北京的生活体现在街上。个人生活空间的不足导致人们的日常生活都在外面——从吃吃喝喝到唱歌以及锻炼身体。到了晚上，北京的街道成了社交中心。直到今天，公共生活和户外文化仍是北京的一大特色。

各种各样的灯把城市变得喧嚣。 在城市的拥挤空间，巨大的背光招牌和店面把黑夜变成了白昼。但是仅仅拐一个弯你就能发现自己身处安静的胡同里，昏暗的路灯， 裸露的灯泡，还有“串”。

新老北京的巨大反差产生了不同的灯光。北京绚丽夺目的新建筑更表明现代化的面纱已经覆盖了这个古老的城市。深夜，无尽的车流照亮了北京的环路，在国贸和金融街这样的商业中心，闪烁的摩天大楼主宰着城市景观。

这些照片展现了北京不同的灯光表现出来的新和老的反差。综合起来看，它们又证明了这个城市的根是多么强壮——尽管从林语堂第一次注意到在北京的古老枝干下人民生活的惊人不一致到现在，北京有了极快的发展。

Life in Beijing happens in the streets. The scarcity of personal space pushes daily activities outside—from eating and drinking to singing and exercise. At night, Beijing’s streets transform into social hubs. Indeed, even today, communal life and an outdoor culture define much of Beijing.

The hustle and bustle happens against a myriad of different lights. In the city’s crowded spaces, large, back-lit signs and store-fronts turn night into day. But turn a corner, and you may find yourself in a quiet hutong with dimly-lit streetlight, exposed light bulbs, and neon chaun’r (串) signs.

The uneven lighting is intrinsically linked to Beijing’s enormous contrasts between new and old. And from above, the glow from Beijing’s newer buildings accentuates the veil of modernity that has covered this ancient city. Long into the night, endless streams of traffic illuminate Beijing’s ring-roads, and in the commercial centers, like Guomao and Financial Street, shining skyscrapers dominate the cityscape.

These photographs explore this contrast between new and old, as seen in Beijing’s disparate light. Together, they picture how the roots of the city have proven strong--despite the breakneck development that has occurred since Lin first noticed the startling incongruences of life under Beijing’s ancient branches.