Ich Bin Ein Real Beijinger

David Feng's personal Beijing-oriented Tumblr blog about the Chinese capital

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12 August 2015 | Temples and Mountains Out West

I’m in a “scenic” kind of mood these days. (Probably because the Square Mile here in London remains too urban for my tastes. Heck, even Pudong has more style...) The city of Beijing is too often maligned as a soulless smogpital. That’s because the likes of Fox News brainwashed you into thinking life in Beijing was merely inside the 6th Ring Road. Thankfully, our ringways are easier to escape that, say, the rubbish road network Londoners have to deal with (if I had it my way, for the love of efficiency, I’d have outright voted for the Ringways Plan). The best way is to first head for the express road that runs just by the Beijing West Railway Station, then continue on that express road until you hit the mountains of Mentougou, western Beijing — temples included. In London, fifteen minutes is spent shifting from first to second, then straight down from third to first, then neutral, as you try your “sorry” move with the Vauxhall next to you on Marylebone Road. In the Jing, fifteen minutes at (legal!) cruising speed (80 km/h or 50 mph; you get none of this on the Western Avenue east of probably the Target Roundabout) is really all you need to head into the mountainous bits of National Highway 108. And by the time you add another five or so and are out the Keluotou Tunnel, you’re just a mile away from Tanzhe (or “Pool and Cudrania Tree”) Temple, a temple which, as legend says, was here first — before Beijing existed at all. Then head east into central Beijing for Jietai (Altar Ordination) Temple, where you’ll not just be in Jawdrop Mode when it comes to the impressiveness of the temple buildings, but rather the pine trees. There’s one embracing a pagoda; another one growing what is in essence a stone tablet; a third with unique textures on the bark — you get the idea. There are loads more out west — I’ll probably keep you up here into the wee hours if I had it my way. But me signing out for today isn’t a sign you should sign out as well. Remember there’s a word out west for great views and temples.

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11 August 2015 | Those Beautiful County Highways...

Beijing is soon thinking about a new east-west motorway that runs for 100 kilometres or so. But before you try outcompete a Chinese high speed train on that (don’t, by the way; that’s a great way to end up in jail), try a 100 km county highway. They’re at times quite narrow, but otherwise the equivalent of a divided highway (or a “dual carriageway” if you’re so inclined). The Changping-Jinhai Lake Highway is the longest in Beijing, and it just opens your eyes to everything that’s outside the 6th Ring Road in the Chinese capital. There are no Big Pants to observe; instead, it’s farmland in the western part, woodland in the central part, and hilly but beautiful out east. Or you might want to try the Andingmen-Sihai Highway (pictured here). A three-line-each-way express trunk route in the southernmost part, it becomes notoriously hilly up north, but is also beautiful. Parts of the highways here up in northern Beijing are ever so close to the Great Wall, and one goes right “through” it when the wall in essence hits a reservoir. If you think the Chinese capital remains one of smog-chugging skyscrapers with (potentially) suggestive architectural themes, you’re in the wrong part of town. Head up into the countryside (or get a local friend to drive you out). Just be sure you’ve your eyes on the road — as the scenery can remind you to a good drive in Switzerland. (Honest. I’m Swiss by passport (even though I was born in the Jing). I know what’s Swiss!...)

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10 August 2015 | Nothing half as scary as the Trellick...

I’ve seen two of the most utterly disgusting and vomit-inducing buildings inside the M25: Erno Goldfinger’s Balfron and Trellick Towers. There’s also a reason why I’m always “a wee bit too fast” on the Westway (don’t like seeing such scary towers!). To me, the Balfron and Trellick Towers constitute the absolute worst of the worst. In my (not so) humble opinion, they are in essence inhabitable for all of mankind (and probably for extra-terrestrials as well; why put yourself through the pain?). I simply could not imagine anyone living in such places. I’ve never been imprisoned (and hopefully never will!), but I’d imagine a maximum-security prison would look a little nicer (maybe, just maybe). Thankfully, Beijing has nothing half as scary as the Trellick. We may have crazily-designed buildings, or nearly-rotting-away tower blocks of the Mao era, but there are actually people out there who will take care of these buildings and at least redo the exterior every so often. (Just before the Games in 2008, we had this happen. These details mean a lot.) The worst thing living in a 1970s block in Beijing (I’ve been through this when I was a kid!) was the huge, ear-shattering noise you’d hear when you’ve pulled the “flush string” after being done with a squat toilet. (Let’s hope you don’t wake up the neighbours after midnight.) Other than that, we may have weird-looking buildings around Beijing, but we’ll never have anything half as scary as the Trellick. (Or the social issues that plagued it, especially in its earlier days.) And there are in fact a lot of world-class buildings in Beijing — my favourite remains the Beijing South Railway Station. You’ll find your favourite, too, even if you’re here on the 72 hour visa waiver programme.

