I cycle around through Beijing's changing scenery; huge boulevards with cycle paths 10 meters wide, dusty old streets with trees on both sides, and poor grey alleys which are been demolished rapidly -Grozny landscape- to make room for big projects. Less fortunate Chinese collect steal and wood behind the bulldozers, life is a battle. Later i read in a Hong Kong newspaper about the demolition this neighborhood, it appears they are broadening a busy street by 60 meters; cycle paths, trees, and 2x6 lanes. 9000 families have to move.
In the evening i walk through the masses in the new Beijing, clean wide shopping streets, the Chinese are not used to that yet, they take pictures of the flower pots and fashion shops. Groups of green soldiers march around, an anachronism in this wild capitalism.

Go South

Tom Tobback © 2000