About a week ago, I put up a post titled “Beijing 88” and listed five things I like about this city. I then put a link to the post on Twitter and asked people there what they like about the city. Below are more than 30 answers. (And, yes, I do realize the irony of gathering such information from a site that is blocked in this country.)
Unfortunately, I’m missing some early responses, as Twitter search only goes back so far, and no doubt missing others due the cutting, pasting and coding job I did at 3 AM last night. My apologies to those folks. In any case, feel free to add more items in the comments section or on Twitter (tag #beijing88) or Weibo (tag #beijing88#).
By the way, someone asked me what would be the opposite of “Beijing 88″, that is, for things people don’t like the city. I’m going with “Beijing 44” / #beijing44.
Here are some things people like about Beijing…
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fishjourner
I like it in Beijing how every person has their own “Beijing Dream”. A city of opportunity!
mrbeijingles
I like riding my bike around and discovering parts of the city I’ve never seen before
lantaumama
I like how restaurants are often overstaffed and there is often someone willing to play w your kids while you eat!
lantaumama
I like how affordable it is to try something new. Be it a hobby, studies or business
gcuason
i can NOT SHAVE MY PITS and it’s still normal.
beijingboyce
I like that I can be downtown and see a Maserati passing a horse-drawn wagon loaded with melons.
lantaumama
I like how the local population has such diverse backgrounds with so many ‘success stories’
lantaumama
I like how anything can be delivered, usually by bike
mapletreesyrup
I like it in Beijing how I can choose to write Chinese emails and my foreign colleagues must accept the fact and LEARN MANDARIN!
beijingboyce
I like that I can open my apartment windows and hear the football games / concerts at Workers Stadium nearby.
er_smith
I love the fact that I can eat authentic Chinese regional cuisine nightly without traveling to those provinces.
lantaumama
I like how there is still a fresh- local – seasonal – homemade food culture
lantaumama
I like that kids have free entry to most places, so it is easy and affordable to explore as a family
earth2jo
I like that evenings can end at a chuan’r stand at 4am with good friends, even on a school night.
ambrosejen
I like my Great Wall view. On the mornings that we have it, I know it is going to be a great day.
beijingboyce
i like that at any given moment, no matter where i am in the city, i could stumble on a TV or movie shoot…
peterschloss
I like that I’ve become a member of the hottest bluegrass band in China w/out having tried too hard to do so
@sinomite
I love how Beijing has so much damn good food everywhere
beijingboyce
I like seeing more than 100 kinds of sparkling wine in Jenny Lou’s at Chaoyang Park.
beijingboyce
B/c every wine maker wants a China presence, I can join dinners with top visiting wine makers for very little money.
landay
I like that I can get around on a subway or with taxis & not need to own a car
lantaumama
I like Mandarin!! So many places to learn and opportunities to practice
jeremyjustice
I like how bank tellers will hold a conversation with me about how “tall” my nose is. And that it’s a good thing.
beijingboyce
I like that first day of fireworks during Chinese New Year.
beijingboyce
I shouldn’t but I like that I can get McDonald’s delivered to my house any time of the day or night.
lantaumama
Diversity of expats. Diplomats, journalists, teachers, tech start ups, chefs, entrepreneurs, all at 1 dinner party
sanverde
I like cycle rickshaws
lantaumama
I love the proximity of countryside and organic farms
beijingboyce
I like sitting on stools, eating rmb4 donkey burgers, drinking rmb3 beers and people-watching with my friends.
dlmarr
I like the fact that not one day is ever the same in Beijing, the energy of the people is remarkable and the diversity of people
I like the possibilities of BJ, visiting a Hu Tong, bargining at silk market, people in general are very friendly, taxi drivers talk about politics with you:-),haha.
did the mention of twitter get your access blocked? needed the vpn to read this post…
I like being able to meet so many people from every country and walk of life – from the lady on the corner selling fruit to the CEO of a large international company.
The food, the people, the atmosphere, the vibe, the chaos, the openness, the hidden, the different scents on the street (good and bad), the shops, the architecture (old and new), the way almost all trees are planted in rows, the flowers planted at random in old plastic pots in a hutong, the extensive parks, the total acceptance of people singing and dancing or making music in public – put it all together and you get one fantastic place!
Nice post Jim. Too easy to knock the place, as I often do. Good to reflect on the other side of the coin too.
Aww, really nice post. I have only visited Beijing for a few days last month and I loved it so much I decided I am going to make a trip back there next month and stay for a few weeks. So much to do and see there! ^^;