Editor’s note: This year, we are praying for cities across China. We begin our year by praying for Beijing, China’s capital city. To help us pray wisely and specifically, Melody, a pastor’s wife, shared with us some of the things that make her city special. She also opened up about some of the challenging situations Beijing has faced over the past several years, and how she feels the general mood in the city is more pessimistic than previously.

This is the first of a two-part interview.

The Political Center of China

China Partnership: How is Beijing unique among China’s cities? What are some of the things that make Beijing different from other cities?

There are several reasons! First, because Beijing was the capital of many dynasties. It has been the seat of the emperor for a long time, and has a lot of political history and culture. The people in Beijing have a strong intuition about politics and management, and the people feel honored to be those who live near to the king.

The political center of China is in Beijing, so naturally, a lot of economic arrangements focus on this political center. Businesses, infrastructure groups, transportation companies, and the medical system all put their best resources in Beijing. Because of this, many Chinese people dream of working in Beijing. In Beijing, there is a lot of opportunity, people have a fair chance to make it. If they live in Beijing and work hard, everyone can have a good quality of life. Beijing is a place where many people come to realize their dreams.

Beijing is a place where many people come to realize their dreams.

As far as faith goes, Beijing is also special. There are many opportunities available here. Beijing has good schools, hospitals, and companies, so church membership is made up of high-level intellectuals who are generally well-educated. The church in Beijing is a hub for the whole country, and is a wealth of spiritual resources. Overseas groups prioritize Beijing, and good theological resources from other countries can often be found here. There are seminaries, and Beijing is often the first one to receive theological education opportunities. There is more room for deep thought and reflection, and the city is able to make good use of these resources.

The transportation situation is also very unique here. Beijing is geographically in the north of China, but there are also more provinces further to the north. Beijing has quick connections to all major cities throughout the country. Not only is Beijing the first place to go for fun, to see a doctor, or to conduct business – it is also easily accessible from all directions. Within China, Beijing is a transit point and a necessary route.

Finally, Beijing is a diverse city with a population of about 20 million, more than half of whom were not originally from the city. A lot of basic jobs within the city are done by people who came to Beijing from other cities within China. These people are happy to be a part of developing Beijing, because they want to have a Beijing hukou [residence card].

Beijing is a diverse city with a population of about 20 million, more than half of whom were not originally from the city.

People Are Less Optimistic

CP: How Beijing has changed in the last five years? Describe some of the changes you have seen during this time period.

Melody: There is a large population of people who serve the city of Beijing. Many people from other areas of China come here to work as construction workers and cleaners and to do other basic jobs. At the end of 2017, something happened: the Beijing municipal government ordered the expulsion of the “low-end” population. Overnight, about five million people left the city and returned to their hometowns. Since then, Beijing has become very much like North Korea. Beijing only favors the “high-end” of the population. A lot of the low-end people left at that time. Beijng has been affected by this, and it is harder and harder to find people to do the basic service jobs. Because the city is not very welcoming to these lower status people, it is not a good place for them to make a living.

In the last few years, there has been another significant change: universities have begun to move their educational resources out of Beijing and into Xiong’an [a city in Hebei Province, about 100 kilometers outside of Beijng]. These universities have only kept their offices in Beijing, while moving all their operations to the city of Xiong’an. This has led to a lot of businesses moving out of Beijing, and relocating to Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Third, the church in the city has been undergoing many changes over the past five years. Early Rain [a prominent house church in Chengdu] was raided in the end of 2018. In 2021, house churches in Beijing also entered a period of turbulence. Many churches have been affected. A few years ago, my own church was impacted. Our church has been fighting the charges against us in the judicial system, and disputes the judgment against us.

More and more friends are becoming unemployed. And although others till have their jobs, it feels as though they are earning less  while working more. People are spending more cautiously than before, and  in general are more pessimistic about the environment.

The “zero Covid” policy of the last few years has also affected the lives of many Beijing people. Over this time, many people had their dreams dashed and lost their jobs. During the initial epidemic management period, Beijing was quite stable [from about spring of 2020 through fall of 2022]. But after that, Beijing entered a more difficult period, and the economy has been greatly affected. From a personal point of view, it seems like more and more friends are becoming unemployed. And although others till have their jobs, it feels as though they are earning less and less while working more and more hours. It seems that people are spending more cautiously than before, and that people in general are more pessimistic about the environment.

Finally, the emotional state of people around us has become less and less optimistic. Even after the “zero Covid” blockade was lifted, people still continue to feel a lot of pressure from work. Many people feel pessimistic and powerless.

Melody (a pseudonym) lives in Beijing. She has a warm family of five which includes her husband, two children, and her mother-in-law. She is a pastor’s wife, and a favorite hobby is plaza dancing.

Pray for Beijing citizens who are struggling to make ends meet and to find hope in a generally discouraging atmosphere.