"A Passage to China" at the Mall of America

For six years now in April, the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN has hosted "A Passage to China," a 2-day festival put on by Minnesota's Chinese Heritage Foundation and local newspaper China Insight. This year's festival involved over 45 organizations & businesses - some there to sell merchandise, others to talk about programs they put on, and others to grow membership.

There were demonstrations of cooking, dance, martial arts, singing, painting, calligraphy, and many other crafts - kids received a "passport" and would get a stamp at each booth they visited, then redeem the stamps for a necklace or bracelet.

It was great to see so many Asian faces and hear so much Mandarin in one place here in Minnesota - and it was heartening to see so many non-Asian faces watching the performances with interest and walking through the booths with their kids!

My dear daughter had a fine time, of course. Now that she's a little bit older and able to speak in Chinese for herself, she got a lot more out of this year's presentation:

Having the Starbucks in the background makes it more authentically Chinese ;)

Moulding-your-own Terracotta Warriors

Little Warriors for sale...  we're holding out to get a life-size one for the garden in the backyard

We stayed for a number of vocal performances and dance numbers

Paper-cutting, a traditional folk craft from Shaanxi province - it can get amazingly intricate.  (She did not pay any attention to the American Girl shop just beyond :)  )

Olympic Souvenirs

You will not escape the marketing blitz around the Summer Olympics being held in Beijing this August. The organizers are hoping to earn US$70 million in royalties from licensed merchandise, so expect to find it very convenient to part with your money.

The mascots are collectively called "Fuwa," are incredibly cute, and with over 300 authorized products, impossible for you NOT to purchase for your child.

Prices are not going to be any cheaper than similar merchandise here in the States ($16 for a t-shirt, $5 for a set of pencils, for instance.) No haggling or discounts just because you'll be in China...

Official shops are in major tourist areas like the Great Wall, inside the Forbidden City, big shopping centers, and international airports. Your guides will know where to take you.

Counterfeit merchandise is plentiful, but of dubious quality (remember the lead paint scare from last year.) Do your best to buy legitimate merchandise, keep a clear conscience, and set a good example for your newest family member. Questions to ask are:

1. Does the item in question come from an official shop, or one of the big retailers in town? That's good.  Does it come from an outdoor market, a temporary stall, or the back room of a tiny shop? Don't bet on its authenticity.

2. Does the packaging say "Beijing 2008 Official Licensed Product" with the manufacturer's name and address, as well as contact info for the Olympics licensing service. 

3. For clothing and larger pieces of merchandise, does it have an attached tag featuring holographic security thread, watermark, and microembossing? Excellent.

If you don't have enough time during your trip, or spare cash, an excellent option for Olympic merchandise when you're back in the States is China Sprout, an authorized reseller on this side of the Pacific. We've used them ourselves and are very happy with their service and shipping.

For an expanded version of this article, plus additional links and photos, click here to visit the "Olympic Souvenirs" page at our home site, weninchina.com. Elsewhere on our site you'll find tools such as weather forecasts and currency conversion, helpful links, and dozens more essays on other topics of interest to families planning adoption trips to China.