asi work 2

1

Running head: DONGCHENG

7

DONGCHENG

Dongcheng

Dongcheng is a suburb found on the eastern side of Beijing city in North China. Dongcheng is considered a suburb basically because of the relocations of businesses and settlement of people that initially were based in Beijing. Dongcheng has over time experienced a change in its economic status and become more populated with time at a very high rate. Dongcheng popularly known for being a cultural town and with historical sites is now a busier place with big businesses taking over in almost each and every corner. Dongcheng is a place where many people would get there to have pleasure visiting the museum and viewing the historical sites. Because of the nature of its peacefulness that is a contrast to the adjacent city, it is a residential place to most of the people working in Beijing. Today, Dongcheng is majorly occupied by business people who are out to do business and tourists who are out to explore the attractiveness of the area. It is here that the national museum is located and also home to the oldest banks of Beijing.

The Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping hailed from this area and his slogan concerning modernization of education resulted to very high quality education programs in this area ("Ecnomics and Culture of Dongcheng District - eBeijing.gov.cn", 2016). Many families reside in Dongcheng as compared to singles. The area has homesteads with gates and more spacious for children to engage in games. There are also quite a number of expatriates who are basically settled here because of the facilities offered that are tailored towards their needs. These include international television channels and English language services. The gated homesteads and property that is managed professionally attracts the expatriates who prefer to live here as they work in Beijing.There are big businesses established in the place while on the other hand are smaller shops that offer more affordable shopping to the residents. In this suburb are people who were original inhabitants and most of them lead lives that are of middle and low level standards.

People in Dongcheng are those interested in having a mix of wok with leisure as majority were attracted because of the beautiful scenery ("Beijing Dongcheng District", 2016). The community is made up of a mix of different races of people majorly due to the incoming of foreigners who are also interested in investments.

Today, there are very many foreign and local banks in Dongcheng. Finance has become the heart of the economy where there are major investments being made into business. A vast number of the population is now practicing business and Dongcheng is now not only known for tourism. The suburb is on the verge of modernization with Wangfujing which is the CBD obtaining a major transformation. This is through the upgrading of the CBD and construction of more commercial facilities ("Beijing Dongcheng District", 2016). Initially, the people in this area enjoyed the convenient shopping in smaller shops but this is now changing very fast. There are new and bigger malls and a combination of entertainment with shopping. The culture, tourism and leisure in the area are now being incorporated into businesses especially with shopping.

The change in the kind of structures and business facilities has played out on the prices of the commodities sold. The products are now bought at a slightly higher price in large supermarkets ("Ecnomics and Culture of Dongcheng District - eBeijing.gov.cn", 2016). It has not played out well for the small business people who are continuously losing business to large business owners. Most of the locals who used to sell to people are almost unable to continue as the powerful investors from far and wide are coming in.

Different factors have contributed towards the emergence of both global and local enterprises. There is a perfect road network ensuring accessibility and banks to offer finance to the enterprises. The other factors are government policies and services that encourage business enabling businesses to thrive. These factors are behind the 100 Top Chinese enterprises and 500 hundred top global enterprises which are now based in Dongcheng ("Beijing Dongcheng District", 2016).

A large floor area commercial buildings offers space to businesses. The buildings are available in different grades allowing the existence of both small and large businesses. The banking services have over time improved creating a more conducive environment for the thriving of businesses. The existence of the three major petroleum corporations of China and the largest accounting firms in the world has promoted the development of the finance industry. Security is high in the entire area ensuring that those who do business in the area are able to work in a peaceful and secure environment. All these things are what has resulted to the increased business in the area.

The population in Dongcheng has increased sharply over time and this has had implications on housing and business. There has been increased demand for housing which has put pressure on the prices. The homesteads that were initially affordable to rent are now going at high prices and this is proving to inconvenience low-income earners. As much as some people are suffering because of the increased population, businesses are thriving because of the increased number of customers. The general standards of living of Dongcheng residents have gone high with the introduction of a more sophisticated lifestyle rather than the simple life that the people used to live initially.

Dongcheng has majorly experienced development and attracted businesses and investments basically because of some of the resources it has been having. The existence of a strong culture that is also shared by cities such as Hong Kong has attracted more business with those cities. Beijing being an international destination, Dongcheng being its suburb is gradually turning into an international destination with investors from all over the world ("Beijing Dongcheng District", 2016). Therefore, majority of the products and services offered are turning into world-class. However, the constructions and physical developments being made have led to many small business owners and low-income earners to relocate. This is gradually changing the economic aspects of the population in Dongcheng. Dongcheng is therefore experiencing suburbanization and it is at a growth stage. This is based on the developments being made and turning rural parts into high-level destinations. Growth is due to the upgrading experienced and betterment of the facilities available. Dongcheng has not yet reached a level where there would be strain on the resources and stagnation or decline in the economy. However, with the pace the economy of this area is changing, it would be very soon that it would reach its maximum and begin declining. The early inhabitants and more so low income earners are already feeling the heat of the economy.

Initially, my family used to live in the heart of Beijing. This is the place where my parents lived during the time before they got married. They could go to work and though it was expensive, it was seemingly a more convenient place for them considering that they worked there. Beijing would however only be convenient for a smaller family or for singles. As the family expanded and we even took in my two cousins, it totally became unsustainable to live in Beijing. This is why my parents had to look for a place closer to Beijing. The other reason is that my parents wanted us to access quality education that was affordable. With these considerations, Dongcheng provided the perfect destination. Dongcheng had bigger homesteads with gates and children would ride bicycles and run around ("Areas and Suburbs in Beijing | Expat Arrivals", 2016). The security in the area was enhanced through the gates and importantly the houses were more affordable. A bigger family comes with increased expenses and it is important to cut on the cost. A suburb would have more affordable pricing and there would not be much pressure on the resources.

As a family, we already have plans of relocating to a lesser developed area. We are considering moving out of the district or remaining within but move to a more remote area. This is majorly because of the condition in which the developments in Dongcheng are putting us. Rental expenses and other important services are set to be more expensive. The area is also developing into industrialization and this would not be favorable for residential homes. As the people move in and the place becomes more congested, there could be strain on the resources. Our plan to move to another area is majorly based on prediction of the future economic condition of the area.

My home community is considered quite unsustainable. The developments in Dongcheng might work for the betterment of the economy of Beijing but this would be very different for the home community. These are people who were used to a cheap way of life and within a short span of time, prices of house rents are escalating. The sprawl has led to relocation of the many people whereby some are moving to pave way for the constructions. The development in the area is being done by people from the outside that have very high living standards.

References

Beijing Dongcheng District. (2016). Bjdch.gov.cn. Retrieved 18 September 2016, from http://www.bjdch.gov.cn/n8775435/n8777419/n8777644/8872342.html

Ecnomics and Culture of Dongcheng District - eBeijing.gov.cn. (2016). Ebeijing.gov.cn. Retrieved 18 September 2016, from http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/feature_2/DongchengTravel/TravelTips/t1108841.htm

Areas and Suburbs in Beijing | Expat Arrivals. (2016). Expat Arrivals. Retrieved 18 September 2016, from http://www.expatarrivals.com/china/beijing/areas-and-suburbs-in-beijing