The rapid speed at which Beijing and many other Chinese cities are transforming is a well-known fact. Here is just one example brought to us by Michael:

When its doors opened in 1893, Rui Fu Xiang earned its reputation as one of the “original eight” Chinese department stores. An example of longevity and adaptation, the store with Qing Dynasty roots opened for business on a newly refurbished East Dashilan Street shortly before the Olympics began. Days before, the street didn’t exist. The old roads had been entirely excavated to make way for modern plumbing and wiring. In very Chinese fashion, it underwent a dramatic reconstruction in the proverbial blink of a Beijing eye.

Now Dashilan Street, which is adjacent to the historic and also recently renovated commerce center called Qianmen Street, caters to consumers with tastes for international brands and marketing strategies. Rui Fu Xiang still sells silk. Some suggest that the new Qianmen looks like something from Epcot Center. It is what China used to look like, in out imaginations.

There are two perspectives on the renovation of such storied parts of Beijing. One warns against the destruction or commercialization of historical landmarks. The other represents the adoption of strict urban planning and of modern commercial values by a more affluent and globalized Chinese citizenry. Both stories highlight the rapid transitions gripping China. Caught in the middle is a debate about authenticity, about how Beijing is to be simultaneously modernized and preserved.