日批在线视频_内射毛片内射国产夫妻_亚洲三级小视频_在线观看亚洲大片短视频_女性向h片资源在线观看_亚洲最大网

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Opinion
Home / Opinion / My China, my story

Beijing, the time traveling city

By Janaína Camara da Silveira | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-09-26 10:00
Share
Share - WeChat

Janaína Camara da Silveira [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing is such a capsule of time travel capsule. It's a city that presents the future and the past involving every person in profound changes at the blink of an eye. It does not matter what those changes are, it is always a welcome place.

I remember when I first arrived in Beijing from Brazil in June 2007. After settling into work and at the new apartment, the first task was to visit Tian'anmen Square. The goal was to finally see in person Chairman Mao's portrait, an image so powerful in my mind since I was a teenager as it was the iconic symbol of China, presented every time there was news about the country.

It was a time when smartphones were not a reality. I walked to a magazine stall near my compound and asked for a Beijing map. A decade ago, believe it or not, this was the easiest way to get to know a new place. It cost one yuan - paid with a paper note! I got my map and embarked on the subway at Jianguomen Station to get off at Tian'anmen East Station.

That was a time when Beijing had just three metro lines, far less than the 19 operating nowadays, and the ticket - a thin white and blue paper - cost 2 yuan, no matter the distance you would take.

Once at the square, I felt for the first time the powerful message of a city that transforms its landscapes fiercely. The Forbidden City is a testimonial of human efforts to build an identity, the architecture as a statement of a time. In the square, there are plenty of landmarks testifying to Chinese eras and achievements. Mao's portrait is definitely an emblematic image, but the Great Hall of People, the National Museum and the Monument to the People's Heroes, among others, all tell a story of its time. But it was not just about the past. The present was so strong, as in the belief in a brighter future.

2007 was the year to get things ready for the coming Olympic Games, scheduled to start on Aug,8, 2008. All the new buildings, urban equipment and strong economic growth were celebrated, linking the novelties to the tradition: 08-08-08 was an auspicious date since the sound of the character for number 8 is similar to the one for prosperity.

The novelties were popping up every month, showing me that life in Beijing was not only about changes, but about how fast those changes would occur. In a short period, the city saw its first rapid train line linking the capital to Tianjin and soon to Shanghai, among other cities, and the number of subway lines improved to five (with line 5 and 8), not to mention the National Stadium, with the nickname, The Bird's Nest, taking a main role as a new architectural wonder.

Beijing is still so vibrant. The buildings rise shaping new skylines every year. The economy has decelerated its pace, but this does not mean fewer opportunities. Life is smooth and wealth grows.

The capital is transforming itself but not losing its soul. On early mornings, the baozi and the jianbing are still making people queue for their breakfasts. At sunset, older people are dancing in the corners of the city. It's even possible to say that old habits that were almost disappearing are being restored. Bicycles are everywhere, making people reconnect to the streets via pedaling, transforming relations with the city and its citizens to be even more personal. It's a counterbalance for a life much more dependent on smartphones - the easiest way to pay for daily needs, from food to electricity.

Beijing is more and more interconnected, evolving and rebuilding its links with the past and the future in the present.

Janaína Camara da Silveira is a communication consultant at Radar China and a development researcher as a Master in Economics candidate at Unisinos University, Brazil.

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1994 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 在线能看的av | 亚洲精品黄色 | 国产调教视频 | 精品久久久久久久久久久久久久久 | 国产精品视频在线观看 | 热99视频 | 日韩一区二区精品 | 国产夫绿帽单男3p精品视频 | 久久伊人国产 | 日韩欧美区 | 亚洲永久av| 欧美天堂在线观看 | 欧美日韩在线免费视频 | 免费观看黄色片子 | 四虎成人免费影院 | 成片在线观看 | 欧美bbbbxxxx| 日本免费一二三区 | 欧美一页 | 夜夜操av | 精品久久久一区 | 天天操欧美 | 我我色综合| 国内久久 | 国产免费美女视频 | 九九国产视频 | 99色网站| www.色小姐com | 亚洲欧洲日本国产 | 国产拍拍| 免费一区二区三区 | 欧美成人精品欧美一级乱黄 | 亚洲人免费视频 | 成人69视频 | 日韩精品视频在线免费观看 | 亚洲精品视频久久 | 国产97免费视频 | 午夜一级视频 | 中文在线资源 | 成人高清 | 少妇高潮在线观看 |