thE caPitaL LitErary FEStivaL, bEijing

Transcription

the capital
Literary
Festival, beijing
PLUS
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城市漫步北京
英文版 3 月份
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CN 11-5232/GO
March 2014
IT’S
KEEF!
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《城市漫步》北京版英文月刊
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March 2014 // www.thatsmags.com
EDITOR’s note
March
Why are we here? I don’t mean in the metaphysical sense,
I mean, here, in Beijing. It’s a question that just about
everybody not originally from the capital will at some point
ask themselves – usually when the pollution’s high and the
traffic’s at a standstill. Why Beijing? Why not somewhere else,
somewhere cleaner, more efficient, or cosmopolitan? True, a
lot is made of other cities’ supposed cultural superiority, and
no doubt, for much of the 20th century, Paris was a genuinely
happening radical town – full of interesting young artists,
hustlers and bohemians. But now? It’s a cultural museum,
trading on its past.
The same goes for large swathes of Manhattan and central
London. Wanting to move to these places is just an exercise
in nostalgia. The only cultural events taking place in central
London today are the type sponsored by Goldman Sachs.
Young people – the very people who make a city exciting and
culturally relevant – have been priced out. Beijing, for the
moment at least, is different. Sure, the rents may be steadily
increasing and the price of a good drink may have doubled,
tripled even, over the course of the last few years, but it
remains – for now – a place where young people can afford to
live – it’s a city you can participate in – where you can make
stuff happen.
This month, Beijing is playing host to three festivals, JUE Music
and Arts Festival (p.32), The Bookworm Literary Festival (p.64)
and the Capital Literary Festival, as featured on this month’s
cover. It’s a situation that probably won’t last forever, so enjoy
it while you can. As for the magazine itself, there’s been some
changes of late here in Dongzhimen Towers. This month
we’re welcoming new Senior Editor, Oscar Holland, Designer,
Tin Wu and Columnists, Ali Ali (p.16), Mia Li (p.17) and Adam
Dehmohseni (p.31), while bidding farewell to former helmsman
and good friend, Robert Foyle Hunwick. From everyone here at
That’s Beijing, we wish him the very best of success.
See you at the festivals,
Stephen George
Editor-in-Chief
Win! Win! Win!
All-access exclusive passes to the Capital
Literary Festival p.80; meal vouchers
for 8 Qi Nian p.70; vouchers for Allday’s
Café p.71; meal vouchers for Tim’s Texas
BBQ p.71; tickets for selected JUE Festival
events p.31; tickets to see ex-Joy Division
bassist Peter Hook and the Light p.36;
tickets to see Irish comic PJ Gallagher p.37.
3
THE WRAP
//42 CAPITAL
LITERARY
FESTIVAL
A roundup of this month’s
literary festival, including
interviews with all the big
names.
//6 CITY
Sign up for
1 year
(12 issues)
home delivery
of That’s
Beijing for
//16 BLACK MIRROR
Our newest columnist describes
what it’s like to be black in Beijing.
//17 URBAN DICTIONARY
We dissect the latest slang
and slander from the Chinese
interweb.
//18 LIFE & STYLE
RMB240
//18 STYLE SECRETS
We chat with Lil Lin of creative
agency Jellymon about style and
Shanghai versus Beijing.
//20 FASHION
An edit of key, ready-to-wear
looks to fasttrack you into the
warmer climes of the Beijing
springtime.
//30 ARTS
//34 OI! OI! OI!
Myanmar punks rage against
the machine in Asian Film
Week’s, Yangon Calling.
//36 PLAYING HOOKY
Post-punk music legend Peter
Hook talks Joy Division and
New Order.
//52 EAT & DRINK
TEL: 84477002
bjdistribution@urbanatomy.com
4
//54 HOME PLATE
The cavernous new Sanlitun
BBQ joint is a sizzler all right.
//59 PARLOR
We’ve got something to say
about his new speakeasy bar.
//9 HIGH JINX
//12 WALLED CITIES
//24 ALOHA CHINA
//38 it’s KEEF
We catch up with Vitaliy Raskalov,
the Ukrainian daredevil who
scaled the mighty Shanghai
Tower last month.
We venture into one of Beijing’s
PLA compounds to find out
what military campus life is like
behind their closely guarded
doors.
China’s first professional female
surfer Darci Liu on going from
ballerina to wave rider and the
thrills of the sport.
Mick Jagger last month – this
time we’ve landed an exclusive
interview with Keith Richards.
Rolling Stones: done and
dusted.
// 62 EVENTS
// QUOTE OF THE ISSUE
events
pick of six art exhibitions
“When not producing films with Hitchcock,
fishing with Trotsky or cursing in russian with
Charlie Chaplin, Ivor Montagu dedicated himself
to the global proliferation of table tennis.”
events
Events are editors’ picks of the b
not comprehensive. To list an ev
urbanatomy.com. For some deta
COM
Nightlife
MAR 1
*Talk: Feminism
World
What does femin
Europe and elsew
it mean on an in
Perennial questio
Bookworm’s Inte
Day, featuring co
prominent femin
mentators.
