local Chinese supermarket called Jingkelong . With the help of my 3 year old, we tackled the hustle and bustle of this supermarket. Lots of ladies were screaming to sell their products and on another occasion an old lady walked away with my daughter in her stroller! Hold on to your blond children and get ready to do some cheap shopping. We were on the lookout for some pumpkins for the pie. I did find canned pumpkin pie filling but it was very expensive at RMB 35. Already cut pumpkins were only RMB 1.85, so making it yourself is much cheaper. Below is a recipe. Then we found some bacon for only RMB 9.90. That’s the best price I found anywhere, so I’ll be back for more to put in the freezer. Bags of milk are also a steal at only RMB 2.20 per bag. For the rest of the sides, we found green beans for RMB 4 for a big bag full and six enormous sweet potatoes for RMB 5. This will be a typical Texan thanksgiving feast with a taste of Chinese “fake it ’till you make it.”

Locations where I got the delightful ingredients:

Jenny Lou’s:  http://www.jennylou.com.cn/

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, with Christmas hot on its heels, and if you’re planning to host at home rather than partaking of one of the many dinners and events going on around town, then you’re likely starting to think about where you’re going to get all of your groceries. Savvy shoppers know that there is no need to work yourself up into a frenzy as pretty much everything you need can be sourced in just one place – Sanyuanli Market.

Take the advice of the Beijinger’s former Dining Editor Cat Nelson and glance at the handy infograph below on how to make an easy one stop shop.

If you’re still not convinced to fend for yourself, then browse all our Thanksgiving listings and have someone else do it for you instead!

A version of this article originally appeared in the December 2013 issue ofthe Beijinger. As such, please note that the prices of some goods may have changed. 

Infographic by Micky Pan and Cat Nelson

Photo: Joey Guo

Eating out in Beijing is convenient, but it’s just not satisfying as cooking at home. There are small markets scattered across almost every neighborhood, but if you need a bigger one to stock up on essentials at, the following markets will do nicely. Asides from groceries, they also offer a window into local culture; set your kids loose in the rows of colorful stalls and don’t be shy to ask about unfamiliar Chinese vegetables or products. With Halloween coming up, it’s also time to look out for large orange pumpkins; let us know in the comments where you found yours.

Chaonei Nanxiaojie Vegetable Market 朝内南小街菜市场
Located within East Second Ring Road, this two-floor food market stocks everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to spices, dried fruits, drinks, cooked food, meat, and eggs. Grains can be delivered to home if you purchase in bulk. There is also a pharmacy on the second floor and a police station next door.

Daily 7am-7pm. Gate 14, Bldg 12, Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie, Dongcheng District (8402 4788) 东城区朝阳门南小街12号楼14门

Chongwenmen Market 崇文门市场
This time-honored market is a favorite with Beijingers. It is known for its quality meat, reasonable prices, and many stalls selling Muslim products and desserts. There is also a Wu Mart and Daoxiangcun bakery (where you can get traditional lao Beijing snacks) here.

Daily 8am-9pm. 1 Guangqumenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district (6701 8014) 朝阳区广渠门外大街1号

Sanyuanli Market 三源里菜市场
The newly-renovated Sanyuanli Market is the market of choice for many expats and chefs. The market is quite small but has products like tropical fruits, imported cheese, sausages, hard-to-find spices, fresh seafood like red snapper, and grains like basmati rice. Prices are higher than regular markets but reasonable enough for the quality.

Daily 5am-7pm. 17 Shunyuan Street, Chaoyang District (6461 3917) 朝阳区顺源街17号

Wangjing Comprehensive Market 望京街道综合菜市场
Now the biggest market in Wangjing, this market combines the former Nanhu Market and another open-air market nearby. From kimchi to Korean coffee, this is the place to buy Korean products.

Daily 7am-6pm. Intersection of Hongchang Lu and Hongtai Xilu (exit A of Wangjing  Station), Chaoyang District (5127 6265) 朝阳区望京宏昌路与宏泰西街交叉处（地铁望京站A口）

Xinfadi Wholesale Market 北京新发地农产品批发市场
Located in Fengtai District, Xinfadi is the biggest wholesale food market in the city and one of the key fruit and vegetable trading centers in Beijing. The 24-hour market hosts about 5,000 stalls and is not a place for quick shopping. The market is big enough to be divided into areas that sell specific products, such as mushrooms and bananas.

Daily 24 hours. Nanyuan Xilu, west of Xinfadi Bridge on the Jingkai Expressway, Fengtai District (8372 2689) 丰台区京开高速公路花乡新发地桥西侧

A Few Updates
Beijing’s small markets are an endangered species, so enjoy them while you still can. For instance, both Taiyangong Market and the popular Dongjiao Market on Dawanglu closed recently. Many vendors from the latter have moved to Shuangqiao Market further east, near the border of Chaoyang District and Tongzhou.

Photo by DPerstin (Flickr)