4,000 People Attend 1st Day of Inaugural Hot and Spicy Festival

It was a beautiful (if ever so breezy) day on April 14 as more than 4,000 people attended day one of the Beijinger's first ever Hot & Spicy Festival. Those brave souls left with lips tingling, noses running, and bellies full of fiery foodstuffs.

Forty vendors with a globe-spanning range of cuisines (from Sichuanese to the American Deep South, and everything in between) were slinging their spiciest wares, much to the delight of both seasoned pepper gobblers and the uninitiated. Along with the irresistible food, there was plenty of entertainment, including the Beijinger's 8th Annual Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest, which was won by Liu Gang aka Spicy Wolf, who came all the way from Shandong Province just to take part in the competition.

Chili eating champion Liu Gang aka Spicy Wolf

Check out some of the pics from the first day below.

Don't worry if you didn't manage to make it yesteray; there's a whole day of activities and tasty food and drink happening today, from 11am-8pm, including hip hop from Xiao Yudan, tribal belly dance by Inko, and a Latin dance party organized by Sazón Cuban Dancing Academy. Find a full list of all the entertainment happening on Sunday here.

Other Spicy Fest Tidbits

• Read more about the tongue-tickling treats each vendor will be offering in our Feel the Burn blog series here: thebeijinger.com/category/blog-tags/feel-burn

• Get tips on how to manage any spicy food-induced stomach aches from Beijing United Family Hospital gastroenterologist Dr. Wei Geng here

• Get directions to all the spicy action at Galaxy Soho here

Special thanks to our media sponsor, Netease.

Photos: Uni You

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