"Beijing - Dynamic capital of China" a Beijing Travel Page by MickeH

After visiting Beijing I can honestly say that it is a city unlike any other I have ever been to.

For such a large city, around 14 million people, it is surprisingly relaxed and easy going. People seem much less stressed than even in small Gothenburg where I live. I just loved it!

Right now Beijing is a work in progress as it is getting ready to host the 2008 olympics and much of old Beijing is demolished to make way for the new (and improved?).
Hutongs are torn down and skyscrapes pop into existence in their place.

I read in my guidebook that there are over 2000 skyscrapes under construction in Beijing. And while I am sure Beijing needs to move forward I do hope they would save more of the old Beijing and it's hutongs.

The way Beijing and it's people work can best be described by taking a look at it's traffic I think.

A first look reveals a chaos of honking horns and disregard for pedestrians and lanes and most things that make traffic in sweden, for example, work.

But at a closer look you can see that it all works. The speeds are not that high and allow for a certain bending of the rules. The honking horns are not the "hey, get out of my way!" of western drivers, but more a way of letting others know you are coming and what you are about to do.
Or sometimes they are simply greetings, one driver to another.

And it's not the angry stressed drivers of the west that tend to have the mentality that it's "me against the rest" in traffic. It's more of a relaxed "we are all in this together" kind of driving on the streets of Beijing.

And I think this apply to more then traffic as I said. It reflects the psyke of the people. A relaxed and friendly people.