// RMB80; 10am; The
for details)
COMMUNITY
Workshop: Fashion Extravaganza for
Students
Renowned artist The Black Lychee will
help children to better understand the
creative process behind a fashion show
and inspire some future Armanis.
// Free; 10-11am for 3-5 years old, 1-2.30pm for
6-11 years old; Ullens Center for Contemporary
Art, see listings for details.
Coming Soon: Lei Lei Solo Show
2014.2.15 to 2014.3.14. Star Gallery
C5 Qikeshu Creative Park, No.55 Banjieta Lu, Chaoyang
星空间, 朝阳区半截塔村55号七棵树创意园C5 (6418 9591)
MAR 1-13
ART
Play: Rhinoceros in Love
More an allegory than a real love story,
the ridiculously-titled Rhinoceros in
Love tells the story of a man’s desperate attempts to woo a partner. An evergreen on Chinese stages since its first
show in 1999; by renowned director
Meng Jinghui.
// RMB180-300; National Centre for the
Performing Arts, 2 Xichangan Jie, Xicheng 西
城区西长安街2号
Marcos Lutyens:
Pushed
5+: Ding Yi, Geng Jianyi, Hu Jieming, Wang Youshen,
Xu Chen - Produced by Madein.com, Yang Fudong, Yu
Youhan, Zhang Enli
Chambers Fine Art Beijing
Red No.1-D, Caochangdi,
Chaoyang中国北京市朝
阳区草场地红一号D座
(5127 3298)
MAR 2
COMMUNITY
2014.2.24. to 2014. 4.13. ShangART Beijing. No. 261 Cao Chang Di, Jichang Fulu., Chaoyang
朝阳区机场辅路草场地261号 (6432 3202)
Workshop: Carnival Culinary
Traditions
Whatever and wherever the festival,
there’s always food. Chef Johana de la
Torre will show you how to make some
traditional carnival dishes from nations
like Jamaica and Brazil without leaving
Beijing.
// RMB280, RMB220 for members; 5-7.30pm;
The Hutong Kitchen, 1 Jiu Dao Wan Zhong Xiang
Hutong, Dongcheng 东城区九道湾中巷1号159
0104 6127 info@thehutong.com
NIGHTLIFE
Gig: Avril Lavinge
The queen of punk pop’s reign might
be waning in the West but she rules
supreme in China. Expect girl power,
spiky hair and lots of Sk8er bois.
// RMB380-1680; 7.30-9.30pm; Beijing
Mastercard Center, Haidian 海淀区海淀区复兴
路万事达中心 (8765 8765, www.byguyguyguy.
com)
PING PONG DIPLOMACY with NICHOLAS GRIFFIN, P.46
MAR 3
COMMUNITY
Anatoly Shuravlev
Reach Out – China
Exhibition
2014.3.8 to 2014.4.20. Galerie Urs Meile
Beijing. No.104 Caochangdi, Chaoyang
麦勒画廊北京朝阳区草场地104号
(6433 3393)
62
Film: Love Liza (2002, dir. Todd Louiso)
Part of Dada’s Philip Seymour
Hoffman month. This is one of the
late Hoffman's most visceral roles,
plumbing the depths of addiction and
depression.
// Free, 9pm, Dada (see listings for details)
Art Post-Internet
2014.03.01 to 2014.05.11. Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. 798 Art District, 4
Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang
朝阳区酒仙桥路4号798艺术区 (5780 0200 )
Marcos Lutyens: Pushed
Chambers Fine Art Beijing. Red No.1-D, Caochangdi, Chaoyang
朝阳区草场地红一号D座 (5127 3298)
MAR 4
FOOD&DRINK
MAR 8-9
nIGHtLIFe: seCRet GARDen POP UP
DIsKO snOW AnD MUsIC
Been captivated by the winter games over in sunny Sochi? Well, did you know
there are a ton of snowcapped and smog free mountains right outside the capital so that you, your very self, can try some downhill skiing (without the lycra
and high speed crashes)? The rather luxurious Genting Secret Garden resort
outside Zhangjiakou (which might be hosting a games of its own in the future) is
hosting a weekend of snow sports and music with some of Beijing’s top DJs in a
truly epic location.
// Prices start at RMB937/pp for groups of four, which includes transport to and from Beijing, accommodation with breakfast, and a 1.5 day ski pass. Contact Migas 010 5208 6061or drop in to pick up
tickets; (www.secretgardenresorts.com)
Drink: The Big Smoke Bistro
The Big Smoke and JingA present a
night of solid brews with some surprising experimental concoctions thrown
in. Reservation required.
// No cover; 7pm to late; The Big Smoke Bistro,
Lee World Building, 57 Xingfucun Zhonglu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区幸福村中路57号楼利世楼
(6416 5195)
MAR 5
SPORTS
Hike: Silver Pagoda Loop
Follow a seldom-used trail to get to
the 600-year-old Silver Pagodas, including a steep climb up the 720m high
peak of Holly Mountain. Might not be
so polluted up there.
