Zha Xi is a Tibetan migrant who moved to Beijing several years ago in search of better economic prospects. A Buddhist, he is part of a group of Tibetan migrants who sell Tibetan artifacts and Chinese propaganda posters in Beijing. The posters, which are copies of posters printed in the 1960s, proclaim various messages intended [...]
John, the top tout in Beijing’s tourist entertainment district Tout (n.) Someone who publicly solicits customers in a bold way. “Hello, want beer?” “Hi, this great bar! Come inside!” “Good drink here!” The calls grow louder and more intrusive as you progress down Beijing’s Sanlitun Bar Street, a cornucopia of gaudy facades, neon lights and [...]
Beijing street dancers Lang Xin Long (left) and Liu Hong Wei (right) 中文 Liu Hong Wei and Lang Xin Long are two young, aspiring dancers who have moved to Beijing with dreams of stardom. On weekend evenings, they can be often be spotted dancing at a busy intersection in the heart of the city’s entertainment [...]
Old Zhao in front of Propaganda nightclub in Wudaokou, Beijing 中文 “Old Zhao” is an elderly bearded beggar who spends his evenings working the streets of Wudaokou (五道口), in Beijing’s university district. After several years of plying his trade, Old Zhao, with the clinking of coins in his porcelain begging bowl, has become one of [...]
