Cheryl's Beijing
Wangfujing night food market
Beijing is one of the most fascinating cities in the world, or at least the most fascinating of the ones I’ve been to. I first went to Beijing in 1984. I last visited there in 2010. The changes that have taken place in China’s capital between the two trips are mind-boggling.
Hutongs are rapidly disappearing, only to be replaced with wide, tree-lined boulevards and high-rises. Western fast-food restaurants are everywhere — it seems as if there’s a McDonald’s or KFC on every corner. This new style of eating means obesity is becoming a problem for the Chinese. To help counter this, the municipal government has installed exercise equipment in parks and on sidewalks along residential streets.
Street markets where Beijingers buy fruits, veggies and necessities of daily life are disappearing from the heart of the city. They’ve either been moved behind gates or inside as small shops. They still exist in some of the suburbs, however.
Traffic is horrendous as more Beijingers own private cars. The bicycle used to be the main form of transportation residents used to get around the city. Now many folks ride bicycles purely for the exercise.
With all this, I still love the city I lived and worked in for two years.
Hutongs are rapidly disappearing, only to be replaced with wide, tree-lined boulevards and high-rises. Western fast-food restaurants are everywhere — it seems as if there’s a McDonald’s or KFC on every corner. This new style of eating means obesity is becoming a problem for the Chinese. To help counter this, the municipal government has installed exercise equipment in parks and on sidewalks along residential streets.
Street markets where Beijingers buy fruits, veggies and necessities of daily life are disappearing from the heart of the city. They’ve either been moved behind gates or inside as small shops. They still exist in some of the suburbs, however.
Traffic is horrendous as more Beijingers own private cars. The bicycle used to be the main form of transportation residents used to get around the city. Now many folks ride bicycles purely for the exercise.
With all this, I still love the city I lived and worked in for two years.
Travel tip Flying over China
It takes a long time to fly to China, even from the West Coast where we live, and you’ll be exhausted. Adjusting to jet lag and a huge time difference can be really tiring. Unless you’re on a package tour, in which case you have no choice but to hit the road immediately, take it easy the first couple of days. Take a short nap in the afternoon. Rest time is especially important if you’re traveling with your kids.
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A sample of Beijing
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Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.