// RMB400, RMB360 for members, 8.30am start,
(www.beijinghikers.com)MAR 5-9
ART
Peking Opera: You and Me
Based on the ancient epic Zuo's
Commentary (722 BC), this classic opera examines whether blood really is
thicker than water and the importance
of family ties, rousin and emotional
stuff. By film director Zhang Yimou and
composer Zhu Shaoyu.
Performing Arts, 2 Xichangan Jie, Xicheng 西城
区西长安街2号
Gig: Pacalolo
Synth pop, electronica and dance music fused together with beautiful melodies by a Chinese group with a rather
funky name.
// No cover; 10pm; Dada (see listings for details)
MAR 8
ART
Concert: Mars Folie Festival 2014 in
Beijing
The Alliance Française Beijing is holding a two day concert with artists from
all corners of the Francophone world,
which includes folk rock, rap, reggae
and Celtic rock.
// Reservation required with at Alliance Francaise
Guangcai, Xihai and BLCU centers; www.beijing.
afchine.org; 4-6pm, 8-10pm; concert at Yugong
Yishan. See listings for details.
*Talk: Leftover W
Fincher in Conve
After 1949, Chair
that “Women ho
Yet the gains of g
now rapidly bein
post-socialist era
whose book on C
is published in M
important and o
velopment in con
society.
// RMB80; 6pm; The
for details)
MA
COM
Kids: Family We
Create artwork w
learn from intern
tors, build your v
watch children m
Embassy's specia
// Free; 10am-7pm; U
M
COM
*Talk: Getting Se
Oxymoronic non
attempt to defin
yourself, as four
around the worl
mor is and how
// RMB80; 6pm; The
for details)
*Talk: At Least W
At Least We Lived
ry of Max and Au
couple who met
at the height of t
Acclaimed autho
how the conflict
and those in it.
// RMB65 6pmThe Bo
March 2014 // www.th
Tiger Father p60
Style Radar p18
MAR 6
NIGHTLIFE
Gig: Dirty Vegas
Big in the early noughties when they
released Grammy award-winning
release Days Go By, the British house
trio are back touring again after a
brief split.
// RMB150 (door), RMB100 (presale); 9pm;
Yugong Yishan (see listings for details)
*Talk: Between
Musharraf Ali Fa
Musharraf Ali Fa
short-listed nove
Dust, is a story o
Pakistani roles an
sect with moder
cuss this sensitiv
which took him
Go to this.
// RMB80; 4pm; The
for details)
New Restaurants p54
JUE Festival p32
5
CITY
THE BUZZ
Random Number
Quote of the month
32,503
“The sun has fallen, and the
temperature is dropping so
quickly… to tell you all a secret, I don’t feel that sad. I
was just in my own adventure
story – and like every hero, I
encountered a small problem.
Goodnight, Earth. Goodnight,
humanity.”
// Chinese lunar explorer Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, puts a brave face on
things after suffering a fatal breakdown halfway through its intended
three-month mission to study the moon’s crust. God we loved that
plucky little buggy. Sorry, we must’ve got something in our eye…
That’s the record number of
Chinese plastic surgery tourists
who visited South Korea in 2012.
China has now surpassed the US
as the country supplying South
Korea’s surgeons with the most
nip/tuck work, making up 20.4
percent of all operations on for-
eign nationals in the country. In
January, a surgery in Seoul came
under intense criticism when it
published grisly photos of a totem
pole it had erected in its clinic
made entirely of chin bone shavings from previous operations.
WP
CHINESE WHISPERS
Urban myths: flammable gas in Sanlitun balloons
The myth: It’s Saturday night
in Sanlitun and you’re running
out of ideas to impress the
girl you’ve just met outside
Heaven Supermarket. The sun is
coming up and she’s about to
leave – if only there was some
overblown, last-ditch romantic
gesture you could make to win
her over! You spot a balloon
seller, and snap up six for a bargain 250 kuai.
Sashaying back over to your
target, you casually spark up a
Zhongnanhai extra smooth, only
for disaster to strike. A rogue
spark connects with your bouquet
of heart-shaped balloons,
and, from nowhere, your cigarette
ignites whatever foul gas is
6
released from inside.
The whole
plan has quite literally blown up
in your face,
and those
burns are
going to
need more
than just a
cup of warm
water to
treat them.
The reality:
We first heard about
this incredulous tale
from a friend who says a
man actually died at Lantern
club
after his cigarette
ignited the dodgy
gas from a balloon
he’d bought in
Sanlitun. We
inquired
at the
Gongti
nightclub,
only for
them to
tell us that
no one
had died,
or even been
injured. A run
through some online
forums, though, did
reveal some concerned
parents complaining about
foul-smelling
gases being released from their
kids’ balloons. It’s thought industrial gases are cheaper than
helium, the odorless and inert gas
normally pumped
into balloons.
