Did I have any preconceived ideas about China before landing here? No rigid ideas that I can recall of but certainly a lot of impressions that took shape into my mind based on the way the country is reflected in the Western media. And a lot of it might be verified and true but what's the purpose of traveling if it is not to form your own opinion and go dig under the grit to figure out what a country really is about?
Beijing surprised me from day one and hasn't stopped surprising me (I guess it would take a few years for this to stop and we've only been here for 10 days...) and I'll share a few of the things that wiped out any preconceived ideas i might have had:
- you think Noise? I say Silence:
Yes Beijing is a silent city! Ok... that's a bit exaggerated, after all it is a 20 millions heads megalopolis. However most of the time the noise is contained to a reasonable level thanks to the fact that a majority of Beijiners travel on their electric mopeds which are as silent as a traditional bicycle, so much so that you're better off keeping an eye over your shoulder when you walk around to avoid being ran over by one that you didn't hear coming ;) I hope one day those will replace the horrible mopeds and scooters that we have back in old Europe, which are so annoying!
If the main streets are still too noisy, you can just take a side step and dive into one the hutongs that still stands in the city. These are the historical neighourhoods made of narrow streets dotted with single-level traditional houses which international community had to fight for in the run up to the Olympics when the Chinese government had decided they were a thing from the past and simply had to go to leave room to more modern buildings. A lot of them have been destroyed in the past few decades and their inhabitants were relocated to grim concrete tower blocks but thankfully a few are still there and are real havens where old-time Beijiners go about their daily life and each open door is a glimpse into traditional lifestyle... and a photographer's hope!
- you think Dirty? I say Groomed:
As in groomed dog! Yes Beijiners love their dogs and they love them small, clean and groomed as if everyday was a contest for the most beautiful - or weirdest... depending - dog haircut and the street is their runway. Apart from dogs, Beijing is very clean by any Asian and even European standards and thousands of city-employed street cleaners make sure it stays that way. This might be owed to the Olympics (them again) before which the government ran numerous "education" campaigns to make sure the crowds of Westerners to come would see China under its best angle. Chinese people where asked to start using rubbish bins, stop spitting in the street and use public toilets when needed... and whilst they were at it they were taught how to queue.
- you think crawling under the weight of Communism? I say forward-thinking:
Beyond the incredible transformation that the country has undergone over the last decade and the run to become the world's largest economy by 2020 which is largely owed to the Party's (no need to call it the Communist Party here, since there's only one party) careful economic planning, there seems to be room for individuality, at least in the capital and probably in most big cities... I'm looking forward to see how this compare to smaller towns and the countryside. Beijiners are adept of modernity and progress as well as mass consumption. There is also room for artistic expression and one of the best surprises we ran into is the vibrant 798 district which is a huge abandoned factory complex that's been turned into myriads of galleries and artist workshops and where the government seems to have decided not to get involved and let freedom of expression run its course. Is it a window to distract Westerners from the reality of censorship? I don't know, but it's a great insight into the Chinese contemporary art scene and it is very very promising.
Here's my take on Beijing, there's so much more I could say (including that Beijiners are a very open and welcoming people) but the best thing I can do is to urge you to come see it for yourself ;)
ps: i've decided to start rating the places we go to on a scale from 0 to 10 in a half-serious attempt to find a place i'd like to live in after our world trip, 0 being "I've seen it once it's enough, thank you" and 10 being "I'm permanently relocating here tomorrow"... Beijing: 7/10
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