Crowned as the capital of China, Beijing is, of course, unique enough for all that a capital city can uniquely boast. But beyond all that, Beijing holds for me an infinite charm that I endearingly cherish. Even the very name of the city of Beijing seems to me an electric word: it inspires warm feelings and triggers nice associations. But if one word were used to capture all the charm Beijing possesses, "inclusiveness" would be it. I myself, as a southerner who was born and brought up in the south of China, have lived in the city in pursuit of academic studies for no more than six years up to date. Yet I now already find myself falling in love with the city, deeply and incurably, though it did not strike my eyes or heart when I first came here without the realization that Beijing is like a lady winning her lover through her inner qualities rather than outward appearances in a way that is gradual and subtle.
The inclusiveness of Beijing finds a most graphic expression in the heterogeneity of its population. On any street of Beijing, a casual meal in an eatery may bring you in contact with people from across the country. To me, to hear those speaking Mandarin Chinese with varied accents is always a source of great delight and pleasure. Then, with a disarming smile, you can easily strike a breezy conversation with any of them. Each of them has a unique, specific story to tell; yet so much in common can be found among them. Regardless of whatever jobs or professions they are engaged in, they would all without exception reveal to you their unquenchable aspiration to seek a better life in Beijing. Again, the same can be said of the people moving in throngs on the avenues of Beijing. Hurried as they are, their firm and purposive look, together with the keen light beaming in their eyes, tells you the degrees of their belief and faith in their dreams. In moments like this when you strut a street alive with people, knowing that you yourself are just one among the vast many dream pursuers in the city, you cannot help a feeling of being awakened to an elevated sense of the beauty of dreams and the eagerness for self-fulfillment, simply because of the infectious spirit of vitality, hope and optimism brought to you by the people around. It is amid this constant influx of dream pursuers that Beijing absorbs, assimilates and incorporates. It sets itself as a resplendent stage for anyone aspiring to try out his or her luck in life, promising rich rewards for winners contributing to its affluence and prosperity. The city itself is thus always alive with energy, diversity and rousedness, representing a dynamic mix of imagination, creativity and buoyancy. In China, nowhere else other than in Beijing do we find that a city and its people are bonded ever so closely, with such a mutually-enriching and -admiring relationship.
Such is my fondness for Beijing - a soulful city - the one and the only in my heart.