Beijing
Tiange Chen
The grass and trees next to my house appeared in my dream again. I miss the long-gone serenity of my city. Every time I go back to Beijing, my childhood memories are increasingIy lost in the hustle and bustle of new construction. Constant demolition and construction renew Beijing’s glamour, yet it is becoming more and more difficult to recognize my hometown.
The memoire, Beijing, explores the notion of home as both a physical place and a memory. Composed of archival materials ranging from newspapers to maps, this book reviews the social, political, and physical changes of Beijing over the span of twenty-one years alongside my memories. It is memorabilia and memory, collective narrative and personal experience.
The story of Beijing is, ultimately, everyone’s story — one of a home that’s always changing, yet remains timeless.