The New Beijing 3.0: Razing to Build The New Beijing 3.0: Razing to Build

Dongzhimen; Beijing, China
I am on the 12th Fl of Pop Moma - one of BJ's new high rise high living apts - which are built on top of hundreds of years old hu tongs that were torn down. WE are facing south and in a few months this whole view will drastically change- on my right I am pointing out all the hu tongs and low level building that will be torn down to build new high rise apt complexes. On my very left, I am pointing out the site of what will become the new exclusive swimming pool gymnasium, and to the right of that on the iced-over water channel - will be a newly constructed lake that requires the hu tongs to the right of it to also be torn down. in the middle of all this will be a new subway stop on one of the 6 new subways lines that will be built by 2008. The little road below will also be turned into a direct expressway to the airport. Right now this is a relatively quiet area - only bus #18 comes directly here and the Dongzhimen subway stop on the 2 line and bus #117 that is 15min walk are the next closest public trans stop. Beijing 1.0 was about building walls, 2.0 was about tearing down the walls, 3.0 is about razing neighborhoods to build new self-contained high rise cities.