Make life convenient while improving living environment

Nearly 27 years have passed, but I clearly remember my first trip to Beijing. It was beautiful, but boring. In Beijing, I met my parents at what then looked like a pretty good hotel in the Liangmaqiao area. To get a taste of Beijing cuisine, however, we had to go to the downtown Dashilan shopping area. But even in Dashilan, where pedestrians were few and traffic light, we couldn't find any decent restaurants serving Beijing food.

So I had lunch at a KFC outlet - my first taste of American fast food.

Born in Chengdu, Sichuan province, known for its vibrant city life, and having studied in Xiamen, Fujian province, one of the five special economic zones set up in the country following the reform and opening-up policy, I quite naturally felt Beijing in those days lacked color.