Bejing Bicycles

There are Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing

There are Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing a song by Katie Melua. That was my first impression twenty years ago when visiting Beijing for the first time. Being Dutch, I was impressed with this mass transportation, which seems to have unwritten rules, yet somehow arrive at their destination. Mostly without incident or the use of helmets.

There were two things I could not forget. One being the numerous bicycles and the though if bringing my bike along to cycle in the city was out of the question.  The other was flying plastic grocery bags.

The bicycles have mostly disappeared and replaced by scooters and imported European cars. Indeed a sign of prosperity.

More common now are the peddle bikes that can easily transport you through the back alleyways and mainly used as a tourist attraction.

While visiting Cuba ten years ago, they were proud of the fact that they had imported bicycles from China, to alleviate the lack of transportation in Havana. It was a unique “re-cycle” project and the creativity that developed from adding extra seats, crates and saddle bags and by turning it into a family vehicle.

Gone are the nine million flying plastic grocery bags that accompanied us along the way to the Great Wall and caught on fences, poles, posts or anything that got in their way.  They are now banned and have disappeared from the grocery stores. 

Also disappearing are the traditional family homes and there are but a few hundred of them left. Along with the increasing property value and these old family compounds with their thin walls are becoming an item of the past. The newer generations, as in developing countries, chose to leave the family compound to live on their own in a highrise apartment buildings. These are no shortage of expensive apartment buildings offering underground parking for their newly acquired vehicle. However, there is a shortage of  affordable housing in the centre of the city as most have to commute  to work from one of the far ring roads.   With this prosperity comes the dreaded traffic jams and pollution. I will not be entirely surprised if there will be a ban on cars in the future and it will be back to Nine Million Bicycles.

I was in awe with the transformation of the old Chinese, as well as chunky Soviet, Architecture to a more visually pleasing modern European style buildings.

Remnants of the old bargaining style stores remain, but most replaced by new stores and modern malls. It is not uncommon to find European and North American stores from H&M to Prada. IKEA has made its way into China and will have an impact on the old traditional style furniture.  Perhaps that is not a bad idea either as the younger generations are embracing home decor rather than the austere, utilitarian furniture of their parents.