Beijing: Fewer 'Floaters', Suddenly Feels More Like a *Real* Capital?
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I didn't expect my casual musings to resonate with so many people. This post is just to express my personal feelings about Beijing over the last 5 years. Since I'm not a 'Beijing drifter,' perhaps I can't quite relate as closely as some of you fellow netizens. Anyway, as the saying goes: Beijing welcomes you. Also, regarding the subway, my experiences mainly come from Lines 1, 5, 10, and 14. I hope everyone in the comments section can one day carve out their own success and become a true 'Jing Ye' (a proud Beijinger).
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Or a 'Jing Nai' (respected Beijing lady) – that works too!
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Honestly, on the subway, it feels like everyone is just slogging away, like beasts of burden. The only distinction seems to be between those who look a bit more 'refined' and those who resemble migrant workers. I don't get this vibe in other cities.
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Seriously, when I went to Wuhan over the May Day holiday, I noticed how young everyone on the subway looked and how they lacked that 'just-left-the-office' vibe.
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In my travel experience, Beijing is China's most fun big city, Hangzhou offers the most relaxed and comfortable visit, and Shanghai is the most novel and exciting.
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Of the cities I've traveled to, Beijing's subway is currently the most crowded.
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It just feels exceptionally crowded to me.
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Every time I spend one or two hours on the Beijing subway, I feel like I'm about to explode.
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Even small county towns have gotten noticeably more crowded this year.
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Line 10 is still super congested.
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For ordinary folks like us who hardly ever visit tourist attractions, we haven't really noticed much of a change.
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It's the 'reduction-oriented development' policy.