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09 August 2015 | Of Satellite Cities and New Towns.

Look at the lamp post. It’s scarily scientific. The electron. With orbit paths. Or whatever. It’s like it has a satellite element in it all. That is actually what it’s all about: this is Liangxiang Satellite Town, about 10 miles southwest of Beijing. The idea was good: live in the suburbs, work in the city. The result was scary: massive queues city-bound in the mornings, then the other way ‘round for the evening. (The sheer speed just before the toll gate makes a southbound Fast Metropolitan line train here in London feel like paradise on the go!) These plans of the early 1990s didn’t work out; around a decade later, Beijing is instead thinking of New Towns, places where there would be an added business presence — so to stop people from all cramming into the city centre. This is only starting out — and we’ve already even more recent plans to expand out into Greater Beijing and the nearby environs — Tianjin and Hebei. If 2008 was all about Beijing, then 2022 will be about Beijing and Hebei (Zhangjiakou / Kalgan is in nearby Hebei province), and Tianjin might come along for the ride as well. If all the surrounding cities around Beijing (including Tianjin) came together, the core parts would be two-thirds of the Greater Tokyo Area alone; the entirety would be upwards of Three Greater Tokyos. When that happens, Beijing will be the centre of an even greater centre. And places like Liangxiang, pictured here, would probaby be “merely downtown”.

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08 August 2015 | Beijing’s Epic Class Act Par Excellence.

I was born in the city of Beijing at a time when the signage were all rotting pale-white-turning-yellow with stencilled numbers and letters. We were so close in 1993 to bringing the Games home, but the Sydney skipped ahead of us by two very close votes. In 2001, we got it. And in 2008, we did it. I have to say, as a real Beijinger, getting the world coming to your place is just epic. I had the same when I addressed in front of a microphone my dad’s party of friends (at least 50 or so) when I was a kid. The feeling you were welcoming a huge lot was just epic. (Sorry, I’m out of words for the moment.) The same was true for Beijing. The way we pulled it off — looking back in hindsight — was little different from a great Stevenote. Which is why I was equally excited when we got a second chance for 2022. Now it is all about making an already brilliant event even better. If you now have one of the world’s coolest stadia, you need to make it even better. It really boils down to the details. 2008 gave us the Bird’s Nest, the Water Cube, and a whole load of international attention. 2022 will give us even more, including what will be the world’s largest city subway network, but it will also give us all the details in the world — plus a bit more. I’d like to see Beijing’s 2022 epic-er still class act made better with this crazy focus on details. (As a Mac user and a Swiss citizen, I know too well what these details mean.) The rest of the world is still too worried about this snow / pollution / human rights issue. They’re not sure just how much we’ll focus on details and that seamless completion of that last mile come 2022. This is why I want to see a Games of Details, where Beijing and Zhangjiakou / Kalgan clinch gold. In the meantime, the things that happened 7 years ago are and will remain moments to treasure for the long run. And I’ll certainly remember that #080808 hashtag. Thanks, @flypig.

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07 August 2015 | Sanlitun.

So sorry, London. I’ve been to every single Zone 1 Tube station (and also City Thameslink, which is the sole Zone 1 non-Tube station!). You came close with Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, but sorry, even with Westfield at Stratford and White City (all non-Zone 1-ers), you’ve visibly disappointed me. London simply doesn’t have an equivalent to Sanlitun, easily Beijing’s most international bit of town. Sanlitun doesn’t (yet) come with a Tube / Subway station, but it’s fantastic. It has an Apple Store, which is great for me as a 20+ year Mac user, but then the food’s also very neat. You get everything from what I call “veggie spaghetti“ to ramen to club sandwiches. My favourite hangout is the place next to PageOne, the bookshop. And if I wanted a quick bite before I’m on the go, there are fast food outlets as well. Sanlitun also happens to be where all the very cool kids in town come together and do crazily neat things. (Although after dark it gets a little dicey, but the cops are always there, just in case.) I can probably get half of what I wanted by just remaining on the High Street in Harrow, and the Tube is a tempting invitation — to a very much spread-out Central London in terms of the food (certainly). But I’ll prefer Sanlitun over Westfield any day. Never mind both come with a Waitrose, which I’ve found has been fantastic at producing sleep-inducing coffee (you get what you paid for, as a myWaitrose member). Sanlitun doesn’t (yet) come with a Waitrose. I’m not moaning.

