Away from the glitzy shopping malls and high end apartments, I observed the locals living a life that is full of variety and local flavour.
 |
| I start off with this brand at Shin Kong Place because when I first saw it, I was amazed by the size. Look at the number of customers! |
 |
| Bikes available for hire. First time I saw such bikes in Beijing - they remind me of Boris Bikes in London. |
 |
| A cake loaded, ready to be delivered. I saw quite a lot of people sitting around in Beijing, chatting. |
 |
| An old man studying some kind of leaflet. Judging from his tanned complexion, he is likely to be from the countryside. |
 |
| A woman selling trinkets. She was very reluctant to be photographed. There are many street traders in Beijing selling from the pavement. |
 |
| Some elaborately decorated wedding cakes in Beijing. These are best described as mid range. Some high end cakes are spectacular. |
 |
| Making a living by selling a few pieces of vegetables. |
 |
| A vegetable stall inside a covered market. |
 |
| A butcher inside a covered market. The red lights remind me of my childhood days in Hong Kong - the butchers all used red lights to enhance the look of the meat. |
 |
| A cobbler at work. |
 |
| A bicycle repair shop next to the cobbler. It really is just a stall rather than a shop. |
 |
| A local supermarket. Next to it is a mobile phone shop. Mobile phone ownership is very high in Beijing. Samsung is by far the most popular brand. |
 |
| A shop that sells cosmetics and toiletries. From here I bought a "miniLab" eyebrow pencil for 38 CNY (less than £4) |
 |
| The shop sign says: Cigarettes, Alcohol and Fruits |
 |
| Wind dried meat and duck wings. They may not look appealing but if in good hands, they can be quite tasty. |
 |
| A woman selling house plants from a cart. It's quite common for street vendors to sell house plants from the pavement. |
 |
| A motorbike showroom being operated from the pavement. |