Verdict: Fearing we might never
get to the bottom of this incendiary tale, we donned our safety
specs and took to the streets of
Sanlitun to conduct a little experiment. Finding a vendor, we asked
what kind of gas was inside. “Qi,”
he told us (“air”). Taking out a
pin and a ciggy, we released the
gas and held it up to the heat.
Nothing. Not even a hint of a suspicious odor. WP
Edited by Stephen George, NED KELLY & karoline KAN
bjeditor@urbanatomy.com
This month in history
DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?
One day in… March
March 2, 1931 and Pearl S.
Buck’s novel The Good Earth
is published. It immediately
becomes an international bestseller, winning the Pulitzer Prize
the following year, and is widely
hailed in the West as the most
important book about China
since The Travels of Marco Polo.
Jiang Shan
Though American by birth, Buck
had left her native land when
just three months old to travel
with her missionary parents
to China. She spent the rest of
her childhood learning the language and culture. After spending a few years back in the US
attending college, she returned
to the country that had nurtured her in 1914, remaining
there almost continuously for
the next 20 years.
It was while living in Nanjing
with her first husband that
she wrote The Good Earth,
drawn from her experiences
in rural Anhui. Rocketing her
into the realms of literary celebrity, the book was a significant factor in her Nobel Prize
in Literature in 1938, which
made her the first American
woman to receive the honor.
Tracking farmer Wang Lung’s
life from his wedding day
until his death, the novel’s
simply painted but moving portrait of the plight of
the Chinese peasant stoked
Western sympathy for a country
many had dehumanized (and
did so ahead of war with Japan).
It was followed by two sequels
which together form The House
of Earth trilogy.
In 1934, Buck left China, partly
in order to be closer to her second husband and mentally ill,
institutionalized daughter, and
partly as a result of a controversial speech lambasting missionaries, in which she expressed
such sentiments as: “I can never
have done with my apologies to
the Chinese people that in the
name of a gentle Christ we have
sent such people to them.”
She was never able to set foot in
the Middle Kingdom again. Her
last attempt to do so, in 1972,
the year of Nixon’s famous trip,
was staunchly blocked by the
Chinese authorities, who labeled her an “American cultural
imperialist” and claimed her
works had “taken an attitude of
distortion towards the people of
new China and its leaders.” She
died a year later. NK
snap city
“Thanks for giving up everything,
just traveling with me to be my
hitting partner, fix the drinks
and fix the rackets. He does a lot
of jobs. So thanks a lot, you are
a nice guy. And also you are so
lucky – to find me.”
Australian Open champion Li Na
teased husband Jiang Shan in a
hilarious winner's speech after
beating Dominika Cibulkova to
secure her second career Grand
Slam in Melbourne. And not for
the first time.
Li has a rich history of poking
fun at Jiang, ribbing him about
everything from his (lack of)
cooking skills to his snoring. The
latter first brought him to international attention, when in 2011
she revealed that she had slept
poorly on the eve of her semi-final victory, one that made her the
first Chinese player ever to reach
a Grand Slam final, because of his
buzz-saw-breathing.
“I think today he can stay in the
bathroom,” Li smiled. “Last night
I was waking up every hour, so I
said to him: ‘Stop, I can't sleep.’
My husband just said: ‘Relax.’ I
said: ‘How?’ He told me just to relax. He just totally forgot me. This
morning, he was asking: ‘How did
you sleep?’ I just told him to
stop.” The snoring was down to
his weight, apparently. Li had the
solution: “I say, ‘If you put on
more weight, you’re divorced,’ so
he changed!’”
A prophetic subtitle error from BBC News suggests that the crackdown on prostitution in
Dongguan might just be the start of the year’s action.
Which is the very same fate Jiang
would face if he ever grew tired
of being ridiculed: “If he says,
‘Enough,’ I think we will divorce,”
Li warns. NK
7
TALES OF THE CITY
Edited by Stephen George
SUPER HOAX
Invisible
con-woman
Hidden treasures
From rags to riches
A priceless Ming Dynasty monument,
dating from 1477, has been uncovered
in Mao’er Hutong, where it was being
used by residents as a laundry rack. The
4-meter-high stone relic, engraved with
an intricate dragon pattern, is believed
to be the only surviving feature of a
much larger temple complex that originally stood on the site. Dongcheng
Cultural Relics Bureau has since promised
to begin discussing ways of protecting
the monument, while, for their part, residents have agreed to stop hanging their
clothes on it: “I had no idea it was so
old,” explained one elderly neighbor. “I
will keep away from it, from now on.”
icefall
subway bender
When Xuanwu freezes over
Party on, bro
A woman is due to appear in
court charged with fraud after
she allegedly stole over
RMB120,000 (USD19,788) from
two female lovers. The con,
claim prosecutors, was part of
an elaborate hoax that saw the
54-year-old woman, surnamed
Zhang, disguise herself as a man
and pose as a high-ranking Party
member and international police officer with special powers
of invisibility.
Using fake identity papers and
going by the name of Mr. Li,
Zhang is alleged to have joined
an online QQ group for middleaged singles, where she wooed
the two women, one of whom
she later moved in with.
