Last year, the traveling circus shipped me and my family to the other side of the world for an extended engagement in China. Beijing can be… interesting… at times, a city where over 20 million people do their best to get along. But even in a huge, sprawling urban center like this one, one of my favorite things about the place is just how many hidden gems are out there to discover, so long as you’re willing to wander off the beaten path once in a while. What with the near-constant construction here, guidebooks are sure to be out-of-date the instant they’re printed… although somehow, a few favorites have still managed to dodge the bulldozers and slip through the cracks.
One such area, and one of my favorite spots in Beijing, is the 798 Art District. In a former life, this massive complex served as an electronics manufacturing center, at least before these types of jobs were relocated to other provinces. The long-vacant space was attractive to a number of aspiring creative types, mostly because of the cheap rent for their galleries, and in 2002 Factory 798 was officially rededicated to the arts. Over the years, 798 has become home to hundreds of galleries, shops, and cafes, as well as a countless number of public installations.
The 798 Art District is one of those places where you can spend the entire day wandering around, yet still not see everything. If you let a week or two pass in between visits, you might even come back to find a new series of sculptures have popped up overnight, or else an older gallery has shut shut it doors while several others are busy preparing for their grand openings. The industrial backdrop of the remaining factory equipment provides a really cool vibe, and for some reason I always leave here with the urge to go out and create something.
Apart from all the super-cool (and super-pricy!) shops, I’d say my favorite part of any visit to 798 has to be all the opportunities for people-watching. Certainly, 798 is a place to see and be seen, and I got the impression that Beijing’s artsy hipsters feel the same way. My Mandarin is still a little spotty, but I’m pretty sure I’ve overheard more than a few kids talking about just how cool 798 used to be… you know, before the rest of us came along and discovered it…
