According to the official survey, Beijing has the world's second longest (after Shanghai) subway track line and simultaneously the planet's highest daily ridership subway system, allowing almost 9 million people daily to enjoy the blessings of the technological progress! What is equally important, not too many of the world's greatest metropolitan areas stand any chance in comparison with Chinese cities when it comes to the scale and scope of infrastructural projects. What in even most developed countries took sometimes a century in Beijing was largely accomplished within 20 year period, when the two up to date existing lines were significantly extended and new connections added.
As the city sprawls through a seemingly never ending, ever expanding area, while residing in Beijing you need to get used to occasionally spending as much as 2 hours in subway when traveling one way. I can't even imagine how the life in Beijing looked like before the advent of a subway, as even despite the increasingly strict traffic limitation the city is marred by the phantom of traffic jams and air pollution. What is more, the city administration considers toughening existing (generally speaking already strict ) regulations, introducing policies further restricting the use of private cars resembling policies adopted in many of the world's biggest cities (for instance London). As a matter of fact, it seems that the further development of the urban transportation system is to a large extent dependent upon the improvement of suburban and urban railway and bus systems.
EVOLUTION OF BEIJING SUBWAY SYSTEM:
After protracted analysis of even more ambitious plans for the future, one can certainly say "China is the new US" when it comes to the scope of its infrastructural projects and doubtlessly the world's best work market if you are an engineer. In the next decade or so, every provincial level city in China is about to get a way more extensive subway system than most of the European capitals or the vast majority of the other developed countries major cities. Not to mention that already extensive subway system in Beijing will get a few hundred kilometers more of tracks. In the face of that, it's hardly sensible to say that China is challenging the old way in which the issue of transportation was perceived, but rather it's ahead of the times, therefore, putting an altogether new lens through which the question of the public transportation is perceived.
These problems are easily noticeable and painfully felt in everyday life. Sometimes travel by subway resembles a journey through the very heart of all the seven hells of Dante's. I have never in my life experienced anything comparable to travelling by metro in Beijing around 6 p.m., as sometimes there is hardly any more space on the train! To add to the daily struggles, unfortunately, Beijing subway is also often characterized by a challenge to get off, typical for many Asian countries as people waiting at the platform are often too impatient to let the other passengers leave the train, which often literally leaves you no other choice, but to fight your way out!
Despite at times grim scenes accompanying travelling by the means of public transportation in Beijing, there are many positive sides of the city's subway system. One of the brighter aspects of them are children. "Mom, mom, foreigner", sometimes whispered, at other times almost shouted in astonishment can brighten up even the gloomiest day. Especially, if the occasion is favorable for a conversation. Once, I've had a chance to overhear a conversation in Chinese between a boy, most likely around 8 years old and his mother: "Mom there is a foreigner there. I would like to talk to him". Noticing the smile on my face, his mother encouraged him to actually speak to me. However, exhibiting shyness common to some children of his age, he seemed to be a bit reluctant. Finally, I've decided to make the first step and I definitely don't regret that. We've only had some basic conversation, but you can't imagine how happy it made the boy.
Another peculiarity of Beijing's subway system is its simplicity. I clearly remember how on my first subway ride in Beijing I had absolutely no problems whatsoever with finding the way to get to the Tiananmen Square, even though I was totally unfamiliar with Chinese language at that time and I had to transfer some three times. Moreover, many of the stations, exhibit very interesting motifs directly representing the rich cultural heritage of China with themes ranging from the Peking opera to politics.
 To sum up, impressive as the development of the subway system in Beijing has been, the process brings into the forefront some essential problems, as it seems that no matter how enhanced or improved, the public transportation system will always be deemed insufficient in a city of Beijing's size, but does there exist any truly efficient way to satisfy the needs of the city's urban communication requirements? Double decked subways? Twice as long carriages, or 40 more subway lines? Whichever the solution (if any), undoubtedly the future of Beijing's public transportation will influence the way people view and deal with this issue globally. | ||||
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Showing posts with label Beijing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beijing. Show all posts
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Beijing subway: how to manage public transportation system in an efficient way?
