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cultural evolution
st. patricks day - 2003
I experienced my first St. Patrick's Day in China in Jinzhou in 1998. It was a very strange experience.
In China St. Patrick's Day is known as Ai Er Lan Guo Qing Jie
(Ireland National Day).
A measure of the rapid development of China's opening up to the world can be found on this page in pictures.
The setting: The Shamrock Bar in Hangzhou.
The Shamrock is a GREAT Irish Pub opened late 2002 in Hangzhou. It is very strange (by Chinese standards) for three reasons:
1. It looks and feels exactly like a European pub - complete with western style service and amenities. Step inside and you will forget you are in China.
2. This European-feel pub is located smack dab in the middle of the finest example of Song Dynasty street-life in Hangzhou - the oldest street still existing in Hangzhou dating back to the Song Dynasty.
3. It is owned, operated and managed by a REAL Irish lass - the blonde haired, blue-eyed Rowena.
So, of course, Rowena's Shamrock Pub was THE place to be on St. Paddy's Day. And the joint was jumpin'.
Real live Irish music (played by a Scotsman and his side-kick, a clean Keith Richards look-alike). Cheap Guinness draughts, Kilkenney, Harp, Bailey's, and Jameson (all readily available in China these days). The Irish General Consul in Shanghai is a big fam of the Shamrock so Guinness was generous with the giveaways they provided Rowena. In
particular, were the way-cool hats Rowena was giving out for those silly (or drunk enough) to get up and dance an Irish jig.
Anyway, for a few hours, we completely forgot we were in China. Here's a few snaps from St. Pat's Dat-Hangzhou-2003.
Slainche!
03-03-17
