Goodbye Beijing...

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What can one say about Beijing? It is the cultural and political capital of a country that boasts a population of 1.3 Billion and is the world’s largest communist state. It is also the capital of the bicycle which although being surpassed now by automotive transport is still a major part of Beijing life. The centre of the city to the outsider would seem to be the vast area at the geographical centre that encompasses the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The National People’s Museum of China and the Great People’s Hall of China can be found here. But the beating heart of Beijing is found in what is left of the old traditional hutong that are tucked away in amongst the new high-rise buildings and skyscrapers that dominate the city’s skyline. The city life shows the diversity that exists within Chinese life. The bulk of the population is struggling to adapt to a city that boasts the most modern brands and products available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. New ideas regarding family are difficult for them also as arranged marriages die and sex becomes more liberal. Even homosexuality whilst social unaccepted in no longer a mental disorder and is all but legal. Beijing represents a country on the crest of a wave of development and growth that is both embraced and misunderstood by both the Chinese and the world at large.
The great wall is an ancient Chinese achievement that is well known and certainly is impressive to the eye. The walls have been carefully rebuilt and whilst crowded with tourists they are truly remarkable. The current Chinese achievement is the merger of consumer capitalism and communism. Whilst they are an unhappy marriage, they curiously work in these ancient streets. One has to have vast respect for the one party monolith that is the Chinese state.
Chairman Mao rests in his Mausoleum on Tiananmen Square and his picture remains on the outside of the sprawling Forbidden City. They say here that if a child was born in the city and lived a day in each of the palace’s rooms, he would be 27 before he left. The heart of what was once imperial China now is the heart of the communist state but it is not the real Beijing. The real Beijing is the smog. Smog that envelopes the entire city. Days end and start without anyone seeing the sky and the sun is just a dot in the sky. It is the dowering tone in the entire city. And it is a great shame.
Yet China is still a magical place but the question is can it cope with the speed it is updating at? Will the magic be lost in the the new China? Only time will tell.

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