Sunday, January 15, 2017
WHERE BUDDHA SIDES WITH MAO
Among thousands of sites particularly interesting to foreigners that
Beijing has to offer, one definitely deserves attention and is mainly popular
among single day or “weekend tourists”, when at the same time many expats permanently
residing here are not even aware of its existence. The place I want to briefly
introduce in today’s post is the Panjiayuan Antique Market located in the
vicinity of Beijing Subway Line 10’s Panjiayuan station.
According to some of the banners proudly stretched at the site it is
supposedly the biggest antique market in the whole of China. From rather humble
and spontaneous beginnings in the 80’s the place has grown to impressive size
and presently houses about 10 thousand sellers of various antiquities. All in
all, Panjiayuan is also reminiscent of the exceptionally troubled history of
China, where after many an ideological battle has been fought, nowadays statues
of Buddha and Confucius literally side with the ones representing Chairman Mao.
Judging from the expressions artfully carved on the faces of the aforementioned
statues, they seem not to hold any hard feelings against each other. In fact,
the mysterious smile hiding at the corners of their mouths indicates their absolute
ignorance of the utterly earthly and therefore petty affairs of the past. Not
less surprisingly, at some of the market’s countless stalls, Chinese version of
the Bible can be seen lying peacefully in the vicinity of the Red Book, both
preaching their own truths and both still meeting with considerable appeal and
reverence.
Impressive as the marketplace is, don’t get yourself fooled, for apart
from some telephones, gramophones, statuettes of Mao, and books, all seemingly
belonging to the bygone ages you are not likely to find many ancient things
here. Most of the so called “antiques” sold are, so to speak, “factory” new and
for the most part, local peddlers don’t even try to pretend that it’s otherwise.
Even with this in mind, the place is still extraordinary and showcases an
exceptional variety of goods resembling almost a mythical richness of Chinese
material culture. To shed some light on it, try to imagine 50 stalls situated next
to each other, selling exactly the same product, while none of them faces
difficulty finding customers!!! That’s precisely how it works with majority of
the “antiques” being sold at Panjiayuan.
Examples of some interesting things to buy and see include:
traditional Chinese calligraphy and paintings (they are by no means old, but no
less interesting because of that), jewelry, pottery, old food coupons and tickets,
incense sticks, gramophones, statues and statuettes of Mao, Buddha and various characters
related to rich Chinese mythology, ancient style furniture and lamps, and
anything else that you may need if you want to give your place a slightly more
oriental touch.
Apart from visiting the main hall it’s really worth to devote some of
your time to the task of discovering numerous back alleys, as rather hidden
from the spotlight there also exists some old school outdoors place full of
makeshift stalls offering staunchly communist propaganda posters and books, where
enjoying the sounds of the accordion played by a man who quite likely
experienced the times of Chairman Mao himself, you can observe new and old
China influencing each other for instance in the form of posters of Mao and Xi Jinping which are often displayed next to each other – some of the booths actually putting the latter in the
most exposed place. Symbolical triumph of the future over the troubled past?
Don’t be surprised if some of the sellers try to cheat you, initially
offering their goods at exorbitant prices. That’s how it generally works with
tourists in Asia. If despite your wearisome attempts the seller isn’t in the
least willing to substantially reduce the price, you can always proceed to the
next stand, as there is an incredible abundance of them offering most often
highly similar products, so it shouldn’t take too many efforts to save some of
your hard won RMBs. Prices generally vary depending on what you intend to buy,
but as a rule I can safely say that you can get most of the goods for 30% of
the price initially disclosed to you.
The only real downside to the place is the fact that there is no on
site way to examine the authenticity of the goods displayed, no certification
system or services of experts in the field.
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