Juggling bits - Tianqiao as republican Beijing's recycling center

What was Tianqiao? Where did Tianqiao acquire this power? To answer these questions, I first examine some of the contemporary perspectives of Tianqiao and study the formation of this district, then venture into the noise and dust at the market to investigate the businesses and entertainment there. Rather than viewing social changes as abrupt breaks, I do not concentrate on identifying what was new in this era but instead seek to outline the dynamic relationship between the old and the new. Tianqiao as a market was created by new forces, yet it was at the same time enlivened and held together by elements from the past. What was abandoned in the creation of a new order bounced back to life, illustrating a process of history that we might call 'recycling.' A new space released the energy of old forces, creating new apparatuses and communities. By studying the dynamics that formed Tianqiao, we have an opportunity to understand the feeling and meaning of the market and its cultural dimensions.