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Beijing Street Scenes

Okay, they're grey and dirty, and at night they set your spider sense tingling, but first impressions can be misleading. The alleys (hutong) in Beijing are as interesting as the Emperor's old haunts. Little pockets of colour lurk in the grey expanse in the form of brightly coloured spices, fruits and silks. And the streets are alive with commerce, giving one a feel for what the Middle Ages must have been like--or at least what they would have been like if there were lots of bicycles.

 

A rickshaw driver

 

A fruit stand in a hutong

 

Bikes are the main transport in the streets and alleys--everything from coal to toilet paper is carried on them. This 'trucker' is on the backhaul.

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