15. Beijing’s Identity Are you a Beijinger? Not really. I was born in Shandong, but was raised in Hubei. I came to Beijing when I was ten and have lived here ever since. So, you tell me if I qualify as a Beijinger? No, you are not a real Beijinger. It’s no hard to find a family that has lived in Beijing for more than three generations. Some people say that Beijing is very generous and open-minded. Do you agree? Generous, maybe. A friend of mine had a small accident once. Her car got stuck in a ditch. Four young men, all non-Beijingers, happened to pass by. They refused to help. Then an old man came over. He was a Beijinger. Without any hesitation, he helped my friend pull the car out. He also told her to drive carefully. That’s a typical Beijinger. Such a person is always ready to help when someone is in need. I guess this has something to do with the fact that Beijing has been a capital city for several dynasties. People living here always feel obligated by a sense of honor. Also, face is very important for a Beijinger. When doing business, especially with a friend, a Beijinger doesn’t want to appear too fussy about the contract or making concessions. He cares more about friendship and esteem. Tolerant may not be the right word to describe a Beijinger. About twenty years ago, Beijing residence usually looked down upon non-Beijingers, believing them to be rustic and ignorant. That’s true. Beijing has used to look down upon outsiders. In the past, due to strict residential permit requirement, it was extremely difficult to become a Beijing resident. There’s more mobility now, and anyone can find a job in Beijing. Pick someone in the street a most likely that person isn’t a real Beijinger. True Beijingers do not have a feeling of superiority, and that may be why they appear to be more tolerant nowadays. This is quite similar to New York. There are fewer and fewer real Americans there. Some say New York is no longer a city of Americans. I think the same is true with Beijing.