Our first impressions were that Beijing had changed almost beyond recognition since our last visit in 1985. There has been an enormous development in terms of new buildings, new roads and availability of consumer goods and access to information. The airport is completely new and we left it in a taxi along a big motorway with flyovers. Fifteen years ago, the airport was little more than a shed and most of the travellers on the road were pedestrians and cyclists.

But amonst all this there are still the people cycling with heavy loads on bicycles, trailers and other contraptions. It seems a very mixed society. We walked to an area near the campus called Haidian which is renowned for it's computer shops, most of which are in a giant building with a sort of computer market inside. There are also many cafés including the internet sort. But on the way we passed through many narrow lanes of the old sort with little shops.

Another day, we took a bus to the nearest metro stop and then went by metro to an area near to Lake Xiha to see the hutongs - these are areas of traditional courtyard houses linked by lanes. Gong Wang Fu is a splendid courtyard house in the style of hutongs but with luxurious buildings constructed for Prince Gong.

Bookstall in Haidian selling computer books	Western and Chinese computer books on sale
Saturday morning shopping near the campus in Haidian
Macdonalds!	Shopping lane
Stall in lane	Cargo of charcoal
Haidain computer shop	Building site
The road to Haidian
Exercise park
Computer market	Inside the computer market
Outside Xizhimen station	Outside Xizhimen station, entrance to metro
In the metro station	in the metro station
inside the metro train	Xiha lake
Xiha lake
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In a hutong
Hutong with satellite aerial
	Fishing through the ice
Entrance to a hutong
	Gong Wang Fu