"The Old and New Coexisted in a Casual Melange"

Quoting Beijing: From Imperial Capital to Olympic City (p.144) talking about 1920's Beijing:

In an era of transition, the new did not simply displace the old.  Instead, old and new coexisted in a casual melange.  Almost every mode of transport could be found on the streets of Beijing: automobiles, trolleys, rickshaws, bicycles, animal-drawn carts, and, on the backstreets, cargo-laden camels.

I got here too late for the camels!  Until railroads were laid around 1900, much merchandise was brought into Beijing on camels via Silk Road routes.