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Get a second look at Beijing and fall in love

By Jamal Nasser (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-15 10:33

Once upon a time, when mobile phones were rare, I made my first landing in Beijing and was not sure what I would find. I had imagined rice fields, Kungfu warriors and millions on bicycles.

My assumptions were shattered when, upon my arrival, I saw the hustle and bustle, a remarkable energy that flows throughout the circular veins of a city that has the modern and the ancient seamlessly intermingled.

In my touristy amazement, standing on a flyover, I stood watching the flow of a seemingly endless traffic snake.

Next day, my friend took me to the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. This was how Beijing and I first met.

But is that it? Is Beijing only about tourist locations, the Peking Duck and other tourist-friendly novelties? I certainly don't think so.

In James McGregor's One Billion Customers, an expat is quoted as saying: "Every day in China you see things you don't see everyday." And this is exactly my sentiment, albeit for Beijing. But my sentiment also calls for a fresh approach: dropping and breaking your daily habits and assumptions so you can discover the hidden gems that make Beijing as special as I think it is. This can be achieved by regularly exploring places you've been to, and by engaging in small talks with locals.

For instance, I went to 798 Art Zone in Dashanzi once - back then it was interesting and refreshing to see Chinese creativity at work. Accordingly, I decided to revisit the zone again, this time with my camera. In one of my random explorations that day, I found Miss Rose, who owns a gift shop on 798 West Street; besides gifts and other artifacts, she also sells roosters and no common roosters at that.

She said the resident rooster, Xiao Pang, which means the little, fat one, was priced at 3,000 yuan and had already been sold. What makes Xiao Pang special, she cheerfully added, was that it is a rooster-dog-eagle creature - you can take it out for a walk, it will follow you, and you can also perch it on your hand.

On one of my recent excursions, taking a break from the glitter and rush, I went to Chaoyang Park, a proper escape that is neither time-consuming nor expensive (5-yuan entry). The breath-taking scenery right smack in the middle of Beijing's richest and busiest of districts enthralled me with its lush greens and comforting shades. And, as I was busy shooting photos right and left, I met the park's watering guy.

I cheerfully greeted him in Mandarin and he responded. In our small talk, he told me that his surname, Cheng, also means success (cheng gong). I could not help but wonder at the tenacity and optimism of that statement, which is one way to understand China's collective attitude.

Other cities in China have their merits for sure, but for me, Beijing is where my heart beats at an agreeable tempo. When I am tired of Wudaokou, I head to the magic hutong, and when I have had enough hutong for a while, I wander over to touristy Wangfujing or glamorous Xidan. When that optimism rubs off, I just go where my heart points.

This city continues to fascinate me and I am not the only one with this opinion. Ask yourself why more and more foreigners are willing to adopt Beijing as their new home. At least, for those of us who are brave enough to disturb the status quo of their comfort zones, the answer does not seem a logical impossibility.