Developments indicate decades of improvements

In addition to Song Zhenzhong’s exhibition in Dongcheng district, many other events have been held across Beijing to mark the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up.

The policy has transformed the country’s economic landscape and raised living standards in the past four decades.

Bi Xiuyan, Party secretary of Panzhuang community in the capital’s Haidian district, has been one of the driving forces behind many of the exhibitions in her community.

She has witnessed all 40 years of reform and opening-up, which was adopted in 1978, two years after she was born.

“My major takeaway from all these events has been the huge changes that have taken place in people’s lives. The moment I saw the objects donated by the local people, and the progress made from, for example, point-and-shoot cameras to digital cameras, I viewed those developments in terms of decades passing by,” she said.

Bi’s exhibitions featured about 600 household items provided by local residents, including vintage coupons, travel tickets, a range of certificates, and redundant devices such as old cameras and pagers. In addition, Party members in the community volunteered to tell the stories behind the exhibits to interested residents and groups of school students.

“The seniors were suddenly reminded of things they had forgotten, items they once used at home regularly but have now disappeared from their lives, while the children were fascinated by the strange objects they had never seen before,” she said.

ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

ZHAO YIMENG People visiting stores in Nanluoguxiang, a popular haunt for tourists and young hipsters in Beijing, can buy imitation enamel cups bearing the characters wei renmin fuwu “serve the people” or xi, “joy” as souvenirs. Decades ago, the cups were not regarded as quaint or kitsch. Instead, they were daily necessities and common in every home. The porcelain glaze wrapping prevented the underlying metal from rusting and, at the same time, gave the cups a smooth, colorful look. In addition to the cups, other utensils such as washing basins, plates and lunchboxes were made from enamel. As plastic, aluminum alloys and stainless steel were increasingly used to make commodities, enameled products fell out of fashion, but in recent years they have gained status as highly collectable cultural items that hold memories for an entire generation.