It's a HUGE place. Around 18M people and spread over a seemingly endless flat, featureless plain. There are endless rows of 60s-style concrete apartment blocks broken up by the occasional green space.
Closer to downtown there are a lot of newer concrete/steel office buildings which make the streetscapes look more interesting.
Lots of (mostly) newer cars and vans share the roads with thousands of bicycles and mopeds. Both types of 2-wheeled transport have been adapted for load carrying. Some horse-drawn carts too. VW and Audi seem to be the preferred Premium brands; most of the taxis are Hyundai sedans.
The picture below shows the parking lot for the local Carrefour (a French discount grocery & housewares store that has been in China for years). It's similar to Walmart in scope, selection and low prices. Interesting to contrast this scene with a Walmart in the US or an Asda in the UK where cars are the norm.
Hi Debbie and Simon,
ReplyDeleteWanted to thank for such as good Blog postings. Enjoy the pictures and insight to what China is like, well at least there in Beijing. I have been checking Blog every other day for new stuff. I bet it has been exciting and waiting to see Sarah in person is nearly there! Have a safe journey and God's Blessings on the whole 'new' family to-be. Carl Callju
MESSAGE TO RACHEL FROM SHELBY: "HI RACHEL, I WAS A FLOWER GIRL JUST LIKE YOU! MY DRESS WAS WHITE JUST LIKE YOURS, BUT I HAD A BLUE RIBBON. WHEN YOU GET HOME WE CAN WATCH A BARBIE MOVIE TOGETHER...DO YOU HAVE 17 BARBIE MOVIES? I ONLY HAVE 4 BARBIE MOVIES." LOVE XOXOXO, SHELBY
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