One of the last things you would expect to find in a former military factory zone on the north-eastern fringe of Beijing is a thriving contemporary art community but that’s exactly that case in the 798 Art District in Dashanzi.
Having been recommended to visit by a friend I managed to find the sprawling complex of workshops, galleries and cafes scattered within a rabbit warren of semi-derelict factory buildings some still in active use with Communist propaganda slogans adorning a few untouched walls and the sounds of industry emanating from within. It’s a rather surreal mix, yet at the same time the perfect setting for the “co-existence of avant-garde consciousness and traditional sentiment” (or so to speak!).
The state-owned factories were constructed during the late 1950’s and was a collaboration between China, Russia and Germany until their abandonment in the 1990’s. It’s alleged that China’s first atomic bomb was developed here but today has become the focal point of the Beijing art scene.
Whilst I cant say much about the art itself, not being particularly knowledgeable in this field, what fascinates me is that a place like this is even allowed to exist under a regime which frowns on the notion of independent thought and is suspicious of those who step outside the social norms. One can only hope that this oasis of creativity is not subsumed by the inevitable commercialisation which will follow.
Expect Art 798 to be appearing in all good guide books soon but until then directions for how to get there can be found here.
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During my week in Beijing there was only a single day of clear blue sky the entire time I was there, the rest of the time the sky was sadly thick with pollution. Luckily that day fell somewhat appropriately on the same as my visit to Beijing’s Ancient Observatory located in the southeast of Beijing next to Jianguomen subway station. As it was a weekday and a little off the normal tourist trail I practically had the whole place to myself and was able to enjoy a quiet hour at this unassuming yet fascinating piece of Beijing’s history.
The pretelescopic observatory was built in the Ming Dynasty in 1442 and is one of the oldest in the world. The central attraction of the small museum are the huge bronze astronomical instruments situated on the top of the ten-meter tall brick platform. With exotic sounding names such as “celestil globe” and “equatorial armilla” it is amazing to think that the ancient Chinese began to unlock the mysteries of the stars here using only these instruments and the naked eye to take precise measurements of their movements.
Aside from being functional object the instruments are also aesthetically beautiful, covered in ornate carvings, apparently reflecting both the influence of Oriental craftsmanship and European Renaissance understanding of physics. The museum also have some interesting displays on the role of astronomy throughout China’s history.
If you’re interested in this sort of thing you may want to check out Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory in South Korea which I visited last year.
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One of the highlights of my recent trip to Beijing was getting another chance to visit the Great Wall. This time I visited an older section further out from the city at Mutianyu (about 80km northeast from Beijing), generally regarded as one of the best preserved and most impressive sections of the whole wall. It’s also a good choice for those who want to avoid the hoards of tourists who plague Badaling most of the year.
After an interesting bus trip riding along with a horde of migrant workers I arrived near the base of Mutianyu - there are probably easier ways to get there on organised trips but this seemed more interesting! For the intrepid you’ll want to look for bus no. 916 from Dongzhimen bus station. It’s about a 30 min climb to the wall which was built in the Qi Dynasty (550 - 557) and provides around 4km of rugged walking with watchtowers approximately every kilometer.
Magnificent views are to be had in every direction although the best time of year to visit is probably in the spring/autumn when there is green foliage on the trees which cover the sounding mountains. The day I visited was a bit overcast but pleasant enough to enjoy the fresh breeze and a chance to stretch my legs. One part is particularly steep and potentially dangerous so the old and unfit be warned.
Sadly once you reach the end of the maintained section the wall starts to dramatically crumble away and is overgrown with weeds. Although it’s tempting to continue along the wall into the looming mountains there is a guard to stop intrepid tourists - I saw him wittling a stick with a rather large knife so you’ll probably not want to cross him!
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One of the best part of traveling is undoubtedly the food and trying new cuisines. Being such a large country China has a particularly rich array of options to choose from, with almost all regions being represented in Beijing and numerous local varients. On the evening after my day wandering through the north of the city I went for hot pot at Xiabu Xiabu (a popular restaurant chain) in Wangfujing.
Here you choose from a selection of vegetables, meats and seafood to cook in your own individual hot pot containing stock of varying degrees of spiciness. Once cooked you usually dip the food in sesame sauce before eating with a bowl of rice. It’s not the first time I’ve had hot pot, but this was a slightly different varient known as Shabu-shabu (hence the name of the place). Delicious!
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Having walked along the central axis of Beijing for nearly 7 hours I reached what must be one if the most relaxing and tranquil places in the city; the Confucian Temple, devoted to the memory of Confucius and philosophers of Confucianism (nearby the Lama Temple). Away from the hordes of mindless American tourists this is like stepping into another world. All that can be heard is the general murmur of distant chatter and magpies singing in the trees. On a warm spring afternoon I can think of no nicer place to rest ones legs and while away a few hours which is exactly what I’m doing while typing this on my iPhone.
In an age when the world was still full of mystery (the temple was built in 1302) buildings like this were in some respects living fantasy, enhancing the religious/philosophical underpinnings of their existence. We might see a modern equivalent as the CG films of today which take thousands of man hours to construct fantasy realities which transport us out of their ordinary to the extraordinary. Even though we may consider ourselves to have evolved from this time places like this still hold an other-worldly feeling.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Confucian Temple are the 198 stone tablets found on each side of the first courtyard, containing 51,624 names of Jinshi scholars who passed the highest imperial examinations, who then went on to become civil servants.
Photo by akumaprime
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