Whenever we travel to a new country and we see any reference to Pakistan, it naturally catches our attention. Recently this ATP ka numaainda (representative) was in China. I saw following subtle references to Pakistan in Beijing.
(1) 
Whether we liked her or not; whether we agreed with her or not; the fact remains that she is the single most known person outside Pakistan. I was browsing in the book store of Guanghua School of Management at the Peking University when I found this Chinese edition of ‘Daughter of the East’. Price RMB 28. This was the only book related to Pakistan that I was able to find in that book store.
(2) While in China, do as Chinese do. I did that for 6 days. On seventh day the craving for Pakistani food became so strong that I went looking for a Pakistani restaurant in Beijing. A quick internet search revealed there was only one Pakistani restaurant in Beijing and of all the names in this world, it was called ‘The Mughal Beijing’. Following is its signboard.
The Mughal Beijing is located on Sunlitan Street . They serve ‘halal’ food (written twice on the signboard above to remove any lingering doubts) along with ‘Live Performance every Evening’. No details given on the signboard about the every evening live performances.
Well all my hardwork and hefty taxi fare that I paid to get there, came to a naught when I saw this notice board infront of the restaurant. I was so heartbroken that I called the number given on this board and talked to the owner. I was hoping the owner would invite me to his home for Pakistani food (Nihari and Bihari kabab) and I will reluctanty accept it but alas that didn’t happen. The owner told me they are reopening in one month from now in the same building and I should definitely come to taste their food. All I could say from my end was:
hum bhi muNh meiN zubaaN rakhtay haiN
kaash poocho ke zaaiqa kia hai
Next day we ate at the Ganges Indian restaurant which has 3 branches in Beijing. Good food and I recommend them if you are looking for desi food in Beijing.
(3) 
The hotel we stayed in was showing this World Clock at their front desk. It just melted my heart right there. Now how many World clocks have you seen outside Pakistan which show PST on top. There are 8 other countries in the World which share the same time zone as Pakistan but the manufacturers of this World Clock chose to select Pakistan at the representative. Bravo. For this one gesture of friendship, I will recommend Red Wall Hotel to our readers if they visit Beijing. It is also conveniently located at a walking distance from the famous Forbidden City and Beihai Park.
(4) And of course Pakistan International Airlines is one of the many airlines that fly to Beijing. On March 26, 2008 Beijing has inaugurated a World Class Airport terminal (#3) for the Olympics. PIA however flies to the old terminal which is terminal 2 of Beijing Capital Airport.
Dear Okha_Jat, yes the Chinese food is very delicios but it is totally different than what we get in Pakistan. So much so that the most famous desi Chinese dish called the ‘Manchurian chicken’ is not found anywhere in China including the Manchurian region itself.
Dear Allah Wasaya, you are right. These are definitely not the only Pakistani connections one can find in Beijing. I am there are many more. These were just the small things I observed during my stay.
Pakistan embassy is located in Beijing and I am told many Pak students are enrolled at the Peking University. Many Pakistani engineers are also working in telecom/mobile sector in China.
Nice travelogue. One question, how was Chinese food in China. One of my friends who visited many countries used to say that the best Chinese food is available in Lahore only. I have never been to China but have been to many other countries and have tasted Chinese food in Chinatowns and have to admit that according to my taste buds also, Chinese food in Lahore is best. ;)
whoops, forgot about the Ganges Indian restaurant, nevermind! sorry
p.s is the edit feature gone?
I for one am a bit surprised that these were the only Pakistani connections you found in your visit to a huge metropolis like Beijing, given the fact that China is not really far from Pakistan. I bet you can find more in Rio de Janeiro.
As far as mention of Karachi in the world clock, if you ever buy a wristwatch with a “World Time” function you will see Karachi as one of the two dozen or so cities featured in the watch, but I have to commend the Chinese here for mentioning it among the ten cities they chose!
After your disappointment with the Mughal Beijing, were you at least able to find an Indian restaurant to fulfil your craving?!
And one last question, do them Chinese call their food just food or Chinese food?