Beijing Subway

Tiananmen Square is icy. There is literally ice on the concrete. A northerly wind blows from the Artic Circle, over the mountains of Inner Mongolia into the plains of Beijing, through the Forbidden City, past Mao's portrait hanging from the Temple of Heaven and straight through our jackets.

In the distance, there is an understated sign with the letter D in a circle. D is for ditie - subway. In these conditions, every subway station becomes a little oasis. Descending into the underground world, we meet our first current of warm air rushing the other way. The stations are clean and efficient. Touch screen vending machines dispense tickets for two yuan (A$0.33) each, regardless of how far you want to travel, which - since the Beijing Olympics - includes all of Beijing's treasures (except the Great Wall, if you want to include that in Beijing).

The trains are even warmer. A twenty minute journey across town is just long enough for us to thaw out our fingers and toes. Digital screens show footage of Chinese tourists enjoying Harley Davidson rides around Uluru or saddling camels in Kakadu… all wearing T-shirts and shorts. It's well-targeted marketing. We almost forget that it's -10° C outside.

And to complete the cosiness, the light symphony from Amelie* accompanies the train's rhythm as it accelerates to the next station. It's hardly surprising that half of our carriage is snoozing.

*If you have not seen the movie Amelie, starring Audrey Tautou, shame on you… but you can listen to clips of the soundtrack here:

http://www.myspace.com/ameliethesoundtrack. The Beijing subway plays the La Valse D'Amelie Symphony.