Through Ian's Lens: Beyond Olympic China

In June, my wife and I spent 10 days in China visiting my sister-in-law, who was studying there. The trip was an eye-opening experience as we crisscrossed our way from Shanghai to Beijing and finally to Hong Kong. Everywhere we went we were surrounded by people, people and more people. 

China is a country that is constantly on the move, and the newest and biggest craze to hit the population of 1.3 billion is owning a shiny new car. Some groups estimate that 1,300 new cars hit the streets of Beijing every day. Not only that, but many of those new cars are being driven by new drivers. According to the Chinese Automotive Industry Association, China was second in the world, to the U.S. auto industry, with 8.79 million new vehicles sold and 8.88 million produced in 2007. Rough estimates indicate that by 2015 the Chinese will surpass the U.S. in total auto sales, with 17 million. Some say China will pass the U.S. by 2010.

So with the 2008 Beijing Olympics roaring in everyone’s ears this week, I am reminded how insane a country full of new drivers can be. Here is a set of photos from the streets and highways of China, focusing on the roads and the new cars. I personally enjoyed the juxtaposition of the number of cars to the number of bicycles, mopeds and scooters. Chinese roads are filled with all of the Volkswagen Santanas, BMW 518s, and Audi A6Ls you can get your hands on, and many of the city streets have barriers between the motorcycle/moped/scooter lane, the bicycle lane, and the automobile lane. Below is a photo gallery of my trip, with a look at the automotive life there. Let me know what you think in the comments below.