Sidewalks and streetlights

Beijing does not sparkle from the air. Instead, it emits a sort of dim glow like an exhausted firefly at the end of an arduous mating ritual.

The reason is really quite simple. The Capital City takes energy conservation very seriously, and has observed the frugality drive it has preached since the tough times of several decades ago.

While the rest of China's major cities have started to enjoy the rewards of 30 years of an open economy, Beijing still feels obliged to abstain from the guilty pleasures. Perhaps someone forgot to update the austerity standards.