The peculiar aspect of big cities has been overlooked for a long time. I'm not talking about squeezing the subway for takeout, I'm talking about a deeper postmodern state.
In fact, Beijing has reached a very unique state, that is, the grassroots and the middle and lower classes have actually formed very special social relations and organizations based on the Internet.
Here is the most typical example, which is actually the Douban group. In the Douban group, there is a lot of news about shared houses, and there will even be posters for sharing beds. That's right, it's a bed. It is clear that the rather undesirable economic situation of this group of people can be seen.
At the same time, this group of people will often form groups with distinct characteristics based on the lifestyle and ethnic identity of a very postmodern narrative, and will establish WeChat groups and organize offline activities.
Typically, there are rainbow groups, youth hostels, travel friends, pet rescue and assistance, and meal pairs, which are basically subcultural circles formed by strange young people. These subcultures are basically de-classified, after all, you can participate with or without money. But generally speaking, the vast majority of them are grassroots groups and ordinary Beijing citizens in Beipiao.
I had very little specific exposure, but the few experiences I had were actually very culture-shocking for me. First of all, the most typical thing is that they chat very thinly, and when they chat, they are very direct and direct, whether they are happy, angry, or whatever. Finally, their specific living conditions are actually quite free in my eyes.
In fact, they always make me think of the bar friends who posted it. A taste of freedom that grows away from the soil of the establishment. But because they don't have roots, although they smell of soil, their essence is like air floating in the air.
For example, you may have worked more than a dozen different jobs, such as changing more than a dozen residences when renting an apartment, such as changing the object of intimacy very frequently, such as nose studs, eyebrows, lip studs. For example, completely different from my consumption Xi, such as too many niche cultures that I have never heard of, such as living in the most remote urban village but going to the bar every day.
I still think it's a unique cultural experience, and I think this group of people really has their most precious thing, which is freedom.
But with such a coordinate system, I can see myself more clearly. I was well aware that I was closer to the right in the political context. I actually care a lot about order, decency, order. I also care a lot about the social network that I build based on work, family and shared characteristics, and for me, the lifestyle I approve of is still having a car, a house, an office, a job, a marriage, children, friends, and good neighbors. I go to the Park Art Museum on the weekends, have a big family meal every now and then, hang out with my acquaintances, and travel to Japan and Europe during a long vacation. But obviously, because I'm too open-minded, the difference between me and the most typical conservative is huge. For example, it is really difficult for me to make up my mind to be admitted to a county seat in a mainland province as a grassroots civil servant, like some Shandong candidates. (But for me, the quality of life is still better than that of grassroots drifting, and it doesn't make me miserable at all, it's more superficial).
Because of my high openness, in addition to the traditional way of life that I recognize, there is another thing that I like, which is the opportunity to live in a different country. For example, as a diplomat, I have been abroad to several different countries, such as being sent by a giant company to places like Malaysia, Thailand or Brazil. (Of course, I'm not talking about Huawei, which is closer to companies in Europe, the United States, and Japan, after all, Huawei is too scary).
There is a very, very subjective element to this answer. But what I want to say is that most people don't even understand the diversity of Chinese society by a blind man. Just the grassroots subcultural circles in Beijing can be so large and vibrant. And exposure to completely different social classes and cultures can actually help a person understand himself. For example, I would never actively choose the post-modern atomized mega-urban lifestyle of the Douban group. From Beijing to New York, my answer was the same, in fact I only liked a small part of New York, and I was disgusted with its most aspects. I still like the life of a government unit in a southern Chinese urban system, or the lifestyle of a community with a single-family lawn in a small town in a college town in the United States.
These very liberal groups in the Douban group may tell you why they are still in Beijing. To a certain extent, Beijing can tolerate them and let them live freely, compared to the rest of the country. It's not necessarily the best, but not everyone is willing to leave the country they live in and are familiar with.