Beijing: Where the Streets Are Paved with People – Beijing, China, Asia

The Mauling of Beijing – not really
Beijing has been mauled by the hand of tourism and sprinkled liberally with the gold dust that accompanies MacDonald's, Starbucks and all the other icons of Western consumerism. To many, this has been the ruination of Beijing as a holiday destination. Certainly the labyrinth of the Forbidden City doesn't seem quite so mysterious when you can buy a frappachino in the heart of it. The exhilarating feeling of freedom and power when you reach the top of the Great Wall is marred slightly when accompanied by stall holders trying to sell you an ice cream or a coke. However, I firmly believe the sights we associate with Beijing are still worth doing, still unforgettable. Underneath the tourist trimmings, the buildings are beautiful, the scenery is breathtaking and capable of inspiring cliches.

Nothing could spoil the beauty of the Great Wall

A Hidden Buddist Temple
In Tiananmen Square, the Red Guard faces the crowds of tourists; their expressions fixed, their uniforms pristine. The opportunity to see this imposing humanised symbol of communism is too good to pass up, even if you don't want to explore the vast concrete square, or join the hordes of tourists at Mao's mausoleum. Beihai Park risks looking like Disneyland: swan shaped paddleboats fill the lake, making it an obvious tourist trap. Move 300 metres away from the lake, however, hidden in the forest at the centre of the park, is the best example of a Buddhist temple I have ever seen; a snow wide dome rising prominently from its roof.

Away from the Tourist Areas
Away from the tourist areas entirely, Beijing seems like another world. The city's street markets reek of spicy meat and freshly popped corn. Brightly coloured blankets cover almost every available surface as people busy themselves with their shopping. Turquoise and orange Mongolian beads are laid out next to battered books. Hand-embroidered silks jostle for space with a rainbow of spices. Fish and meat is chosen fresh. You can either have it killed on site, or kill it yourself when you get home. Wherever you wander, you are followed by the eager and the curious calling to you in beautiful Chinese tones, or pigeon English.

Much like home, the subway is cram-packed with tourists, commuters, school children and busy shoppers. Unlike home, the trains run on time. The Chinese rarely queue, preferring to gather in crowds; a disorganised cacophony. This can make even buying a bottle of water an exciting and chaotic experience.

People bustling through the city

Beijingers – Essence of Beijing
Ask any importer or savvy businessman and you will be told that in China the streets are paved with gold. This would explain why the country is becoming such a desirable destination for luxury tourists. When I was in Beijing, though, I couldn't see the paving slabs to check this out; the streets were paved with people. If you could escape the pagodas or the bicycles, you couldn't forget you were in Beijing. Its inhabitants simply wouldn't let you. In the taxis that zigzag the city with one hand constantly on the horn, or the buses crammed so tightly you wonder how they breathe and forming crowds in the street, the Beijingers are the essence of Beijing.

Not Utopia – but
Of course, China isn't a fairytale Utopia where people shop or eat all day: discrimination on the grounds of creed, race, wealth, probably even shoe size occurs everyday, just as it does in all countries of the world. More than 100,000 Chinese people march and protest every year against oppression, wages and public service frequency. I choose to celebrate these public protests: as little as 30 years ago, people would have been imprisoned, tortured, even shot on sight. China doesn't shoot its protesters any more: it isn't a newsworthy headline, it is dramatic progress.

Beijing: home to people, pandas and pagodas

Look from any window of any building in the city, you will see the construction of another housing, office buildings, even Wal-Mart superstores. When the world's eye is upon it in 2008, China wants us to be impressed. I suspect we will be.

Why I Went – What I Found
I went to Beijing in search of evidence of communist oppression, a cheap iPod and a conical bamboo hat. What I found was a nation modernising at an unstoppable rate, capable of competing on a stage dominated by the West, still maintaining the Oriental mystery of its roots. I discovered a city more than worth blowing your travel budget to see. In case you're wondering, I also bought a cheap music player and the hat.

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