It is technically Hohhot, out at the remote campus for IMNU. It is an incredible facility, the cows live indoors in an AC environment with clean floors and even some TVs, really quite odd!

When we went, this was actually over 3 years ago now, we were the first non 'expert' westerns to be there. Now the entire area has exploded in size, across the street now is a Coca Cola bottling plant, there are multiple datacenters and call centers in construction. Sadly it looks like the days of seeing the shepherds tending their herds of sheep and cows are over, I only saw one last month, prior I had seen dozens. the old villages where they cows slept in the abandoned homes, are all piles of rubble or new strip malls. Housing development everywhere. I know there are people there and progress if good, but seeing some of the 'old ways' and even a couple authentic yurts before, was quite nice.

not to get too far off topic!
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4069/4...76691df341.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4013/4...67baa3bda2.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4006/4...66a416bff7.jpg

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it goes on and on, there are multiple buildings like this, very impressive facility, and only a handful of people there but milk being put into tetrapak continually! Mostly it is run by the robots you can see in the one larger picture here.
They also have some non tetrapak milk for the local area, very good, a lot better in fact as it is not requiring UHT. However they mostly do UHT, as vast majority is UHT shelf safe milk due to the lack of long term old storage, or putting priority to the yogurts and other snacks.

I have Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry, Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke Zero thanks to a cross-border trip this weekend. Mmmmmmmm, tastes like cherry :D

no cherry vanilla?!

I love vanilla coke and dr pepper in the US, i took socks to the US the last time i went (in June when the last thing i needed to wear was socks lol) just so i could bring cans home 'safely' in my checked baggage..

I didn't see a diet cherry vanilla - not keen on regular soda (cokes etc) because they make my teeth feel icky!

Xiexie Steph3n, for the unexpected tour! That looks quite clean AND organized too! Did you just stroll up to the door and say, let's have it, or you had local contacts who suggested it? Is it clear that MengNiu didn't mind you taking photos? Did you tour many other factories while in China (Inner Mongolia) too? Do you see signs everywhere in Hohhot for Ordos cashmere? Oops, way OT...

I typically despise mainland leche, as the unrefrigerated types taste like something fierce, but at least in Shenzhen, Guangming and Kowloon Dairy products are almost always kept cool.

Oh right, soft drinks. Can any of the RGN-mistake fare candidates comment on the difference between Burmese Star cola and the newly reintroduced Coca cola?

Actually, I thought you were on-topic and the discussion was quite interesting, for what it is worth — but the FlyerTalk member who launched this thread may disagree with me...

I had never had Irn-Bru before moving here to Scotland, but I really like it now. It is very sweet though. Back home in Adelaide, Australia we have a drink called Sno Drop (and a knock off Sno Top), which is kind of a darker, almost cola version of Creamy Soda. I actually miss it. My dad loves the stuff.

Here's a tasty one...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eKqASrvenf...s1600/soda.jpg

Probably have brought 5 cases of Birch Beer home in 2012... :eek: :p

Those wouldn't be soft drinks, but drinks from around the world nonetheless! Now, Japan does have a fizzy soy drink...

actually most anything not liquor falls into the 'soft drink' category :)

The invite to the plant was from a local prominent person, which is always important in China. The guards did not want to allow us in until he said we were with him. However I've done pretty well just by asking too, it never hurts to ask!

Last month I did a tour of a flight kitchen in Beijing. Very nice, was treated like royalty even with a personal greeting by their staff when I got there.

(with thanks to United for coordinating those arrangements)

Also no, didn't see Ordos advertising at all, but did meet some people in the area that were/are geologist and consulting for a lot of the mining operations.

Just bought a bottle of Coca-Cola Orange.

It tastes like Orange Fanta mixed with Coke and without the fizz.

I personally don't like it.

My wife says it tastes like a sweeter version of flat coke.

I can't see myself buying another bottle.

The new thing in the U.S. is Coca Cola Freestyle. I've seen them in Five Guys, Noodles and Company, ICON theatres and other places. Create your own.

No doubt Pepsi is scrambling. Maybe there will be some flavor combo with Diet Pepsi that won't be putrid. Unlikely. :)

When I was in Japan, I realized I liked Pocari Sweat (sort of a fizzy Gatorade-ish thing).

Orangina is one of my all time favorite sodas. The Pellegrino equivalents are really good too, though I hate the super bitter one...I don't know if they even make it anymore. It's not on their website and I can't remember what it was called. It sort of tasted like Campari.