Autumn in Beijing

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After arriving in Beijing, my first task was to find a place to live. Luckily a colleague was able to help me out, my mandarin abilities being far too basic. Since being here I've explored some of the city's sights, 'the things that must be seen', forbidden city, temple of heaven and the like; and lesser known places, around the old parts of town, the old 'hu tong' streets and such. One fact that really strikes you about Beijing is it's sheer size, both in terms of area and also population. Luckily transport is pretty good. Bike is a really viable option and most of the main roads have cycle lanes, and the topography is nice and flat. A standard bike will knock you back about 50 yuan (a fiver), so it's a worthwhile investment; though i reckon I paid foreigner-price for mine (200) it's still a bargain. The city is serviced with bike-maintenance stations at junctions and street corners, where you can get your ride fixed-up on the fly. Many beijingers are currently in the process of abandoning their bikes and hopping into cars. Aside from the negative environmental and health consequences of this, it seems to be of questionable viability. Beijing has a modern, extensive, well-maintained road system but permanent traffic jams are the norm. It would seem that the car-population is now straining the capacity of the roads. There are some measures in-place to try to limit the number of cars on the road. Each car licence code has a set day of the week when it can't be driven, under pain of incurring a fine. Who knows, perhaps before too-long the trend will be reversed and people will be trading their cars in for 50 rmb bikes. The metro (tube) is very modern, and a quick way to get around; again a popular option, it's always busy. You can go anywhere in the city for just 2 rmb (around 18 pence), compare that to the London underground!

Beijing is a crowded city. It dwarfs every-other place that I've been to, in terms of population-density. Much of the social etiquette that is usually taken for granted in places like the UK does not apply here particularly queuing, reserving the car horn for emergencies, or letting people off-of the metro before you attempt to get on. These are not norms here. Another curiosity that the western-expat will observe is the local obsession with public-spitting. At fairly regular intervals, ones ears will detect the unmistakable sound of the honking-up of a fresh ball of phlegm, soon to be deposited upon the fake-marble pavement just recently polished-clean by a member of the army of cleaners who pace these dusty streets.

Arriving in Beijing around the start of October, the weather was pleasant and warm. Generally the sun shines frequently, and the skies are clear. Beijing is an incredibly dry place, the humidity levels are permanently low. Since I've been here, it's rained perhaps twice. This means that Beijing is also home to abundant quantities of static electricity, and whenever you get in-to or out-of a taxi you're pretty likely to get a shock! On the wetter or cloudier days, the excessive pollution levels become much more apparent, and a not-so-inconspicuous smog resides over the city. However, the climate is not quite as predictable as the above description might have lead you to believe; even the locals were surprised when, on the 1st of November, the city awoke to a minor blizzard... A foot of snow in mid-autumn, whatever next. I'm assured that this is not normal!

Informal markets are another interesting aspect of the city; they appear and disappear in all manner of locations. At these, you can purchase everything from books and bootleg dvds, to socks and gloves.

In Beijing, meals often come on wheels. Everything from fruit, to sweets, to baked potatoes to interesting-looking meaty-snacks that I haven't tried, can be purchased from a bicycle or tricycle vendor (located on most street corners). Eating at small restaurants is exceedingly affordable and a meal will usually set you back around 10 or 20 rmb. There are many strange, exotic, tasty treats to be sampled in China. The combination of the above two facts means that I have all but ceased my self-catering efforts. Perhaps I should dedicate more time to a food-blog entry in the future, as I'm out of time for now.

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Photos

The masses descend...
entrance to the forbidden city 'palace museum'.

Window frame detail
Dragons polished-smooth by touching visitors.

Cool vent detail
I'm not an architecture geek honest.

More recent palace building
Apparently it was envisaged that this building would have a double-skin glass-facade, filled with water and fish. It was never finished, owing to political events...