Health Insurance In China And India - Size Does Matter

Health Insurance In China And India

On March 26, 2008, Beijing hailed the opening of its third airport terminal. Designed by the British firm Foster + Partners, the sleek, modem terminal is 3 km (1.8 miles) long, and 17 percent larger than all of London Heathrow's terminals combined, including Terminal 5, which opened the same week. Built at breakneck speed in four years by an army of 50,000 workers, Beijing's Terminal 3 is an architectural masterpiece to marvel at, with a lofty ceiling, full-height glass windows, and a roof formed in the shape of a dragon.

It was not so long ago that travellers to China resigned themselves to backward terminals, squat toilets, passenger lines from counter to curb, and lounges blanketed by curtains of cigarette smoke. Fifteen years ago, Beijing's airport was a subsized airport located in paddy fields northeast of the capital. Serving 100 flights a day, the terminal was dark, dingy, cramped, and smoky.