Ten years ago Michael Meyer published the book “The Last Days Of Old Beijing”. Drawing upon his experiences living in a small courtyard in the Dashilar district of the capital he described the transformation of China’s capital from within. He gave a voice to residents at the bottom of society and described the fragile attempts at architectural and historical preservation during a time when nobody seemed to be able to stand up against the immense force of development. We will use Michael Meyers book as a framework to piece together the last hundred years of Beijing’s history, tracing the story of the city from the abdication of the last emperor until today.  Original maps and photos of the city from the Beijing Postcards collection will guide you through the period of the warlords, the Japanese occupation, the Liberation, the Cultural Revolution and much more.

To join the online talk, please download the online conference platform Zoom: https://www.zoom.us. We'll send you an email with meeting ID and passport once we receive your registration.