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June Memories, June Questions

This evening has been balmy, almost cool. I strolled home through the alleyways in the heart of Beijing after dinner at a fashionable new French restaurant that has opened down a trendy sidestreet. In my alley, neighbours sat at low tables eating late-night snacks of Muslim-style kebabs while others played Chinese chess by the dim rays of a street light. A cyclist whirred past. The evening could hardly have been more peaceful.

And yet, 17 years ago on this weekend, I remember a night of sultry heat, burning buses and the bodies of young men with their brains spilling out on the ground.

Little Miss and Little Emperor

Today is Children’s Day. And China takes this very seriously. Driving through the streets of Beijing, I noticed any number of little girls dressed in fairy princess dresses with full tulle skirts in an array of pastel colours.

Here, indeed, I thought were China’s “Little Emperors” – the only children that make up an entire generation of what, sadly, I can only describe as spoilt brats.