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06 August 2015 | Expressways to Get from A to B

I’m still stuck in London, and it takes me just about forever to get out of Harrow — even to the “next best thing”, the North Circular Road (aka the A406), it takes at least 15-20 minutes as I shift up, down, halt, and continue at traffic lights. In Beijing I live basicallly within minutes (by car) from a city ringway — in this case, the 2nd Ring Road. Even in Zürich, I was about two or three minutes away by car from the nearest motorway junction. And this ease of access is what I love about Beijing. It’s hard to escape the ringways network in the Chinese capital, and should you be lost in some remote village (trust me: I’ve really taken to the roads!), there is almost certainly bound to be a main trunk highway leading you to the next motorway entrance. Obviously you pay to use those expressways, but what they can basically guarantee you is very good traffic, certainly outside of peak hours. It’ll be hard to stick to 120 km/h (75 mph) as the conditions are so good (which is why they’ve installed average speed checks), and the network so complete (all counties and districts are linked into the motorway network). The next best thing would be regional rail, which they are indeed also thinking of. It’ll be faster than the London Overground. Imagine getting to the equivalent of Walthamstow down to Hampton, but even faster. I think that’s what the Jing is after.

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05 August 2015 | Skyscrapers in Town.

Skyscrapers were a very recent addition in this capital that has been here in some form or other for the past 850+ years. The tallest anything, for that matter, was the main hall in the Forbidden City (if I got my history stats right) until quite lately. The city of Beijing then started building taller buildings — the brown-ish CITIC International Tower by Jianguomen, and the Jingguang Tower, were more 1980s additions. The 1990s and, in particular, post-2001 Beijing, added just the most visible mix of skyscrapers ever. We had Chinese Central Television and its (notorious) “pants ‘n’ thing”, then the tallest tower (at present; it will soon be overtaken!), the World Summit (or rather Tower III) of the China World Trade Centre. But our CBD at the moment looks like a mere Canary Wharf. That’s because the Square Mile is itself being built. Just to the northeast of Guomao Bridge is now Crane Territory, as the central area of the Beijing CBD is being built. There’ll also be a lot of new towers about 17 km (10 miles) further east, in Tongzhou, as Beijing city authorities relocate there. Love ’em or loathe ’em: those towers are here, and they’re with us for good. And unlike the Trellick, most of them actually look pretty awesome.

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04 August 2015 | Moving Away from Chimney Territory

The 2008 Summer Olympics didn’t completely rid Beijing of its chimneys, but we’re closer to that target when the Winter Olympics come to town in early 2022. This bit of the city by Taiyanggong (not too far from Wangjing) still show a “semi-done” Beijing, and an avenue is still being widened. This part of Beijing between the northeastern 3rd and 4th Rings is still in this semi-lost state of not knowing what the heck it wants to be. It does look, though, that the chimneys only have so long to stay until they’re gone. It’s also a fair bit of a Beijing Paradigm Shift: in the mid-to-late 20th century, it wanted to be a total smorgasbord of a city that had everything. That worked, until it got awfully polluted, starting in the late 1990s. The city tried to contain the damage; it didn't work, with work starting out on the 4th, 5th, and 6th Ring Roads meaning the city merely expanded outwards. As of late, however, Beijing has been in some kind of city spring cleaning, ridding itself of a lot of “unfit for a capital”. That has meant Game Over for a lot of heavily polluting factories and low-end industries. It’s a little unrealistic to imagine a Beijing of the future where every city street is exactly like that you see in the CBD. But the city is cleaning up and redoing itself. My only hope is that the city will also crack down on cafés playing “music” that really is aural cacophony. (It kills your train of thought. And so on.)

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03 August 2015 | Ich Bin Ein Real Beijinger

Beware the Beijingers that aren't. The proudest boast* isn't by one who merely lives in the city, but one who was born here. Take it from someone who was born around three decades back, then road signs still used stencils, and the Beijing Subway was a two-line matter. Take it from someone who's seen Beijing grow beyond Fenzhongsi Bridge. Once on the most remote outskirts of town and the Beijing terminus of the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, it is now merely "yet another bridge" in this city of nearly three Londons (by headcount). Once upon a time, that was the end of "civilisation" in the Jing. Today, there is a ginormous new tech & econ estate southeast of that — by the 6th Ring Road, not merely the 3rd that is by Fenzhongsi. Take it from someone who has seen it both from local and expat points of views — a Beijinger by birth, a Swiss by passport. Someone who actually is mad enough to drive during rush hour (stick shift, no probs). Someone who knows the Subway system so well that it's annoying. Someone who hosted dignitaries from over 70+ countries during the 2008 Summer Olympics. My name is David Feng. Ich bin ein real Beijinger. | * OK, in Confucian societies such as China, bragging and boasting isn't really quite the trend. Sorry.