This is what happens when
you leave your water running
in freezing temperatures.
Residents in the Taoranting
area of Beijing’s Xuanwu District
were shocked one morning
to see a huge frozen waterfall
coming from an apartment
block.
According to the Legal Evening
News, the waterfall, which was
over 10 meters high and four
8
meters across, was coming from
the building’s fourth storey. It is
unclear whether the pillar of ice
was due to a burst pipeline or a
negligent resident.
This isn’t the first time a Chinese
apartment block has been covered in ice in this fashion. A Jilin
resident caused a seven-storey
icefall after he left his hot tap
on all winter for fear of his pipes
freezing over.
A Beijing man was arrested after
he was found black-out-drunk
and sprawled naked on the
subway. Passengers contacted
police after the man, believed
to be in his 30s, fell asleep stark
naked across several seats on a
Line 10 subway car. Photos of
the man were soon uploaded
to Weibo and other social media. According to one poster,
the man stunk of booze. Police
later arrested the man at the
Agricultural Exhibition Hall
Station.
According to reports, Zhang went
to great lengths to maintain the
deception, even going so far as to
have sex with one of the victims,
using “highly realistic” dildos she
bought online.
She is also believed to have stolen
a laptop and up to RMB4,000 in
cash from a third, as-yet unamed
elderly victim.
It is not the first time Zhang has
been in trouble. The Beijing
native previously spent 11 years
in prison for fraud, according
to a statement released by the
prosecutors.
CITY
Last month a duo of daredevils
the
filmed themselves climbing up and
er
Tow
ai
ngh
Sha
ter
632-me
hanging perilously off the crane
which is
that juts out from the building ction.
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stil
cking
The video quickly went viral, clo but
ek,
we
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in
up 20 million views
r that
little was known about the pai We
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tracked them down to find out r’.
ppe
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a
it takes to be
How long did you plan this event for?
Vitaly Raskalov: We started to plan it maybe
six months ago. We knew about the Shanghai
Tower being the second tallest building in the
world and so Vadim [Makhorov] and I thought
we’d go to China for one month and try to
climb it.
How long did it take to reach the top?
From the ground to the top – the 121st floor –
about an hour and a half on foot.
And you were up there for 18 hours, right?
Yeah, we slept up there, waiting for better
weather. We just slept in the crane.
Were you worried someone
would come up and find you?
No. We weren’t worried. We knew there wasnobody in the construction building. We knew
about New Year. We didn’t worry.
What is the feeling you get when you are
at the top of a building like the Shanghai
Tower?
Simple. Feeling free.
Were you surprised at quite how popular
the Shanghai Tower video has become?
Yeah I was surprised. Really surprised. Every
hour on my email – 10, 20, 50 emails: ‘Oh,
wow, you guys are amazing.’ And so much attention from the press. But it’s normal for us.
After climbing the Giza Pyramids, it was the
same – CNN, ABC calling us, asking about an
interview.
Have you been contacted by
the Chinese authorities at all?
Yes, the Chinese government has blocked us
[from entering the country again]. They sent a
message to the Russian Embassy seeking our
real names. Vadim and I and are banned from
China for 20 years, I think, maybe even forever.
So when did you start climbing buildings?
Four years ago in Moscow. Vadim and I have
the same story: we’d just bought cameras and
were into photography. Some of my friends
would climb on roofs for better shots, so we
followed them up. It evolved from that.
Aside from the Shanghai Tower, what
is the favorite place you have climbed?
The Great Pyramids of Giza, in Cairo. Next,
Moscow State University. And then Russky
Bridge in Vladivostok. Those were my favorite
places.
So what are you guys going do
next – how much can you tell us?
We’re planning on Japan, South Korea – and
then we’ve got something special planned for
America, something bigger and better than
the Shanghai Tower. In the USA, it’s not just the
climb that’s dangerous; after 9/11 the police
will think you’re a terrorist, and you can guess
how they’ll deal with that. Then we want to
make a documentary about rooftopping. We
are just chasing the dream and always looking to go to the next highest point to see the
things no one else gets to see.
How do you make the
money to support all this?
We sell pictures to the media, like you.
What do your mothers say
about what you do?
My parents say, ‘Awesome!’ Really, it’s true. It’s
my work – and I love this work.
We’re assuming you left the
country before you released the video?
No, no, no. After. We left the country two days
after we released the video. We took a real risk
there.
9
‘We are just chasing the dream and always
looking to go to the next highest point to see the
things no one else gets to see’
10
CITY
Special Feature
The Last of the
Gilded Citadels
Life inside the secretive world of Beijing’s PLA compounds
By Karoline Kan
11
CITY
Special Feature
The Last of the
Gilded Citadels
Life inside the secretive world of Beijing’s PLA compounds
By Karoline Kan
12
T
his year, Wang Xian will
turn 28. For all but six of
those years she has lived in
Beijing – it’s where she grew up,
where she went to school, where
she attended university and
where she now works. Yet despite her obvious connection to
the city, her sense of identity remains that of an outsider. Sitting
on a bench in front of a wall
emblazoned with the militaristic
slogan, “Listen to the Party. Win
the battle,” Wang underscores
her ambivalence. “Beijing is the
place where I’ve spent most of
my life. It’s my home, yes, but it’s
not my hometown.”
