When its doors opened in 1893, Rui Fu Xiang earned its reputation as one of the “original eight” Chinese department stores. An example of longevity and adaptation, the store with Qing Dynasty roots opened for business on a newly refurbished East Dashilan Street shortly before the Olympics began. Days before, the street didn’t exist. Which is to say, the old road had been entirely excavated to make way for modern plumbing and wiring. In very Chinese fashion, it underwent a dramatic reconstruction in the proverbial blink of a Beijing eye.
Now the street, which is adjacent to the historic and also recently renovated commerce center called Qianmen Street, caters to consumers with tastes for international brands and marketing strategies. Rui Fu Xiang still sells silk. Some suggest that the new Qianmen looks like something from Epcot Center. It is what China used to look like, in our imaginations.
There are two perspectives on the renovation of such storied parts of Beijing. One warns against the destruction or commodification of historical landmarks. The other represents the adoption of strict urban planning and of modern commercial values by a more affluent and globalized Chinese citizenry. Both stories highlight the rapid transitions gripping China. Caught in the middle is a debate about authenticity, about how Beijing is to be simultaneously modernized and preserved.
China was once famous for its exports of exquisite porcelain. It was a niche in a former global system. Now China is infamous for plastics, clothing and disposables. As manifestations of a global economy, are they any less authentic? Some westerners who arrive hoping to see the authentic China, the old China, are disappointed. We would rather see the crumbling section of the Great Wall than those that have been rebuilt. Perhaps part of the disconnect stems from China’s long history and the expectation of something correspondingly organic. We wonder how entire neighborhoods of quaint, ancient Chinese flats could be leveled in favor of gray high-rise apartment buildings. Why renovate and repaint ancient temples? Doesn’t that ruin the authentic nature of the monument?
Still, nothing changes the fact that in a city of 16 million people, single story housing without plumbing is impractical and undesirable. Outsiders can no more suggest that ancient temples should be left in disrepair than desire to see the Statue of Liberty corrode or the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel chip away. While malls in China look, frankly, a lot like the ones in American, they are ultimately expressions of transforming culture. Outdoor shopping streets like Qianmen are being revitalized in the U.S. as well. Among the vibrant expatriate community in Beijing, there is a sense that tricycle rickshaws are a mode of transportation reserved for the other foreigners, the tourists. The reality is that there are far more Chinese riding in rickshaws (many of which have adopted the modern technology of electric tricycles) than foreigners. And while tricycle rickshaws are fewer in number than they once were, the drivers still make a living by pedaling.
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