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China Elevator Stories
Outdoor fridges in Northeast China
In the fall, people in Northeast China use the outdoors as a fridge.
23/11/2025

Ruth Silbermayr
Author
In the fall, people in Northeast China buy large amounts of certain vegetables—such as Chinese cabbage and spring onions—and store them outdoors. Since temperatures are already cold enough, these vegetables keep well outside, even when apartments don’t have enough space. I’m not sure how the spring onions are used, but the Chinese cabbage is later fermented and turned into sauerkraut (the Northeastern Chinese version of it).
Here are a few more pictures:
Have you ever visited Northeast China?