As the daughter of a highranking colonel in the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA), Wang
grew up in a military compound 25km northwest of
Tiananmen Square. “They call
me a Beijingren, and of course,
technically, that’s not wrong – it’s
what it says on my ID card,” she
explains. “But my relationship
with Beijing is closer to that of a
migrant worker. I remember the
very first time that I met my classmates at school in Dongcheng
– real Beijing kids who talked in
Beijing dialect. I realized then
that I was different. I remember
thinking, who am I?”
To outsiders, Wang’s childhood
home remains a mysterious
place, surrounded by high
walls and guarded at all times
by armed soldiers. Inaccessible
to all but select military personnel and their families, the
compound receives few civilian
visitors. Its whereabouts are not
made visible on online maps,
nor is its address publically available.
and women strolling purposefully between buildings. Work
starts at 8am sharp and finishes
at 11.30am. Lunch is eaten communally and typically followed
by a mid-afternoon nap. Work
commences again at 2pm and
finishes at 5pm.
Once inside, however, perspectives can appear reversed.
Mystery is replaced by routine
and spontaneity by order. Each
day soldiers awake at dawn to
perform exercises and chant patriotic slogans. At 6.30am, ‘Ode
to the Motherland’ is broadcast
across loud speakers, followed
by morning updates from China
National Radio. By 7am the courtyard is alive with uniformed men
Almost all material needs are
provided for. Heavily subsidized
daycare and kindergarten options are available for families
with children; a regular free bus
service shuttles residents to and
from the nearest subway station;
food is purchased using government-issued food stamps; artistic
activities and community events
are held on select evenings
军事
禁区
禁止
入内
13
CITY
Special Feature
from across the nation. It had
nothing to do with Beijing’s 700
years of culture.”
This sense of social detachment
from the realties of everyday life
is shared by many of those who
spent their formative years inside
one of Beijing’s many military
compounds. “Kids who grow up
in a military compound are more
innocent, confident and idealistic,
because they’ve never experienced bitterness, so their personalities are more earnest,” says Li
Qiaoying, who lived in a variety
of different military compounds
from her birth in 1957, to 1974,
when she was sent to rural Shanxi
as part of Mao’s “Down to the
Countryside” movement.
“Even during the Great Chinese
Famine, compounds were protected within the special system,
they never experienced starvation. They were not persecuted
in the Cultural Revolution. They
had a certain superiority. Military
officers and soldiers had the most
respected social status in China,”
explains Li.
Wang Xian, pictured here with her parents in 1987, Beijing.
and weekends; while rent is fixed
at below RMB100 per month, per
household.
“It is the uncut tail of China’s
communist society,” explains
Ma Gang, a regimental colonel
who works in the compound
where Wang lives. “With China’s
development and reform, similar
compounds belonging to different socialist units crumbled, but
military ones were left untouched.
They are a time capsule.”
In the immediate years following
the establishment of the People’s
Republic, the Chinese government
expanded Beijing in line with
Soviet recommendations, building numerous specially-designed
units, or compounds, along the
city’s western, southwestern and
eastern frontiers.
Over time, life inside the compounds took on additional political significance. In a period characterized by efforts to eliminate
class barriers and an absence of
material wealth, securing a place
inside a compound became a status symbol.
This was aided by changes in
Beijing’s social fabric. By the late
1950s, the splendor of the city’s
once-famed siheyuan [courtyard
houses] had begun to fade.
Occupants, mostly wealthly people, thought at the time to be
members of the opressive class,
were persecuted and forced
from their homes. In their place
emerged a new urban class,
drawn from the city’s expanding
industrial sector.
By contrast, those who lived in
14
But not all memories relating to
compound life are positive.
Li Qiaoying, far left, pictured here in Beijing,
prepares for weekend military drills, early 1970s.
‘Life inside those compounds was far
beyond the imagination of people
outside. It was the illusion of the
communist society come true’
compounds, “belonged to the
state” – the country’s new elite. In
addition to housing, life inside the
compounds guaranteed higher
than average living standards:
clean wide streets, beautiful gardens, free bathing rooms, free
cinemas, free activity halls, free
buses, free shops, free barbers,
free phones, free post offices, free
hot water, free electricity and free
heat. “In the planned economic
era, life inside those compounds
was far beyond the imagination
of people outside. It was the illusion of a communist society come
true, but enjoyed by only a special
group of people,” says Ma Gang.
The children of military officers inside the compound were
dubbed “Wild Children” by local
Beijingers, who considered them
outsiders, who took a considerable share of local resources. Most
compound kids cared little about
their new nicknames; they were
proud of their special identity.
