David Wang, right, and his student, in the bamboo bike workshop. [Photo/Weibo]

American teaches Chinese to build bamboo bikes

In a traditional hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng district, there is an inconspicuous workshop containing all kinds of bicycle frames and spare parts. What sets this workshop apart is the material the bicycle frames are made from: bamboo.

The owner of the workshop, David Wang, a young American man from Boston, said he hoped to get more people involved in making bikes of their own, and to raise people's environmental awareness by using bamboo.

Wang majored in anthropology when he was a student. He came to China for the first time a decade ago, and in 2012, he returned to Beijing to work. One day when he saw piles of rusted bicycles, it sparked an idea, and he decided to recycle those bicycles. Wang took a course in environmental protection when he was a student and had learnt the features and uses of bamboo.

Wang rented a 25-square-meter room in 26 Langjia Hutong to use as his workshop. Each day from 9 am to 7 pm, Wang and his students are busy making bamboo bikes. According to Wang, he and his students have produced 149 bamboo bikes in one year.

Visitors at David Wang's workshop, as he call them "students", work in the workshop. [Photo/Weibo]

In our final story, rooftop basketball courts bring the game to many.