The Story of What Beijing Could Have Been

Beijing is set to experience significant changes over the next few years, changes that haven’t been seen since preparation for the Olympics whipped the city into shape nearly 10 years ago.

By the end of 2017, the municipal government of Beijing will move to the suburban satellite town of Tongzhou in the hope of integrating the city with nearby Tianjin and the surrounding area currently part of Hebei province into a massive metropolitan center known as Jing-Jin-Ji. Ultimately, this new megalopolis will be home to 80 million people, roughly the same as Germany’s current population.

The reasons are many: A desire to alleviate crowding and traffic in the city center; concern over escalating and unstable real estate prices; and of course ongoing worries about the environmental problems associated with Beijing’s skyrocketing growth as an urban space. While it is certainly time for the Beijing Municipal Government to resolve some of these issues, it’s worth remembering the two men who sounded the alarm a long time ago. In fact, these two architects, Liang Sicheng and Chen Zhanxiang, not only predicted the modern fate of Beijing but had a plan that, if implemented, may have avoided these problems while also preserving the architectural heritage of the capital.

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This article first appeared in our magazine. Read the rest of the Beijinger September/October issue here.

On another note, tickets are now on sale for our October 15-16 Pizza Fest at the Zaha Hadid-designed Wangjing SOHO. Tickets are limited so buy ahead to make sure you don't miss out! Click here to purchase.