Marzipan scarves and other accessories are made by hand in the heart of Beijing's historic and lovely Shichahai area. Those seeking a glimpse of life in the old Beijing should come to Shichahai, stroll beyond the boring bars and noisy tour groups, and get lost in the winding hutongs with their water-stained walls and wind-beaten red doors. Some corners remain where life has changed little since the Qing Dynasty even as China as somersaulted wildly and brilliantly out of its past. These days, most Shichahai residents are senior citizens without regular employment.
Sometimes with glee, sometimes with remorse, they are watching the neighborhood fill with various beneficiaries of China's economic dynamism. First are the tourists, mainly in huge hoards from the provinces, usually wearing identical red or orange caps, though there are those pesky foreigners as well. Second are the magnates, military men, and moneyed mandarins - the plutocracy that develops and despoils the country. Along with some members of the global elite, they annex the crowded courtyards and renovate them into opulent and isolated castles. Third are the small business owners who provide the food and other goods for the tourists and plutocrats. The business owners are rarely residents of the area, and in their employ are a multitude of cheap laborers from Anhui and Gansu who also make their home here. A forth group might be the young outsiders, who recognize that this is the hippest and most beautiful part of the city. They recognize that this is the best and last moment to be living in Shichahai.
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