Discover Beijing Chapter I: Beijing in Old and New

Maybe you have heard of the name of Beijing or have visited this great city, but whether you know this city? If you are interesting in this city or have a plan to see this city, i hope my series -Discover Beijing will help you!

Chapter One

Beijing, Beijing? Old Beijing!
                                      --Beijing in Old and New

Old Beijing--the cultural soul of China; 
New Beijing--a international capital.

A New Look of Beijing in 21th Century

Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China,offering China's most wonderful array of attractions and it is China's center for art and culture--it is home to some of the most stunning architectural wonders in the world. Forbidden city, the Great Wall, Summer Palace, and even the common hutongs are the great treasure of old Beijing. In short, Beijing is an exciting and dynamic city. It is the perfect place to see China's incredible ancient past and exciting present.

The Fobbiden City in Beijing, China

Moreover, Beijing's culture comes in many forms, from food to music, and from architecture to handicrafts. Eat Peking duck, visit the Temple of Heaven, meander in the old Hutongs or check out a contemporary art show and you'll discover a unique milieu of new and old that is real Beijing culture. 

Let's probe into Beijing in many prospects to experience this great city in its old and new.




● Lifestyle of Beijingers

In old days, Hutongs, which have been home to Beijing residents for centuries never fail to surprise visitors with what lies around the next corner. Beijing's Hutongs are a twisting labyrinth of alleyways and courtyard homes. People in Beijing traditionally lived in Hutongs. 

The Hutong communities are very special. Since most people have lived in the hutongs for generations, they all know each other and each hutong is like a mini community and live a rather slow paced life there--people in old and young drinking beer or tea, playing chess and talking gossip for one day's long with children finding their own funs like kick the shuttlecock and play hide and seek around the elders. 

The Old Hutong in Beijing

But in modern times, everything in Beijing seems in a rush: People rush on the way to work and rush here and there sometimes with no clear aims. The highly-developing Beijing brings people economic support, however, the dramatically change of their lifestyle make their life full of burden. People work and live in those metropolises often live in separated space where loneliness occurs and the living atmosphere become less in harmony.   

The living conditions changes make Beijing a city of contrasts now. vast neon-lit avenues coexist with narrow hutongs and futuristic structures of titanium and glass cast their shadow over ancient palaces.

Another lifestyle change shows in the different entertainment ways between old and young Beijingers. Old Beijingers tend to slow down their life pace as in the early morning, elderly people in mass heading to Beijing's parks, squares and the historical Temple of Heaven to do their morning exercises--they practicing tai chi, performing martial arts, doing Yangge (kind of dance), etc. While in the evening, they often go to leisure in the teahouse to have a peaceful night with melodious Chinese traditional songs or watch Peking Opera in the theater to enjoy the fantastic plots, exciting martial arts and acrobatics.

However, young Beijingers often can't bear the old and traditional ways of entertainment. They enjoy going to bars, night clubs, and KTV on those famous hopping night spots like San Li Tun Bar Street, Wangfujing, Xidan and so on. And many of Beijing's fashionable young ladies like to spend the evenings shopping in Beijing's many boutiques on Wangfujing Street and Xidan shopping center. Mostly, they cost money to entertain to prove that they are the modern people in some ways.
  
● Tasting Beijing

As China is opening-up to all of the world, different things strike into China. Varied kinds of food around the world can be seen in every Chinese street is a good example. And the fast food leaders KFC, Macdonald bring convenient to those busy people. In Beijing, the restaurants offer a nearly endless variety of local, regional and international cuisines which make it as one of the gourmet capitals of the world. 

The Famous Beijing Roast Duck

Nowadays, especially young people, they can't not be satisfied by Chinese food. They go around to find different kinds and tastes of food from other countries. For example, they like to go to Italy restaurant to enjoy high-standard homemade pasta and lovely meat and fish dishes; they go to the Japanese or Korean restaurant to eat dishes like sushi, sashimi, Korean pickle,etc. Foods from Indian, Tailand and so on countries are also welcomed by Beijingers. 

But old Beijing still shines with its traditional dishes. Indulge in a wonderful Peking Duck dinner is really a reward to common Beijingers themselves. If you want to experience Beijing life, don't choose to drink coffee in Starbucks but find a small teahouse to taste tea for hours as leisure. Famous old Beijing snacks and dishes like Wheaten cake boiled in meat broth, Mung bean milk, Pea Cake always make people's mouth watering. 

● Clothings Changing over times

On the streets, men are suited in polo shirts, T-shirts, or Western-style suits. Women are in colorful styles of skirts, blouses which they defined exactly as Western style, Korean style, Japan style, etc. All of the appearances almost the same like people all over the world which modern people called follow the world fashion trend. However, it's really lack of the charm of traditional Chinese clothes.

Years ago in old Beijing, men are in long gown or mandarin jacket which add the feeling of scholar to them. While women often have a ponytail or tuck their hair then wear the cheongsam(a kind of skirt, well-fit the body), which give them the appearance of good shape and elegant. --Both the clothing of men and women that time show the real glamour of China. 

● Beijing on the wheels

Once the transportations in old Beijing relied on horse and horse carriage, jinrikisha (manpower cart) or the most traditional sedan ( manpower lift-up wooden box). Travel outside is a big plan for people as all these means of transportations cost too much times. 

Rickshaw--A Special Manpower Cart in Beijing

Years past, Beijing now is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and motorways passing through the city. It is also the destination of many international flights arriving in China. Beijing is regarded as the political, educational, and cultural center of China. How great these changes are! As people's life become high-speed up, Beijing on the wheels now bring convenient to people travel all around in shorter and shorter times. 

All in all, the city of Beijing has its unique cultural aspects that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Old Beijing is wonderful and amazing while New Beijing is fantastic and exciting.