Cycling Became Cool Again I came to Shanghai for the first time in 1993 when I was 12 years old. It was a few months after the Shanghai Metro commenced operations. Today, the Shanghai Metro is the world’s largest subway system with 588 km and 3.4 billion annual ridership. But, in 1993, there was only one line with merely 4.4 km connecting Shanghai South Railway Station and Xujiahui Station in Puxi, and not many people knew the concept of a subway system. A bicycle was people’s main transportation and, as the economy grew rapidly and the government encouraged people to move to larger cities, bicycles became even more important for people’s daily life. By the mid-1990s, China had up to 523 million bike owners—that’s 43 bicycles for every 100 people. By 2007, China produced almost 70% of the world’s bicycles.
China's Mobike Economy
China's Mobike Economy
China's Mobike Economy
Cycling Became Cool Again I came to Shanghai for the first time in 1993 when I was 12 years old. It was a few months after the Shanghai Metro commenced operations. Today, the Shanghai Metro is the world’s largest subway system with 588 km and 3.4 billion annual ridership. But, in 1993, there was only one line with merely 4.4 km connecting Shanghai South Railway Station and Xujiahui Station in Puxi, and not many people knew the concept of a subway system. A bicycle was people’s main transportation and, as the economy grew rapidly and the government encouraged people to move to larger cities, bicycles became even more important for people’s daily life. By the mid-1990s, China had up to 523 million bike owners—that’s 43 bicycles for every 100 people. By 2007, China produced almost 70% of the world’s bicycles.