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Sara Blumenstein, Student, Graduate Architecture
At the Edge of the City
Cao Chang Di (New Socialist Village), Beijing, China
A mother and child rest in a stand of trees as cars whiz by in the distance on the Fifth Ring Road. Cao Chang Di is an urban village, subsumed by Beijing’s expansion. Once chosen for its perfect feng shui as a site for imperial tombs, long since destroyed, it is a microcosm of the rapid urbanization in Beijing and China. A flurry of construction is taking place in the village, leaving its inhabitants to seek peace and quiet in unusual places.