The streets of the megacity of Beijing are bustling with activities. Today, not only traditional petrol-engined cars but also electric vehicles of all kinds ply the roads here. In the endless traffic stream you can spot Hartmut Lüning. The 66-year-old German has personally witnessed China‘s changes in traffic that have taken place in the everyday life of the Chinese.
Like many people in the capital, Hartmut Lüning commutes to work by an electric car. For the short distance to the office his agile electric car makes the ride quite convenient.
Even in 1995, when Lüning first came to Beijing the metropolis fascinated him right away. As an experienced radio editor he worked for the German department of China Radio International for a long time. Today, he works as a language consultant for Compilation and Translation Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. For him, the great changes that have taken place in Beijing over the years are particularly visible on the streets.
Green means of transport such as sharing bikes, e-scooters, and electric cars have also helped to further improve the air quality in Beijing, says Lüning. Compared to the 1990s, much has changed in the metropolis in terms of environmental protection, he says.
Personally as well, the 66-year-old German has found happiness in China. Together with his Chinese wife Yu Yuemei, Hartmut Lüning has made himself at home in his Beijing apartment. He has sold his property in Germany. For him, the inter-cultural relationship based on love is an example of the integration of life.
Like most locals, the Chinese-German couple also enjoys the advantages of the Internet age in everyday life. This is made possible by smartphones and a well-developed digital infrastructure. Even fresh organic vegetables Hartmut Lüning gets right on his doorstep in Beijing.
With his temperament, the cosmopolitan Rhinelander opens doors and hearts in his new adopted hometown Beijing. He wants to continue to accompany China and the Chinese on their path of reform and opening-up. The great changes and innovations in the everyday life of the Chinese as the German knows are the result of the ongoing reform and opening-up process which China has courageously pushed forward in the past decades.
