TNAG-2293-FCO40-3305-Official-visits-from-Hong-Kong-to-China-1991 — Page 154

104

6.

Consumer-commodities

popular shopping

in emporiums and

areas for local people (e.g.

shops in

are not that inexpensive in the context of the quoted

income, e.g. RMB 40 100 for a lady's sweater. Travel by

underground rail is 30 cents. The "tourist" spots and

parks (which all charge admission fees) are always crowded,

and many patrons are local Beijing people.

It does appear

that the

above

average urban people have money

subsistence. In the Summer Palace (4) I saw a

園

group of young boys (early teens) wearing a T-shirt marked

'Summer Camp for Overweight Boys' which again reflect an

affluent standard of living at least for a sector of the

community. Local television carries advertisements for

cosmetics (including Oil of Ulan), television sets, and

beauty parlors. Facilities in hotels catering to tourists

charge high fees (RMB 10.20 including service charge etc.

for a cup of coffee) which may be unaffordable by local

people. However, the Recreation Centre we visited (near to

the Olympics Village) seemed patronized by local people,

(it will be rather unlikely for tourists visiting Beijing

to spend time on swimming, or on a bowling game) although

it

charges an admission fee of RMB 10. Admission to its

indoor pool for one session (3-4 hours) again costs

RMB 30.

I suspect that as China

direction of free

has embarked on the

enterprises,

income

of its citizens

varies immensely.