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一清博媒帝国·English

Title: Dreams on Wheels

发表于 2009-02-21 22:38:34 类别：30 Years

Section: 30 Years

Title: Dreams on Wheels

Byline: Yi Qing  

Translated by Ginger Huang

   The term San Da Jian (“three big items”), invented in an age of consumer product scarcity, standing for the three most wanted necessities in every household, has meant different things for every generation. However, regardless of its definition, the vehicle has never been left out, escalating every 10 years: at first the bicycle, then the motorcycle, and now the automobile. 30 years after China’s reform and opening-up, its citizen’s “Dreams on Wheels” are being fulfilled. And yet, they seem to be returning to the beginning – bicycles are again becoming the apple of their eyes.

        

   A rural boy, three decades ago, would dream of owning a bicycle of one’s own, disappearing in a flash into the street like an urban youth should. But this is still a dream on many pillows.     

The age of Phoenix bicycles, a brand that represented respectability and status.

 
In the beginning of China’s reform and opening-up, a car is such a marvel that it became a trend for young women to photograph themselves standing in front of them. At that point, they couldn't dream of riding in or owning a car: it was simply too unreal.

 
That was when motorcycles were imported to Guangzhou, the first city in China to open up. Though still two-wheeled, its bolt-like speed made its rider feel like they had wings. The motorcycle never failed to attract many an envious glance, as it roared past the sidewalk.

 
Ten years after its first appearance, the motorcycle fell out of the spotlight. Now it is what it is—a vehicle. The two young men are locksmiths in Changping District, Beijing, one with bike and one with motorcycle. They hope that with a few more years of hard-work they could afford to drive themselves to work, in a car.

The Chinese dream of automobile began when this northern man, Lu Zhiming, envisioned his four-wheel drive in front of the jeep.

 

 
Decades of a flourishing economy have pushed the automobile dream into the reach of ordinary Chinese people. The girl who had carefully leaned against 18-91384 and dared not to dream of her own car, can drive herself to work.

The bicycle repairman finds his business has entered tough times.

 

This photo belongs to a girl born in 1986; it was taken by her father when she was two years old. This is when her dream of automobile began. Now a member of the army of Bei Piao ( “the Beijing drifter”, usually referring to the young people migrated to Beijing to work), she told me that she was about to buy a real car: “I can already afford three of the four wheels!”.

 
In this yard is parked a tricycle kart and a sedan. Tian, their owner, though camera shy, revealed a bigger truth through his smile: “I’m never going to separate my two vehicles. They are forever together. I treasure them both.” Mr. Tian said it took 15 years of wheel evolution to make this come possible to Tian.

But the Chinese dream doesn't stop just there. With the prevalence of environmentalism and physical fitness, the aspiration toward the “four-wheel” has now returned, once again, to the “two-wheel”.

Life goes on and new dream begins. The girl on the left is helping her grandmother put the grocery into their bicycle basket on a chilly Beijing morning. I have no idea what kind of dream this generation is going to start, but it surely is going to be more fulfilled than ours.

 

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Yi Qing is a writer and world traveler. As a freelancer, he has worked in drastically different fields as ranging from publishing, investment, film, drama, to news commentator.

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