Beijing from Below

Between the early 1950s and the accelerated demolition and construction of Beijing''s “old city” in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, the residents of Dashalar—one of the capital city''s poorest neighborhoods and only a stone''s throw from Tian’anmen Square—lived in dilapidated conditions without sanitation. Few had stable employment. Today, most of Dashalar''s original inhabitants have been relo...