In the foreword to the novel
Little Red Flowers, Chinese prizewinning author and former
compound resident Wang Shuo,
writes of how his own compound
was, “once called ‘The New
Beijing,’ isolated in the west from
the old city, its residents drawn
In 1968, during a period of increased tension between China
and Russia, Li’s family was relocated to a county in Hebei alongside
her dad’s regiment – the move,
intended to bolster the capital’s
defenses, led to Li losing contact
with her childhood friends. Later,
Li was selected as one of only
two children in her compound to
attend an international school in
Beijing. “It was a very prestigious
place at the time,” says Li. “Most
of the children were the sons
and daughters of foreign ambassadors. However, before I was due
to enroll, the Cultural Revolution
broke out, and the school was
blocked by Red Guards.”
Prior to the reform period, most
compound children chose to follow their parents and grandparents into a career in the military,
where they would swear to “protect their home and country.” But
for those who leave the comforts
of the compound in pursuit of
jobs outside, life can be tough.
In the frenetic world of modern
Beijing, idealism counts for little.
“Inside the compound, the soldiers and your parents’ will protect you and praise you. Outside
you are on your own,” explains
57-year-old Li Qiaoying. “Although
generally, compound kids live an
okay life, rarely do they become
‘I can’t find a
reason why I
should join the
PLA. There are
lots of better
opportunities out
there. I mean, jobs
with much more
freedom’
very successful. Life in the compound does not adequately prepare you for the real world.”
The status once attached to growing up inside a compound is also
beginning to wane. “It declines
together along with the status of
military officers in China. Once
soldiers were the first marriage
choice, but now even military
officers don’t rank so high in the
marriage market,” says Ma Gang.
Written on the wall of Wang
Xian's compound, is the slogan: “A
soldier is sacred and inviolable.”
The truth, however, is that the
days of “Learn from and Advocate
the PLA” are quietly receding.
Outside the compound walls, a
middle class is emerging, people
have more freedom, and the type
of rigid ideological education that
made compound life possible has
lost its influence. Fashion trends
now come from outside the compound walls. The cool kids are
those who wear foreign-name
brands, not those with military
uniforms and hats with red stars.
Most of those growing up in
compounds today no longer
dream of becoming a military
officer. Today’s compound kids
are free to study elsewhere and
can mix freely with local children.
Although most parents continue
to uphold military traditions, most
compound kids prefer Western
pop culture to weekend parades.
The cinemas in the local shopping
malls are far better than the old
ones in the “cultural plaza” and
the performances in their theater
can’t compete with the newest
American TV series.
“I can’t find a reason why I should
join the PLA. There are lots of
better opportunities out there.
I mean, jobs with much more
freedom, with similar salaries and
similar insurance packages. I have
a Beijing hukou [registration], I
have an apartment, I have connections; of course, they all come
from my parents through their
military background. But why
would I want to spend the rest of
my life on the inside?” says Wang
Xian.
For as long as she can remember,
Wang was told not to reveal her
father’s role in the PLA to outsiders. “What’s funny is, even I don’t
know exactly what it is he does.
We generally call it confidential
work,” she says.
However, despite her willingness
to carve out a life of her own
outside of the compound, Wang
admits she maintains a lingering
sense of superiority. “Although
the salary of my parents is not
high compared to Beijing’s top
earners, we belong to a special
group. We have guards, who are
real PLA soldiers, at the gate,” she
says. “Let me tell you a story. One
day, when I was in middle school,
the school bus driver complained
I was too slow. Without saying a
word, I got out of the bus, called
my dad, and he sent a military car.
The car pulled out in front of the
bus, and I left with the soldier.”
Former military compound kid
Wang Shuo wrote in his book My
Thousand Years of Coldness: “I am
a CCP member, all my family are,
all the people in my compound
are, men and women, old and
young. Before I was ten years old,
I did not know anybody who was
not a Communist party member.
Later, when I moved out, I met
real laobaixing, I felt I had moved
from a rich nation to a poor one.”
Although the military songs are
still played every day in the compounds, the winds of change are
beginning to blow. Colonel Ma
Gang’s four year-old daughter
Compound kids enjoy a game of
basketball, Beijing, late 1970s.
has half-Caucasian classmates in
her compound kindergarten. One
day, those mixed race children will
stand to inherit their grandparents’ apartments.
“Do you see those high-end restaurants outside our compound?
They are closing, they have lost
a lot of business since last year,
after the crackdown on corruption,” says Wang Xian. “And you
won’t see military cars picking up
someone’s relatives from a Beijing
railway station much these days
either. They are all locked away in
the compound – along with their
other privileges.”
Wang Xian’s father, far left, pictured here in the late 1970s, Beijing.
15
opinion
CITY
Black mirror
BECAUSE NOT ALL LAOWAI ARE WHITE
By ali ali
who I was. China definitely flipped
the script. Here, I am black first,
and a fully functioning human
being second.
My skin color is not the only feature that defines my blackness.
My nose, my eyes, and, more
distinctly, my hair, are all alien to
Chinese people who have never
had the opportunity to get up
close and personal with a real live
black person.
