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Golden Resources
The World's Largest Shopping Mall

Situated in one of the densest suburbs of Beijing, the Golden Resources Shopping Mall is surrounded by a forest of high-rise residential skyscrapers on a piece of land that was a rice field just five years ago. The mall building is two and a half times the size of the Pentagon. It was built in anticipation of the new and rising Chinese middle class. It stands as a symbol of China's rapid urban transformation, the fastest in human history. Many of its stores contain high-end western goods sold at western prices, sometimes higher. Built by a wealthy Chinese entrepreneur, who is also a devout Buddhist, the ceremonies on opening day included a blessing by Buddhist monks. An ancient Buddhist temple stands in the parking lot, framed in restoration scaffolding.

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Golden Resources
Bicycle Huton

In a traditional Chinese neighborhood, one-story buildings are linked by common walls that form a pedestrian alley ( huton). Behind the walls are homes that surround a private courtyard. This style of architecture dates from the Dynastic age. Preserved examples still stand near the Forbidden City. Some families have lived in the same neighborhood for generations, even centuries. With a video camera mounted to my bicycle, I filmed these unmarked alleys, recording the daily wakening of its residents. Their highly social living arrangements provide a place for elders in an the extended family setting. Much of this world is currently being demolished, to make way for high-density developments.