BEIJING - Beijing is getting ready for the Olympics. It may seem like a pretty obvious observation from someone visiting the 2008 Olympic city about a year before the event, but I can't help comparing it to the the tone of Sydney shortly before the 2000 Games. Back then I was working as a dishwasher in a Mexican restaurant in a Sydney suburb and I was able to take in the vibe of both the city and the country of Australia as the deadline to the celebrations approached. While paraphernalia celebrating the 2000 Games were for sale in tourist districts and at the airport gift shops, it is really nothing compared to Beijing.
This city is undergoing a complete transformation. It's been about two years since I was here and many areas are virtually unrecognizable. Construction cranes are all over the city quickly erecting anonymous looking buildings with mirrored windows in the footprints of the old hutongs. For those who don't know Beijing, the city's traditional neighbourhoods are constructed in charming single-story walled communities known as hutongs. These little complexes have been a focal point of many-a-tourist's trip to Beijing after they've exhausted themselves walking through the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
But as the 2008 Olympics have been edging ever-closer, the government has been swiftly booting out hutong residents and demolishing the homes they've often lived in for generations. A walk through some of the hutong communities closest to Tienanmen Square is pretty depressing these days. Most buildings are now abandoned. Some have already been demolished and many others are marked with a big Chinese character indicating that the building is going to be demolished. I find it particularly moving because I have good memories of walking through these vibrant neighbourhoods. The streets were usually packed with vendors making delicious portable food that would never be recognized as "Chinese food" back in Canada. Now, the streets are a bit like a post-apocalyptic ghost-town.
I think the official line of the government is that the hutongs are poorly built with ancient and irreparable infrastructure. Much of this is true, of course. In fact, many don't even have indoor plumbing (and remember, Beijing gets easily as cold as Ottawa in the winter). But, many see the redevelopment of the areas as part of the grand scheme to show the world what China's made of when the flaming torch kicks off the Games in 2008. Naturally, that will mean completely restored historical monuments like the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City and also the "modern China" of brand new buildings with stores selling things like Prada, Gucci and Mercedes Benz. The hutongs that are being destroyed have typically been a place where poor people can manage to live in a pretty central location in the nation's capital. But not anymore. Real estate prices in Beijing are skyrocketing - the government has even been manipulating the market to help keep prices at a reasonable price.
I can't say for certain what the visitor to the Beijing Olympic Games will be treated to, but I know that it will be much different than what they see today or what anyone has seen in the past. Of course, there will be select hutongs that will remain standing and even new ones that are being built, but don't expect anything like the grubby, coal-stained homes that used to make up much of Beijing's urban landscape. They're gone for good.
A.
This city is undergoing a complete transformation. It's been about two years since I was here and many areas are virtually unrecognizable. Construction cranes are all over the city quickly erecting anonymous looking buildings with mirrored windows in the footprints of the old hutongs. For those who don't know Beijing, the city's traditional neighbourhoods are constructed in charming single-story walled communities known as hutongs. These little complexes have been a focal point of many-a-tourist's trip to Beijing after they've exhausted themselves walking through the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
But as the 2008 Olympics have been edging ever-closer, the government has been swiftly booting out hutong residents and demolishing the homes they've often lived in for generations. A walk through some of the hutong communities closest to Tienanmen Square is pretty depressing these days. Most buildings are now abandoned. Some have already been demolished and many others are marked with a big Chinese character indicating that the building is going to be demolished. I find it particularly moving because I have good memories of walking through these vibrant neighbourhoods. The streets were usually packed with vendors making delicious portable food that would never be recognized as "Chinese food" back in Canada. Now, the streets are a bit like a post-apocalyptic ghost-town.
I think the official line of the government is that the hutongs are poorly built with ancient and irreparable infrastructure. Much of this is true, of course. In fact, many don't even have indoor plumbing (and remember, Beijing gets easily as cold as Ottawa in the winter). But, many see the redevelopment of the areas as part of the grand scheme to show the world what China's made of when the flaming torch kicks off the Games in 2008. Naturally, that will mean completely restored historical monuments like the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City and also the "modern China" of brand new buildings with stores selling things like Prada, Gucci and Mercedes Benz. The hutongs that are being destroyed have typically been a place where poor people can manage to live in a pretty central location in the nation's capital. But not anymore. Real estate prices in Beijing are skyrocketing - the government has even been manipulating the market to help keep prices at a reasonable price.
I can't say for certain what the visitor to the Beijing Olympic Games will be treated to, but I know that it will be much different than what they see today or what anyone has seen in the past. Of course, there will be select hutongs that will remain standing and even new ones that are being built, but don't expect anything like the grubby, coal-stained homes that used to make up much of Beijing's urban landscape. They're gone for good.
A.
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