A long obsolete radio set, a rust-eaten bicycle, and dog-eared comic books these are the items embedded in the collective memory of those growing up in the 60s and 70s in the Chinese Capital. The memories of Beijing are making an overwhelming comeback in a new exhibition called "Memory of a City", which opened at the Capital Museum on Tuesday.
These items are no longer in popular use, but they are an integral part of one's memory and cannot be forgotten.
Home life in Beijing has changed tremendously over the last six decades. A typical setting in the 1950s usually reflected a Spartan lifestyle. Without the modern conveniences of a TV set, a radio, or even a telephone, life was simple and down-to-earth.
Bicycles are so fixed into the memory of Beijing that it was once called a city on two wheels. This ubiquitous transportation vehicle for the household makes it an indispensable part of the exhibition. Radios and TV sets were a rarity even in the 70s. With a screen smaller than that of a laptop, the tellies managed to provide many years of entertainment for Beijing households.
