It is the most recognizable symbol of China and the hordes that greet one every day is testament to that.

It is far more than a mode of transport, it is linked to every Chinese in one way or the other.
I remember my first experiences with this two-wheeled creature. I was about two years old and was struggling to master my riding skills. I remember I was thrilled at the freedom my bicycle brought especially as it allowed me to run free of my parentsÕ grasp.

In junior school, I used it as a way of getting to, and from, school but this time the distance was much further and not as much fun.
Bicycles were even considered good wedding gifts. When my parents were married, they were thrilled to receive a ``Flying PigeonÕ bicycle.

Bicycle production is a traditional and predominant industry, which produces 50 million bicycles a year. This accounts for 40% of the worlds production. About half of that amount will be exported worldwide, proudly bearing the label Made in ChinaÓ.

Any visitor to Tianjin will undoubtedly be met with visions ``of bicycles everywhereÓ.
Every morning millions of bicycle riders overrun the streets to get to their place of work, play or home. It is a Tianjin landscape, only this one is in motion.
If China is the country of bicycles, then Tianjin is the `cityÕ of bicycles. Bicycles are more part of the locals psyche than on anywhere else in China, much less the planet.

Despite the myriad of vehicles to supersede the humble bicycle, it still remains a formidable form of transport. It beats other vehicles as the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient machine on the road.

Tianjin is considered the birthplace of the modern Chinese bicycle. It is where the two most famous brands the lying pigeonÓ and ed flagÓ. There are 340 bicycle manufactories and 249 bicycle parts factories in Tianjin.

A common sight across China, these two-wheelers can be seen moving in and around city streets as well as back country roads. Although shinier mountain bikes (shandiche) are beginning to gain popularity, most cyclists still ride the black steel hardy bikes with an age-old haplessness and general disregard for regulations. You're certainly not the first to wonder why such a large percentage of the world's population would insist on risking life and limb on a daily basis to travel in such a manner.

To understand this, you must realize that Chinese traffic is a perfect illustration of the proverb "the soft and gentle will defeat the hard and obstinate," (yi rou ke gang). Bicycles have ruled the road since Liberation in China and the riders are certainly not about to give up without a fight. Indeed, one of Deng Xiaoping's campaign promises when he rose to power in the late 1970s was "A Flying Pigeon in every household."

At the forefront of the whole bicycle phenomenon in the PRC is the trusty Flying Pigeon. Of all the bicycle logos in China today, the silhouette of a pigeon resting on the two letters FP is probably the best known. Other brands take a close second, such as the Phoenix (Fenghuang), Forever (Yongjiu), and Giant.

The Flying Pigeon was the brainchild of a worker named Huo Baoji who presented his carefully crafted bike on July 5, 1950. The name Feige (literally 'flying dove') was originally chosen as an expression for peace amidst the raging war in Korea. However, the Chinese word gezi can be translated as either dove or pigeon. For some inexplicable reason the latter was chosen. Why this scruffy, ermin-with-wingsÓ was chosen to represent the nation's most prominent bicycle trademark will forever remain a mystery. It could be that the pigeon was regarded as a working-class fowl. A more likely scenario, however, is that an error in translation occurred. Thus Huo Baoji's vision of the Chinese nation gliding around the country on gleaming 'Flying Dove' bicycles never came to pass.

Despite its somewhat comical name, the arrival of the Feige was the turning point for the bicycle industry. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s almost all bicycles in the country bore its name. Now, a half century later, there are around 200 different models, ranging from( ladies') 'princess' bikes to (men's) 'king' mountain bikes. They can be found in every bicycle shop throughout Beijing.

The Tianjin Flying Pigeon Bicycle Co. Ltd. is a private enterprise and the sole producer of the Flying Pigeon brand bicycles.
The Flying Pigeon bicycles have enjoyed a remarkable reputation both at home and abroad for a long time. It has found its way all over the country and another 50 countries worldwide.

In 1954, the "Flying Pigeon" won the nation's highest award for bicycle quality. Following that, this particular brand has been awarded numerous other accolades such as the State silver medal (highest award among China's bicycle industry), the Gold Medal at the international fair of light industrial products, the best selling commodity award, the best sales service award and was nominated as China's top-rated trade mark.