China's capital is on the rise
By Edward Mills (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-30 09:33
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Returning from the glorious rolling countryside surrounding my home in Britain, the distinct lack of greenery in Beijing can be depressing for me. The contrast could not be more marked. Space and quietness are not qualities that are readily found within this bustling metropolis. Having said this, there are some major positives that are in the capital's favor.
Beijing is rapidly developing into a vibrant cultural melting pot, where cuisine from all regions of China is present on many streets and a new European restaurant opens every week. The diversity that Beijing offers is personally exciting. As Beijing continues to involve the international community, this can only improve further.
Not only culturally, but the ever-modernizing city skyline is also fantastic.
While the government could probably do more to protect Beijing's cultural heritage in the face of increasing numbers of shopping malls, and the incessant droning of late-night construction can be a bore, one can't deny the pace of change.
In the UK, filling in a few potholes could take a month: In Beijing, a new road will appear overnight. Sitting in traffic on the way back from the airport, I did feel that not all change is necessarily good, but the fact remains that improvements are happening on a near daily basis.
After over a decade of decimation, the UK feels like a country experiencing extreme stagnation, if not a decline, from its era of prosperity. It will take another decade to even begin to approach a solution there.
Sure, Beijing isn't all smiles - the air quality is still not the best and the public transport system needs improvement among other things.
The key, though, is that it's all seemingly changing for the better.
Things are in place to reduce the impact of any concerns.
A number of new subway lines are under construction (10 at present, with a total of 19 lines planned to be in operation by 2015), cars are limited in their access to the downtown by their registration plates and more environmental measures are due soon.
The city is not a finished product and certainly you get the feeling, living here, that you are part of something growing and developing. Being part of the rise of Beijing is certainly stimulating.
Besides rapid growth, the buzz of big city life is always a draw not unique to Beijing.
Not only is the level of entertainment available fairly high, even by global standards, but the crime rate is also low compared to other cities around the world of a similar size.
Non-native residents regularly discuss how safe they feel in the city compared to other places they have lived - perhaps due to the streets never being empty of people.
Regardless, Beijing feels safe compared to London or other similar-sized cities that I've live in.
Beijing certainly isn't perfect, but compared to a national feeling of pessimism back home, one often feels here that the only way is forward.
