CHAOYANG - Living Abroad in Beijing - page 426

Yao Ming is rumored to have an apartment here. Most expats, however, prefer to take a step
back and live in one of the nearby communities.
A 15-minute walk or one stop south on Line 10 is the area of Shuangjing. It's an in-
teresting place, and has a rich blend of both expats and white-collar Chinese. It lacks the
warm friendliness of places like Dongzhimen, or really anywhere older Chinese apartments
remain. Shuangjing is full of new money and b ā línghòu ( 八零后 ), the term given to the
generation of post-1980, after the one-child policy was introduced. Young people come and
go to work each day with little time or interest to chat, while grandparents commune in the
compound gardens below to look after grandchildren. Basic shopping is extremely easy in
Shuangjing. A large Carrefour supermarket, a Lohao City, Viva Plaza ( www.rfviva.com/
home.php ) , a UME Cineplex, and the Today Art Museum are all in the neighborhood. No-
tions of DIY or the home handyman are not popular in Beijing—it's too cheap and easy to
get someone else to do things for you—and consequently hardware stores are few and far
between. Home Depot did try to make a go of it in Beijing but failed miserably. This being
the case, Shuangjing expats prone to tinkering may find joy in the fact that a B&Q hardware
store can also be found in Shuangjing, next door to Carrefour.
a typical traffic scene looking north up the East Third Ring Road from Shuangjing