A City of Contrasts

Despite its immense size – Beijing has a population of over 17 million people, twice the size of New York City – and many modern amenities, visiting this city evokes the feeling of stepping back in time. If you’ve ever watched AMC’s Mad Men, a fictional account of an advertising agency set in New York in the early 1960’s, you have a little bit of a sense of what the city is like. The somewhat monochromatic buildings, retro architecture and furnishings and persistent smog only add to the gritty, industrial feel of this Asian metropolis.

But, it’s also a city full of contrasts. Rundown shanty homes rest awkwardly against a backdrop of modern skyscrapers and condominium high-rises. Bicycle taxis and scooters dart in and out of traffic, yielding to sleek German and American sedans speeding along modern city streets. A cup of tea is rung up on an antique cash register in a tiny market, while a waiter in a restaurant takes dinner orders with a hand held wireless device that beams instructions back to the kitchen so he never has to leave the dining area. We watch cable television on a hi-def flat screen television in our spacious hotel room but brush our teeth with bottled water. A futuristic fire truck looking a little like something out of the sci-fi movie Blade Runner blares past as a city worker methodically sweeps the sidewalk with a straw broom. (Thanks to Tom Griscom, editor of the Chattanooga Times, for planting that image prior to our coming to Beijing. Tom and his wife visited last spring and were also kind enough to let us borrow their Beijing City Guide, which has been a great resource).

One unique cultural difference: tipping is not the norm here. With the exception of the porters who carried our baggage to the room, no one else in the service or transportation industries expects a tip. For someone who travels a fair amount for business, that’s a little bit of a psychological adjustment to get used to. I suspect this will eventually change as tourism grows here and the workers who we have tipped have been greatly appreciative.

So, despite an unusual 60’s ethos and feeling slightly behind the times, it’s not difficult to envision China’s capital fast becoming one of the world’s most modern cities and easily eclipsing similar cities in many ways before the next decade is done.