"Dingdingtang, dingdingtang"it is still quite often to hear the clinking of vendor who sells malt sugar on the streets of Kunming today. Once upon a time, hawk peddle was a good way to start a business in China. Now, there are still some people persisting in the traditional way.

Ding Ding Tong

Ding Ding Tong was a congealed milky malt sugar. A seller of the sugar never hawked, but clanked saddle-shaped cutter, sounding ting-ting-tinkle. Made by sellers themselves at home, the sugar would not be sold in the fixed store, thus it was cheap and popular.

Liquor

"Liquor-liquorrr" chanted by a middle-aged woman. Her voice was long, rising and lingering in the air. The liquor was a white rice wine brewed by sticky rice. Contained in bowls and tied by oiled paper, it was placed in a bamboo basket.

Scrap Metals and Old Dresses

Rag men peddled on sunny days to collect scrap metals and old dresses.

"If you have scrap metal, sell to me!" they used to bark on the alleys.

They could buy some antiques that less people knew from aged women at low price. At that time, all junk dealers were men, they toured streets with a bamboo basket. Finally a stall would be set up to sell all the collections, such as spare parts of machine, tools, screws.

Buyers, mostly women, colleted old clothes and cried with shrill voice on the streets.

Alley is called Hutong in Beijing, Lilong in Shanghai and Xiang in Kunming. There are numerous Xiangs in the old areas of Kunming. Some are long, and there are many exists connecting other alleys. Some are short, and you may see an impasse after passing through a few locals' gates. Some alleys are wider than vehicle road, such as Simadi Alley and Xisi Alley in which you can see stores and restaurants.

Shouts of street vendors in the afternoon or before the sunset helped make the alley vivid and lovely. (Editors:Lynn,Minnie Mao)

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