A Month In: Everything I've Relived and Re-Loved About Beijing

Beijing has been my home for over a decade. It’s the city that witnessed everything from my chaotic childhood years where I learned how to wobble on my two left feet to my moody teens where I attended my first, and surprisingly underwhelming, soccer match at the Bird's Nest. It's also the city that I recently left behind for my studies abroad, though my Beijinger roots, just as my ever-present Beijing accent, seem to have faired just fine. Needless to say, I feel a sappy connection with this mass of concrete.

Just one month back into the colossal city, I've rediscovered a version of Beijing both reminiscent and foreign to the Beijing of my memories. For your convenience, I have condensed my discoveries into a nice and compressed list. Should you leave one day, perhaps these things will be what you come to miss about Beijing, too.

Beijing is big
The city is huge. Massive. Gargantuan. Okay, maybe not gargantuan, but it comes pretty close. The capital stretches well beyond what the eye can see and as an ignorant homebody of east Beijing, I had quite literally forgotten that Xicheng District existed. While this may be an ironically minuscule detail, the city’s sheer size comes in handy when "exploring the city" is the scheduled all-day activity.

There is no shortage of entertainment
With the internationally meme-able Madagascar the Musical, the domestic hit Nezha and more all gracing Beijing’s undefeatable things-to-do scene, you'll never be at loss for a weekend activity. 

Beijing is for the culture
The metropolis appears to be a haven for all genres of music. Even as someone who almost exclusively listens to pop music, I appreciate the efforts Beijingers have made to provide venues for smaller names. Additionally, the existence of numerous art exhibitions and strangely specific museums all serve to confirm that Beijing is willing to go the extra mile for the culture even when the cards don't always seem in its favor.

People are excited for Daxing
News of the incoming airport is everywhere. But what does it all mean? It means I’m banking on Daxing being the gamechanger that finally shortens my wait time at the Capital Airport, even if it will take longer to actually get to.

The city is constantly changing  
Beijing is at the forefront of development. New initiatives in transport, technology, and sustainability are frequently underway. Steps are also being taken to instill behavioral changes that may or may not reshape public conduct. While I have come to terms with the fact that the Beijing of today and of the future will no longer be the same city in which I spent my wee years, my inner romantic mourns the loss of Beijing's more nostalgic elements; among them, the tanghulu bicycle vendors and local landmarks that unfortunately did not survive the city's constricting conditions.  

First-tier city means first-tier food
If you’ve spent a year in another country where palatable cuisine is both expensive and a 30-minute walk away, you’d also relish the feeling of ordering waimai from a randomly suggested restaurant. 

Consumerism stops for no one
From the banal proliferation of cookie-cutter malls to the authorities indirectly authorizing sleep deprivation via its growing night economy, consumerism is alive and well in Beijing.

WeChat is as convenient as it is scary
The amount of data WeChat has on nearly a billion people is borderline dystopian. Knowing that, should I still be using the app? We won't talk about it... but it sure makes transactions easy.

Nothing beats a good jianbing
And I mean nothing.

READ: One Year in Beijing: Advice to My Former Self

Erica just completed a 1-month editorial internship here at the Beijinger. We're sad to see her go, and wish her the best of luck for her future studies! You can read more of her excellent work here. 
Interested in interning with us? Send an email to editor@thebeijinger.com for more info!

Images: Production Paradise, Unsplash