ABSTRACT
In the shadow of the Great Hall of the People, where Communist Party officials meet to build China's future, Ye Guo Qiang tried to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge to protest the city's demolition of his family's home and restaurant. The suicide attempt failed, and Ye's home, where the family had lived for more than 20 years, was demolished – clearing the way to turn the neighbourhood of decaying courtyard houses in the Xuan Wu district into a shopping arcade and park, part of Beijing's face-lift for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
