'The soul of the city cannot be planned'

By Michael Kahn-Ackermann
0 CommentsPrint E-mail China.org.cn, April 2, 2011
Adjust font size:

"In 1987, Beijing was known for its taxis. The trumpet of the taxis and its exhaust filled the streets. New slab-type buildings were constructed and foreigners were no longer special 'exhibits on display.' I could still have the sense of being an 'outsider.' But the feel was no longer that obvious. Beijing was no longer exclusively for Beijing natives. It was also for the outsiders. Artists, poets, philosophers, or simply living artists emerged in the city. These artists were independent, sometimes subjected to some discrimination. But the discrimination was within a tolerable scope. Girls were becoming more open. They bought imitation products of the world's luxury brands at a relatively lower price. The city is no longer quiet. And its paces are accelerating. Beijing was full of expectation of new things. The opening of the first McDonald's on Wangfujing Street was a sensational event at that time.

"In 2006, Beijing was known for its notorious traffic jams. Beijing was developing into an international metropolis. People in Beijing are exhausted by the fast pace of life and the environmental pollution. Shopping malls, McDonald's, coffee shops can be seen everywhere in the city. Instead of drinking instant coffee, people began to enjoy freshly ground coffee. Girls still wear luxury clothing. The difference is they no longer wear fake designer clothing but genuine ones.

"…[A] city needs planning and control, especially cities like Beijing. Beijing is under great pressure from population growth and real estate speculation. However, the soul of a city cannot be planned. You should leave room for the soul of the city to develop. A small investment or a little room can make imagination take root. A city without free space to develop, or an over-planned and over-controlled city, can be really fashionable, but it will have no soul."

(The speech was delivered in Chinese and was edited and translated by Li Huiru.)

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

   Previous   1   2  


Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comments

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter
主站蜘蛛池模板: 免费福利在线观看| a级毛片免费观看在线播放| 最近新免费韩国视频资源| 亚洲美女又黄又爽在线观看 | 久草视频在线资源| 欧美成人午夜影院| 亚洲综合伊人制服丝袜美腿| 粉嫩小泬无遮挡久久久久久| 啊轻点灬大ji巴黑人太粗 | 久久一区二区三区99| 日韩在线视频第一页| 亚洲av一本岛在线播放| 欧美午夜在线播放| 亚洲欧美另类第一页| bwbwbwbwbwbw精彩| 影音先锋男人天堂| 中文字幕丝袜制服| 日本一卡2卡3卡4卡无卡免费 | 欧美V国产V亚洲V日韩九九| 亚洲女初尝黑人巨高清| 正在播放高级会所丰满女技师| 人人公开免费超级碰碰碰视频 | 加勒比色综合久久久久久久久 | 亚洲国产精品成人午夜在线观看| 污视频免费网站| 亚洲综合无码一区二区| 猛男强攻变骚受| 伊人久久大香网| 白丝美女被羞羞视频| 全部免费a级毛片| 精品国产v无码大片在线观看| 可以免费看污视频的网站| 老王666天堂网站| 国产一区内射最近更新| 草莓视频黄瓜视频| 国产人妖ts丝丝magnet| 豆国产96在线|亚洲| 国产高潮视频在线观看| 99国产在线播放| 在线免费观看污污视频| 三级国产三级在线|