Urban-Rural Divide

Life Science Park is tucked away in the northwest corner of Beijing, beyond the high-rising technological centers of Shangdi, farther than Longze, the farthest subway stop, down narrow pothole-ridden roads, past rural farmland, rundown storefronts and produce-peddling peasants, until you reach a wide expanse of paved highway. The government has decided to set up research and development parks here, the guarded acres of manicured lawns and modern buildings housing state-of-the-art labs flush up against the sun-beaten fields in which the 农民 toil. Only two bus lines service this area; most who work here commute in private cars, most who live here travel by rickety bikes. The minibuses run sporadically, held up in the little town whose Main Street is barely wide enough to accomodate two cars. The bus drivers are reluctant to give a travel time from Shangdi to Life Science Park. It depends, they say, one car can hold up everything. Finally, they concede. 20 minutes - on a good day. 20 minutes, to traverse this village skipped over and forgotten by the modernization movement, trapped between the most forward-thinking districts of Beijing.