Harmony on the streets where we live

Fruit and vegetables fresh off the farms, pet fish shimmering in glass bowls and knockoff novels that make up the latest bestseller lists - these are some of the wide range of goods that can be found on the carts of peddlers just outside my apartment.

Like many other Beijing residents, I enjoy the rock-bottom prices offered by these vendors and do a fair bit of roadside shopping myself.

The bustle on the streets also means that the unlicensed peddlers are a problem for the city authorities that will not be going away anytime soon.