This week’s run has a theme that perhaps only Karate and Pickles can relate to. From the days when the USSR was China’s Big Brother and it was all the rage in Beijing to sing Russian songs like Moscow Nights and Katyusha, learn the Russian accordion and play chess, we bring you: The Sino-Soviet Friendship Run!
Brotherly Love
Built in 1954 when relations between the two Communist powers were at their height, the second half of our trail will take us through a masterpiece of Stalinist architecture, the former Soviet Exhibition Center.
Showcasing Russian industrial technology, paintings, ballet and cuisine, it gave the millions of Beijingers who flocked to it their first taste of Western culture. It also thrilled Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders with the idea that their rural country could be as modern and advanced as the USSR.
More Stalinist Than Thou
It wasn’t long, however, before the bromance soured. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin and began the de-Stalinization of the USSR. Mao, in turn, denounced Soviet communism as the work of “revisionist traitors.”
After the Sino-Soviet Split, Russian cultural imports were banned. “Beijing” replaced “Soviet” in the Center’s name. From Zhou Enlai hosting Khrushchev at its grand opening banquet, the low point of the Center’s Moscow Restaurant came during the Cultural Revolution, when Red Guards stormed it and accused its chefs of cooking “counter revolutionary food”.
Capitalist Roaders
We certainly won’t be eating counter revolutionary food (our restaurant will be hotpot). But we will be drinking Russian beer at the Center. With Sino-Russian relations once again good, we will also be taking a nostalgic look around. (Perhaps they will let us inside.)
There will be an old steam train like last week. There will also be a canal which I know some hashers will jump into whether it’s allowed or not.
When: Saturday August 3rd, 2024. Meet at 2:30pm, run/walk starts at 3:00pm.
Hares: John the Baptist, Pickle Boy, Little Red Shittinghood
Trail Type: A to A with bag drop at restaurant.
Hairy Hashers: Unfortunately Stalinist architecture is not dog friendly.
Hash Cash: 30 yuan for run and circle only. 105 yuan for run, circle and dinner afterwards.
On-after: Paddy’s of course. Then QS for the real legends.
Where: Duck & Prawn Hot Pot (Xizhimen Store) 鸭恋虾火锅(西直门店)
Address: 2nd Floor, Building 2, Yard 66, Zuanhe Center, Haidian District 海淀区钻河中心66号院2号楼2层
D’erections: Xizhimen Subway station on Lines 2, 4 and 13. Exit E1 (西直门地铁站E1出口). Walk through Xihuan Plaza (西环广场) to exit on the west side. Then walk north along Gaoliang Bridge Xie Street (高粱桥斜街）for 300m. The restaurant is on the west side of Zuanhe Center （钻河中心).
