BEIJING LUNG
China is so overwhelming that it almost feels like a dream. The skies of every city are filled cranes, there are new shops, roads, impressive buildings, and thousands of cars being added to the roads every day.
HERZOGS AND DE MUERON’S “BIRD’S NEST” OLYMPIC STADIUM
YEARS OF FOUL AIR A PRICE FOR THE NEW BEIJING OLYMPIC PARK
There are throngs of people everywhere, all the time. There is no escape, especially for a 6′-5″ gringo. Touts, staring, and pushy people can make a simple trip down the street exhausting given the wrong frame of mind. But of course, many people have new places to live and shop, new things to buy, and loads of new problems associated with the much revered gods of capitalism: Ford, Gucci, Adidas, Starbucks, and KFC. And it gets worse….
OPENING SOON….WAL-MART XI’AN
But the price is huge, as the air burns your eyes and gets in your lungs. Hundred of millions of people pay the price of this rapid development every time they breathe, every day. We will leave in two days. Is it worth it? Is there another way? Will the struggling rural masses be happier in new high-rise housing. Will they be happier driving to work, talking on their cell phones, and siting in traffic behind air-conditioned comfort. They seem pretty happy and its so hard to project our prosperous experience on people that have not had the opportunities to live with economic freedom. Everyone must figure out their own happiness, just as we are trying to in our lives. It feels like a cross between a giant experiment in mass urban living and a mardi-gras like orgy of new capitalists.
PING-PONG IN THE PARK – XI’AN
Even car parking is beginning to be a problem and while cycling along just one block in Beijing I saw a guy arguing with a parking officer about a ticket and two people shouting at each other after a fender bender….ahh makes me feel right at home back in the States. Welcome to high blood pressure and dealing with car mechanics.
So what about bikes? We have had the pleasure to bike in 4 or 5 cities in China and its still the best way to get around most places, but this is changing fast. Most larger roads in Shanghai have banned bikes and scooters and they are now forced onto small back streets to get around. Sounds nice right? But these back street routes have too many bikes and scooters, and the roads are interrupted every 4 blocks or so by the main massive roads where bikes mass up waiting for 5 minute long red lights to change. Things were better in Beijing where big (and often fully separated) bike lanes exist on almost every major road and of course, riding in the back alley Hutong neighborhoods is great on bikes.
HAPPY FLORAL DELIVERY – CHENG DU
Short of Scandinavian, it was probably the easiest city to cover serious ground on by bike, even without a bike map. And cover it we did. We rode everywhere. And the best thing to do in Xi’an. Rent bikes and ride around on top of the wall. No question, it was a blast….13 km high ring road for bikes.
ALL HAIL THE BICYCLE ON THE ANCIENT WALL OF XI’AN!!
So I dwell on the negative a bit eh….well the big Chinese cities have worn me down, but not broken my spirit. There is still a lot of wonderful old China around, and you can get smiles from all just walking through any old neighborhood off the normal tourist track. Get on a bike and the smiles multiply. Everyone biking seems pretty happy as you can comfortably ride side by side on most bike lanes and chat with your buddy on your commute home. Cyclists smile, laugh, and don’t seem to be in any rush.
GREAT BIKEWAYS IN BEIJING – YUP BIKES A LITTLE SMALL SIR
Car drivers we have encountered seem unhappy, almost everywhere. We’ve had some miserable taxi drivers and most drivers feel their right to the road entitles them to barge full speed at pedestrians, bikes, and the elderly in wheel chairs (saw a car honk aggressively at one today) Two nights ago I walked out the door of our apartment place in Shanghai and saw a black car smash a bike rider. She got up, brushed herself off and tried to spin her dented wheel, while the driver kept his window up and then just drove away after seeing that he actually didn’t kill her. As wonderful as the remaining bastions of bike culture are, the car thing here is ugly and depressing. Hopefully the government and society will try to change the drivers attitudes on killing and maiming other people. Don’t hold your breath…..wait, do hold your breath as the air is unfit for human consumption. Oh yeah, and every time you buy something, think about if you really need it, cause it’s production is probably is shortening peoples lives here via polluted air, water and disappearing resources. Do you really need it?
So China has been amazing, but makes you either fear or hope for the future…haven’t decided which yet?
Tags: Beijing, Bicycling, China, Travel, Tag Index
rich.coffin