On Wednesday afternoon I landed back in Beijing, after being away for 5 months. I’ll be in town for a month, connecting with people and working on a couple of projects. I must admit that it was strange to arrive without having an apartment of my own to go to. Never mind; thanks to the generosity of friends, I am not homeless.
Yesterday was a glorious spring day in The Jing, so I got out and walked around the old ‘hood. As is always the case in China, things have changed a lot. All the trees have been chopped down along one street which is apparently being widened. A 3-story mound of dirt marks the spot where our beloved “Green Umbrellas” restaurant used to be. And the plaza where the pensioners dance every evening is now housing for migrant construction workers.
The biggest change, though is the opening of a subway line. For years, we on the far west side of town had no easy access to the subway system, but that all changed in December, with the opening of Line 6, and the extension of Line 10. No more long bus rides or expensive cab fares to get out of the area.
Pretty exciting, until this morning I stumbled across a photo essay on the China Daily website about the Beijing subway system, and was reminded of how crowded they are.
Line 6, here we come!!!
Image source: China Daily
Hi Joann,
I’m Janet’s friend from Berean that you met and gave me GREAT tips on going to China. We’re back it was a great adventure!
I took lots of pictures but missed the one of what it was actually like on the subway. I hope you don’t mind but I borrowed your picture here and added it to the album I created of our trip. Awwww such memories!
Thank you, Thank you!
Take Care!
Shirley Steinbarger
Hi Shirley,
I’m glad to hear that you had a great trip to China. That photo is from The China Daily. Wish I had taken it myself.
The Green Umbrellas Restaurant is GONE??!!! This is sad news. Hopefully they just moved (??) elsewhere? Maybe they got other umbrellas???
Unfortunately, they went back to their hometowns for rest.