S1 E5 | Beijing by bike

This episode of Return Ticket explores Beijing's history and culture through the lens of the bicycle. It examines the bicycle's evolution from a symbol of Western innovation to a ubiquitous mode of transport and, later, a marker of class. China analyst Neil Thomas details how the Flying Pigeon bicycle became a status symbol in Maoist China, later displaced by cars during the economic boom. Liman Zhao, co-founder of CIRC, shares personal anecdotes of cycling in Beijing since the 1980s and discusses the recent resurgence of recreational cycling. The episode concludes with Fuchsia Dunlop, a Sichuan cuisine expert, highlighting Beijing's diverse culinary scene, influenced by palace cooking, Muslim traditions, and regional government offices.