About China's Coolest Cars
A horse-drawn carriage, seen in central Beijing in 2009. The horse appeared to be in great shape, with a fine hide and strong legs. The carriage has four wheels, small ones up front and larger ones at the rear. The front axle turns with the horse. The animal’s owner was selling super fresh and testy watermelons. This was near my house, and I always bought from this guy in summer. He came from a village to the east.
Continue reading “A Horse-drawn Carriage With Watermelons In Beijing”
A man in a white hat was approaching me on a summer’s day on a road in old central Beijing sometime in 2010. He came with the sun! He was related to the woman sitting on the horse cart on the other side, and curious why I was curious about them. In the process, I took one of my best pictures ever. Thank you, man in a white hat. It was just that one moment in time. Continue reading “A Man With A White Hat In Beijing And A Horse Cart”
A brown donkey pulling a two-wheel carriage, seen in 2011 in the far east of Beijing. The carriage carries a load of bricks, a gentleman with reins, and a little lady fast asleep.
A horse-drawn carriage in Beijing. Until about 2010, it was normal to see these in the Chinese capital in the summer, bringing fruit and vegetables from the nearby countryside and selling them straight from the cart. On warm weekends, you would see them on many street corners.
And they came all the way to within the Second Ring Road, which was totally within the central center of Beijing. This picture was taken near Dongsi Shitiao in 2009. I lived in that area from 2003 until 2014. I have many fond memories of negotiating with these fine farmers about the price for a jin (0.5 kg) of whatever veggies they carried on their carts.
However, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games modernization drive meant the end for the horse-drawn carriages within the city center. It was cool for as long as it lasted! Note the Changan-Ford Fiesta sedan in the background.
