Beijing Skyscrappers

When we decided to move to Beijing, first thing that came into my mind is the ancient city. The traditional building on the Tiananmen Square where people used bicycle everywhere and all of that. Those imagination faded when I first landed in Beijing few weeks ago.

True we haven't yet visited Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall (they say autumn is the perfect season to go to the great wall). Nevertheless what we experienced in the last few weeks were beyond my imagination. One thing that is correct when people describe this city as huge, wide and massive. The street was really wide and just to go from one district to the other will take one day of your time. That how huge this city is. People. Yes, men and women, they are abundant, especially when you try to commute every morning and compete with them to get in the subway.

However, last weekend, we wandered to other part of the city, Guamao District the oldest business part, CBD (Central Business District). This section is full of skyscrappers, tall and huge buildings back to back. When we first saw these buildings, they're a little bit wow-ed us. It was like you expecting to see a traditional picture and come out and look at one modern urban city that tempted you to explore more.The more you see it, the more you want to get to know more.

CCTV Headquarters

One of them is the huge China Central Television Headquarters which was designed by Rem Koolhaas from Netherland. Believe me when I said, we just standing in front of it and stunned. What was that ??? It is difficult to explain whether you would compliment the building or anything else. Even the Chinese are undecided whether this building is a towering landmarks or lasting eyesores. One of the local newspaper wrote about this China new face architecture and said : 

"Is china a playground for international architects or an abused testing ground for bad design ? These Urban Gurus not only brought their cutting edge design here, but also brought the whole worlds attention to what can be built in China....but later raised doubts and reflections of whether the country was being misused as a testing ground for maverick projects."  

(Bad Boy Architects & China New Face, Liu Yujie, China Daily, Oct, 16, 2011)

 

 I love this pink building !!

Reignwood Tower

 

Huuwaa..enuff about the skyscrappers...not far from Guamao section there is a traditional market where the gate is exactly what I have in mind when I haven't got arrived here.Somehow I thought that all the architecture building in Beijing would look like or similarly have these kind of design...however..reality check wouldn't misleading you..

" Zaha Hadid, the world's foremost female architect drives it home when she compares China to 

"a perfect blank canvas" for architects with unlimited creation."

(Bad Boy Architects & China New Face, Liu Yujie, China Daily, Oct, 16, 2011)

Now, what have the Beijing urbane-ers do in their leisure times ? We went to the famous Sanlitun, shopping section and saw how packed the Apple store, most of the youngster used iphone or ipad almost everywhere...

apple store is packed with customers

However, you could enjoy all the festivities of weekend in this area, it's beautiful in its own bizarre way. Now I have to revise my description about Beijing whenever family and friends ask me, because in every way it is now becoming as a huge metropolitan city where you could find almost anything, anything beyond your imagination. However I will hold that revised description until I visit other part of Beijing that were labeled traditional...another trip to Forbidden city will do for that..until then...

 

Well, there it goes, and this is only the beginning of our own journey...will post another story on how I find this city surprising in every corner...meanwhile I must get back to my unpacking duties..and a plan to search for some furniture to decorate our new home...hope you have an exiting weekend too !! ciao !!