What are the Beijingers like

Author: Liu Xiaochun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: At present, the differences that arise from certain historical, traditional, and regional reasons have not completely disappeared. As a group with a certain regional meaning, Beijingers indeed have their relatively independent characteristics. Therefore, the anatomical analysis of Beijingers is necessarily meaningful—regardless of how difficult it may be. The author strives to comprehensively grasp Beijingers by referencing history and reality, focusing more on deep culture and historical changes, and emphasizing the influence and shaping of Beijing's unique historical status on its people. As a city, Beijing, like all other cities in the country and even the world, has its relatively independent regional features and cultural traditions. As the capital of a country, these differences or distinctions carry a fundamental nature. Unlike the differences between any other cities, Beijing's status as the national capital for centuries has long made its characteristics transcend the limitations of region and culture—it is unique and representative. Many of Beijing's characteristics are a concentration of features from all over the country, and in some aspects, they can even be said to embody the characteristics of the entire Chinese nation. Therefore, Beijing's "locality" is not prominent; it is comprehensive and complex. This cultural diversity is reflected in almost every aspect. For example, Beijing's magnificent architecture is difficult to attribute to a specific region, ethnicity, or style. Some traditional elements are also hard to classify into any particular cultural circle or specific school. Take language, for instance; it should be highly regional in nature, but even the original "Beijing dialect" included vocabulary from Mongolian and Manchu, and even intermingled with certain southern dialects.
Beijing has always been an immigrant city, and its population composition has always been dynamic. Setting aside the distant past, from the Yuan Dynasty's capital to the Ming Dynasty's relocation, from the Manchus' entry into the capital to the Communist Party's arrival, the changes in Beijing's population structure have often been fundamental. Since the reform and opening-up, this has been even more evident. Today, as Beijing advances toward becoming an international metropolis, the concept of a "Beijinger" has taken on a completely new meaning. Due to the aforementioned reasons, grasping Beijing and its people as a whole is relatively difficult. At present, the differences arising from certain historical, traditional, and regional reasons have not completely disappeared, and Beijingers, as a group with a certain regional meaning, still have their relatively independent characteristics. Therefore, the anatomical analysis of Beijingers is necessarily meaningful—regardless of how difficult it may be.
There have been many discussions and analyses about Beijing and its people. Many experts and scholars have offered exceptionally insightful analyses. Figures like Lu Xun, Xiao Qian, Lao She, Shen Congwen, and Liang Shiqiu, as well as contemporary writers like Deng Youmei, Wang Zengqi, and Wang Anyi, have provided particularly detailed accounts. However, these discussions or analyses, though authoritative and guiding, are generally focused and relatively fragmented. Comprehensively grasping Beijing and its people from historical, cultural, and social change perspectives remains a major topic to this day. What Kind of People Are Beijingers? aims to comprehensively grasp Beijingers by referencing history and the present. What sets this book apart from others is its focus on deep culture and historical changes, with a particular emphasis on exploring the unique historical status of Beijing and its influence on its people. It must be noted that as a personal perspective, the book has its value; however, on the other hand, since this is a broad topic involving many cultural aspects of our nation and country, we believe that this work has many points that warrant further discussion in terms of both viewpoints and methodology. This is also why we adopt a supportive yet reserved attitude.
Additionally, as a "native" Beijinger, the author consciously or unconsciously expresses a sense of regional pride and superiority in the book. We have adopted a relatively tolerant attitude toward this. After all, such pride or superiority has long existed among people of all levels in almost every region and area. The affection or preference for one's own place or city can sometimes be very subtle—and thus difficult to critique rationally—but perhaps it unintentionally reveals another form of local loyalty. In conclusion, as an attempt, we believe the author's efforts are commendable. At the same time, some of the viewpoints in the book are relatively rational and objective, and they are very helpful for understanding Beijingers. We hope that this discussion or research can go even deeper. Because Beijing and its people are increasingly entering the world; self-awareness, analysis, self-examination, and reflection will inevitably contribute to continuous improvement. We believe that as a modern metropolis, Beijing will be even better and more beautiful tomorrow, and Beijingers will undoubtedly become more civilized and capable, worthy of the title of citizens of the capital.