We Met in Beijing

Beijing is a city of multitudes, filled with contradictions and constantly in flux. It is a place for dreamers and schemers, musicians and migrant workers, techies and teachers, cat ladies and cab drivers - and at the same time, a place for none of them, a seat of power that can feel unwelcoming and closed. There are few people better situated to provide a snapshot of contemporary Beijing than Anthony Tao, who was born in this city. He grew up in the US before returning in 2008 as a journalist to cover the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics. He has stayed ever since, tracking the changes - big and small - that have shaped China and its residents. We Met in Beijing, Tao's debut collection, is an account of trying to set down roots in a Chinese metropolis, evoking the elements that make Beijing the dynamic, unique city that it is, full of tree-lined streets, dusty alleys, mirthful canals, fashionable rooftops, and sweaty nightclubs. It is also a profile of a political and cultural nerve centre - astute watchers of China news will know the headlines, but We Met in Beijing gives readers a rare on-the-ground perspective. The title poem is a tribute to community - specifically, the bars and clubs that have acted as meeting points for an array of people - and an acknowledgment that the only constant in Beijing is change. The vast majority of foreigners who set foot in Beijing do so temporarily, but accepting this transience opens the way for intense and unforgettable experiences.

Beijing is a city of multitudes, filled with contradictions and constantly in flux. It is a place for dreamers and schemers, musicians and migrant workers, techies and teachers, cat ladies and cab drivers - and at the same time, a place for none of them, a seat of power that can feel unwelcoming and closed. There are few people better situated to provide a snapshot of contemporary Beijing than Anthony Tao, who was born in this city. He grew up in the US before returning in 2008 as a journalist to cover the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics. He has stayed ever since, tracking the changes - big and small - that have shaped China and its residents. We Met in Beijing, Tao''s debut collection, is an account of trying to set down roots in a Chinese metropolis, evoking the elements that make Beijing the dynamic, unique city that it is, full of tree-lined streets, dusty alleys, mirthful canals, fashionable rooftops, and sweaty nightclubs. It is also a profile of a political and cultural nerve centre - astute watchers of China news will know the headlines, but We Met in Beijing gives readers a rare on-the-ground perspective. The title poem is a tribute to community - specifically, the bars and clubs that have acted as meeting points for an array of people - and an acknowledgment that the only constant in Beijing is change. The vast majority of foreigners who set foot in Beijing do so temporarily, but accepting this transience opens the way for intense and unforgettable experiences.