Grocery run is staged event

In other countries, buying groceries is just a chore. The supermarkets are all designed the same: efficient but unimaginative, whereas, in Beijing food shopping is an event, by virtue of both necessity and variety.

To get the most out of the experience, you're best off making three stops. It only takes about half a day, but what else are you doing with your Sunday afternoon - surf the Internet?

First stop: A farmer's market - those noisy bazaars of tiny stalls capped high above with corrugated iron roofing. A farmer's market is your mecca for produce and protein, so the more of your diet that you buy here, the less of your diet comes from plastic-bagged, chemically preserved junk food and the longer you'll live.