Tag: Beijing

Travel tidbits: Beijing

Having traveled in China and Taiwan for the first time since 2020, I have some thoughts. The past 4,5 weeks showed me many things that remain the same, have changed hugely or did not notice as much before. I will put some of these into words in my next few posts.

First, I will make a comparisons between the cities that I went to and the cities I remember. And of course, the most prominent one among these is Beijing.

Having lived there for almost 3 years, I have a certain soft spot for it. The convenient grid-like structure, while still being able to wander around in the hutong alleys. Its megalomaniac official buildings that exist next to ramshackle or improvised architecture. The mix of old and new, a certain liveliness and rough personality that the city exemplifies.

Thus, it was quite shocking to realize how much of it changed. Gone are the food stands on the streets, everything is in a little shop. Worker’s Stadium is completely cleaned up without any clubs or drunk people hanging out near it. At one entrance there is a Michelin-star restaurant, quite the opposite of how it used to be. Gone are many dirty and messy corners in the city centre that would contrast with the glitz and glamour of the malls. Now everything is commercialized, shiny and new. How could you want it any other way.

Part of the hutong alleys remains the same, luckily. The redevelopment seems to be more focused on actually improving living quarters, than bulldozing anything that seems old. The quiet of the hutongs, compared to the noise at the big boulevards is still immediate and remains a huge contrast. The splendor of highlights such as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Great Wall is not diminished, but the city itself seems to have been reeled in. The metro has guards actively patrolling and commenting on behavior. Every ticket needs to be booked on your passport or ID. There are noticeably less foreign faces on the streets.

If I seem overtly disappointed, it is probably nostalgia speaking. I am not saying Beijing is not interesting or special anymore. It is just a whole lot different from how I remember it being. There is a reason I used to come back to Beijing that often when I already lived in Shanghai. I am not sure there are as many reasons now for me to keep coming back.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing

It is almost time for the new year to start (again, more on that in my post of last last year). And this year, I am returning to Beijing where I lived for almost 3 years. Planning stuff with friends to do there is of course the perfect moment to think back on all those good times.

I actually do remember quite well that I was quite annoyed with Beijing when I left. It was way too noisy, the people rude, the air polluted, the food greasy, the temperatures too high or too low and the city all in all just did not attract me that much anymore.

Fast forward to having stayed in Shanghai for only a little over 6 months, and I am already telling everyone that I like Beijing more. Its noise and rude people seem eccentric now, the polluted air a ‘minor inconvenience’, the food flavorful and the temperatures are only a bit better in winter and worse in summer where I am now.

What is worse, this does not change when I actually return to Beijing. Everything seems nicer in a smaller time frame. Even when I am sad that things have disappeared, as they always do, the joy of recognition is much stronger. Oh, and chaotic traffic is the best. Not getting any fines when cycling as well. Not having to break out in cold sweat whenever I ignore a red traffic light, afraid a cop will suddenly turn up behind me is also pretty relaxed.

So I will be enjoying my new year in the best and worst place in China I know. I will give Shanghai a chance the rest of the year.