A home away from home

A chic boutique shows the Korean style.[Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

"Their clothing and bags are chic," Xiao Na, a fan of Korean pop culture, says. She boasts that she can distinguish Koreans from Chinese on the street at a single glance. "Koreans dress differently from Chinese. Almost all the Korean girls wear makeup. Although the students' makeup looks light, it's actually very delicate. The men look refined and fresh. They don't wear heavy makeup, but they look after their skin, wearing sunscreen cream and blemish balm," the 27-year-old says.

Former Wudaokou resident Son Min-a, 28, from Seoul, said she misses the area's local food, especially chuanr (small pieces of lamb, pork, beef, or mushrooms, tofu, or even squid, grilled on skewers).

"Korean students love to hang out at street vendors or skewer bars eating chuanr, which taste best with cold beer," she says.

"After a few drinks, lots of Korean students like to go to KTV (karaoke bars). China's KTV is the best. Singing and dancing at high-end KTVs is inexpensive, but offers the best service and environment."

Besides chuanr, malatang, literally "spicy, numbing soup", is another feature of Wudaokou's cuisine favored by Korean students. Malatang is a flexible menu that allows diners to blend the ingredients to their own taste. The dish usually features a mix of tofu, vegetables, meat or fish balls stewed in a spicy hot broth in a big saucepan.

Having majored in Chinese at Gyeonggi-do Pyeongtaek University in South Korea, Son studied for two years in Beijing, Shenyang in Liaoning province, and Wuhan, Hubei province. She has now returned to Seoul, having secured a job in the Consular Office at the Chinese embassy in the city.