Betty has travelled to Beijing several times since 1980, and this is how she has seen the city change.
The Great Wall | |
Then Visiting the Great Wall at Badaling on my first trip, I ran into only a few tourists from local Chinese tour buses. Years later, to avoid the crowds at Badaling, I went to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. My six-year-old son was so excited that he said, “Every step is enjoyable!” | Now Most tourists still see the Great Wall at Badaling, but a great many come to Mutianyu now. Many hikers like to visit the Great Wall at Jiankou for the beautiful sights. There are no cable cars (缆车) and often even no steps. |
Shopping | |
Then In the 1980s, tourists used foreign exchange certificates and the Chinese people used renminbi. Credit cards (信用卡) were not widely used. We visited the Beijing Department Store (opened in 1955). And it was on the street, Wangfujing. Everything in it was very cheap and made in China. | Now People can pay in many new ways such as Alipay (支付宝) and Wechat Pay. Also, credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. Now Wangfujing is a famous street where people can buy all kinds of things. The Beijing Department Store is still there. Goods are cheap. The store is bigger now. |
