There were very few cars in '83 or so, everyone rode bikes (I had a Fenghuang), and Beijing wasn't very polluted. Some bikes even had enclosed sidecars. In the summer people swam in Houhai Lake, down a little from Ms. Soong's place (me, too). There were only lots of steps to get to the tops of Taishan, Emeishan, and Huangshan--no roads, no cable cars, etc.--and places to sleep didn't have any heating. Beer was served in bowls. People collected stamps (letters I received often arrived without them). Tongzhi was a common way to address someone, and a common guy's name was Guo Qing.
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