German President Joachim Gauck comes to Beijing's popular food street Guijie on Monday night. (Photo/Beijing Youth Daily)
(ECNS) -- On his first night in Beijing, visiting German President Joachim Gauck went straight to popular food street Guijie (also known as "Ghost Street"), to sample the capital's must-have Peking Duck.
Gauck arrived at the restaurant around 7 p.m., attracting the attention of many passers-by. The 76-year-old, accompanied by staff of the German Embassy in Beijing, dined at a restaurant located in a courtyard surrounded on all four sides by houses, a traditional style of residence for Beijing people.
It's reported that the president and his party occupied four tables at the restaurant, which was closed to other guests.
The president was served classic dishes, including ham and mushrooms, sweet and sour spareribs, Beijing's special smoked sausage, and mutton and Chinese cabbage.
Among the six cold dishes and ten hot ones, the centerpiece was the roast duck. Gauck reportedly told the restaurant staff that the duck had a "good taste."
It's also said that one table at the restaurant costs approximately 2,500 yuan ($380), slightly higher than the average price for Guijie's plethora of eating options.
The 1,442-meter long gourmet street is lined with restaurants, most of which offer 24-hour service, with particularly booming business at night.
Gauck, who is on his first visit to China, met with Chinese leaders on Monday. Gauck will also visit Shanghai and Xi'an, in Shaanxi Province.
