In 1860, a Chinese functionary (公职人员)in Paris saw something that no Chinese had ever seen before: "On avenues, people ride on a vehicle with only two wheels which are held together by a pipe. They dash along like galloping(飞驰的)horses. " This strange vehicle was, of course, a bicycle. One hundred years later, Chinese by the millions would be riding like "galloping horses" and the country would be known as the "Bicycle Kingdom".
Things change, however. As China has gotten richer, "car culture" has replaced "bicycle culture". In the 1990s, there were 670 million bicycles in China. Today, there are only 120 million, but efforts are being made to get people back on their bikes in order to improve their health and the environment.
Beijing has built a 6. 5-kilometer "bicycle highway" so that riders won't have to deal with the dangers of riding on car-crowded city streets. And Zhejiang province plans to build 10,000 kilometers of "green cycle paths" for commuters. Shanghai is trying to make bike riding more popular by having an annual Tour de France Shanghai competition with professional riders from around the world.
I have always thought of bicycles as personal freedom vehicles. The Chinese word zixingche does carry that meaning. You can go anywhere you want to, whenever you want to. You don't have to buy gas or charge the battery. You don't have to wait for the bus or ask your parents for a ride in the car. You just get on your bike and go. And, as you pedal along lovely tree-lined streets, you can feel your body working and getting stronger and healthier.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause concern, I'm looking forward to the reemergence(重现)of China's cycling scene, as a means of recreation(娱乐；消遣). People hop on bikes in the wind, not to get to and from work, but just to hang out around town, especially on a clear spring or autumn afternoon.
