Beijing Bicycle

Wang Xiaoshuai’s Beijing Bicycle is a tragic tale tracing the lives of two young boys from different social backgrounds, forcibly linked together by a courier bicycle. Through the relationship between Guei, from the countryside, and Jian, the school boy, the film explores the socio-cultural differences between urban and rural China.

The story begins as Guei immigrates to Beijing from the countryside in search of a new life. He is hired as a bicycle courier and is leased a brand new bicycle. On the last day of the lease, Guei’s bicycle is stolen and ends up in Jian’s possession. The two protagonists then struggle for the bicycle, but for completely different reasons.

Guei is from China’s countryside, an immigrant worker. I use the word ‘immigrant’ because in China, there is something called the hukou system that basically exploits workers from the rural countryside for their cheap labor. Without a job, or an urban-type hukou, a migrant worker isn’t allowed to stay in urban cities. Thus, right from the start Guei is at a huge economical, social disadvantage, he is considered a second rate citizen on top of being incredibly poor. A great example of the urban vs. rural coming into play is when Guei accidentally takes a bath he can’t pay for. Although the secretary demands payment, the manager simply lets Guei leave with the line, “Does he look like someone that has money?” Urban Chinese recognize the immigrant workers as second rate citizens, furthering the disadvantages Guei faces. In any case, Guei is fortunate to land work in Beijing, this is his source of sustenance, this is what allows him to even stay in Beijing, this is his only available route to maybe climb the social ladder. This is why Guei fights so viciously for his bike, it is the engine that powers all of these new possibilities and provides for his downright basic needs. It is more than just metal and rubber, but a vehicle to a completely new life.

If we switch gears (heh) and look at Jian’s situation, we see radically different China. Jian is a student from a relatively well off family. He and his family are living in Beijing, so they have an urban hukou, Jian and his step sister are both receiving an education, and compared to Guei’s portrayed lifestyle, things are much more comfortable. Jian needs the bicycle for social reasons, to court a lady, to fit in with his friends, and just to plain old get to school faster. The bicycle represents Jian’s gateway to a better social standing among his schoolmates. The social hierarchy in place means so much to Jian that he steals money from his own father to buy the bike. Jian values the bicycle just as much as Guei does, the difference being Jian’s concerns are all social whereas Guei struggles to survive.

This is the huge distinction between urban and rural life that Wang does a brilliant job of highlighting. The concerns of the urban Chinese population are rather materialistic and much more superficial than that of the rural folk. Urban Chinese are wrapped up in consumerism and capitalistic profit, whereas their rural brothers and sisters still struggle to find their next meal. This theme runs back to a huge problem in China that is wealth distribution, Wang is hinting at the problem that the rich in China are rich beyond their wildest dreams and the poor are far worse off than Guei. Following this logic, two Chinas emerge post Tiananmen Square: urban, thriving economy and backward poverty stricken countryside. But as shown by the conclusion of the film when both Guei and Jian are both brutally beaten, no matter the social or economic status, they both still bleed and hurt the same. In Beijing Bicycle, Wang is reminding the audience that no matter the differing status or circumstances, China is still one country composed of Chinese people.