Beijing Then and Now: Chloe Harris

For our October Issue, we invited local personalities to recreate photographs that inspired fond memories. Here are the stories behind those snapshots and those Beijingers, in their own words.

Chloe Harris, Tiananmen Square, 1990

Chloe Harris, Tiananmen Square, 2011

What has changed for you? I now have a younger sister, Immy, who I live with here in Beijing. I've lived in Beijing for three years now, with no plans to leave any time soon. I got engaged to Nick Banks in Jingshan Park, which overlooks the whole of Beijing and we're planning to get married in Beijing next year.

What has changed in the city? Mao's Mausoleum in Tiananmen Square may be one of the only things that has stayed the same, with massive change and economic growth happening all around it. One of the most striking changes to me is the ever growing rich-poor divide in Chinese society.

Anything else you'd like to add? I have wanted to live in China for as long as I can remember, probably sparked by growing up in Asia and first coming to Beijing when I was that small. I have a great community here, and I love living in this city.

Click here to see the October issue of the Beijinger in full.