Up close and personal in one of the alley-way neighborhoods that used to comprise all of Beijing.
These song birds probably get taken for walks in the park...most of them do. And they drink out of little blue and white China cups. And they are much prized. But, so what...they're still in a cage.
Not all the alleys are this tidy and charming, of course.
In fact, some are rather squalid. For example, not all of the rooms have windows. And the bathroom is a shared one across the alley. But why not spend some money making them less so, rather than destroying them?
Of course, there's always gentrification. A double-edged sword, that. Because if the alley becomes so stylish and quaint because all the hipsters and clever business people open hostels like the one we're staying in and trendy little shops selling clever jewelry and restaurants serving fusion food and cocktails with obscure names, then where will the poor people go to live when they can't afford it any longer? Or are they able to stay in their homes and are glad of the business, however exotic it may be, that allows their neighborhood to remain standing?
You can see the same dilemma in any large city in the US, of course.
These song birds probably get taken for walks in the park...most of them do. And they drink out of little blue and white China cups. And they are much prized. But, so what...they're still in a cage.
Not all the alleys are this tidy and charming, of course.
In fact, some are rather squalid. For example, not all of the rooms have windows. And the bathroom is a shared one across the alley. But why not spend some money making them less so, rather than destroying them? 
Of course, there's always gentrification. A double-edged sword, that. Because if the alley becomes so stylish and quaint because all the hipsters and clever business people open hostels like the one we're staying in and trendy little shops selling clever jewelry and restaurants serving fusion food and cocktails with obscure names, then where will the poor people go to live when they can't afford it any longer? Or are they able to stay in their homes and are glad of the business, however exotic it may be, that allows their neighborhood to remain standing? 
You can see the same dilemma in any large city in the US, of course.
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