I understand it’s not unique tothose of us with dark skin; I’m
sure blonde Scandinavians get just
as many soul-penetrating stares
from migrant workers on Line 2
as I do. But, they probably don’t
get the sniggering school children
who think it is perfectly acceptable to scream out, “What’s up my
nigga!” as I walk along the street.
Can you pose a moment, while I have my picture taken with you?
M
y China story begins,
as do many others, in
the arrivals lounge at
Beijing Capital Airport. It’s also
where my story differs. I had been
in the country all of ten minutes
when a customs official, addressing me as “Sir,” asked me to “step
this way” and follow him into a
small darkened room.
Was there an issue with my visa?
Had attentive sniffer dogs picked
up a scent? Another motive for
their questioning couldn’t help
but creep into my mind.
“Sir, what nationality are you, and
where in Africa are you traveling
from?” my new uniformed friend
asked. “I’m not traveling from
Africa,” I replied. “I’ve just flown in
from London.”
“And what were you doing inLondon, sir?” What was I doing?
“Umm, living?” I replied. Before I
could follow up with a less philosophically open-ended answer, a
second official appeared.
The two of them studied me
quizzically. “Sir, what country, in
Africa?” repeated the first official,
as the second official began looking through my belongings.
Growing tired of this battle of
misguided wits, I decided it was
16
better to fight words with actions.
I raised my arm and pointed at my
British passport, emblazoned with
the Queen’s coat of arms.
They looked hard at the passport.
“Okay, sir,” said the first official.
“Thank you. You are free to go.”
To quote a famous African, albeit
an adopted one, “To be British is
to win first prize in the lottery of
life.”
As I wheeled my suitcase out of
the departure lounge and inhaled
my first deep breath of crisp
Beijing winter air, it dawned on
me that this was no holiday – I
was here to stay. I lit a cigarette
and wondered, would every day
in China echo these first few minutes?
The short answer is yes.
Despite being an avid Sinophile
since school, I never imagined
that I might one day live amid
the hustle and bustle of Beijing’s
hutongs. The recession in London
was doing its best to keep young
graduates on the dole, and like
many of my peers I was flittering
from one unfulfilling stop-gap job
to the next. It wasn’t long before
I took the decision to join the raft
of young professionals moving
east in search of work and adven-
‘My nose, my
eyes, and more
distinctly, my hair,
are all alien to
Chinese people’
ture. I was an economic migrant
heading to Beijing.
Not that everyone shared my enthusiasm for China. Most people
I knew reacted with a mix of mistrust and prejudice.
“You know Chinese people hate
us black people, right?” claimed
one friend, whose opinion was
based largely on the level of
customer service he had received
at his local Chinese takeout. My
ethnically Chinese neighbor was
more trenchant still: “I know my
people, they are racist and ignorant – don’t take it to heart.”
Is a lack of education in China to
blame? Or is the foreign media
in which they’ve picked up these
racially charged phrases? It’s impossible to say. Black people in
China, to some extent, exist only
on TV – in NBA games and music
videos. My being here subverts
that, especially as I’m neither rapping nor shooting hoops (though
I’m happy to do either, for the
right price).
As a normal guy, I find it hard
to be in the spotlight, and occasionally I wonder if I can last it
out. Will China turn me from a
self-confident and racially hangupfree individual into a shrinking
violet?
During that first week in Beijing,
I thought a lot about those intrigued migrant worker faces. I’m
pretty sure that I might have been
the first black person they had
ever encountered. I tried to wonder how I might react if I were
them – and that’s just the thing,
ultimately, I will never know – at
least not for the moment.
Growing up in London, one of the
world’s most multi-cultural cities,
the color of my skin rarely featured in everyday conversation.
Understanding China, and how I
might survive within it, will take
time and a lot of energy. It might
also require that I carry my passport on me, especially in certain
parts of Sanlitun.
Being black was a part of my identity, sure, but I didn’t let it define
// Next month, our man gets a job and takes a
trip to Guangzhou's infamous “chocolate city.”
CITY
CHINESE
DICTIONARY
By Mia li
nanshen /nán shén/ n.
n. a male pin-up, a man revered
for his attractiveness. 男神
nushen /nǚshén / n.
n. a female pin-up, the female
equivalent of a nanshen 女神
How to use it:
A: Ryan Gosling is a total nanshen. B: That is until you actually get to know
him. Don't meet your hero.
A: What would you do if a nanshen
asked you out?
B: I'd wake up, make breakfast for my
husband and kids and then slap you in
the face for suggesting something so
unrealistic.
One month after this year’s Spring Festival gala,
with the much-heralded appearance of Korean pop
star Lee Min-ho, and an agreement on exactly what
constitutes a nanshen seems to have been reached.
Nanshen, literally meaning “male god,” is the male
equivalent of, and the sequel to nüshen, or goddess.
Both nanshen and nüshen are the fantastically flawless examples of their respective gender, possessing
both physical beauty and faultless character. They are
perfect renditions of femininity and masculinity. A
nanshen is Prince Charming with depth, or Jesus with
sex appeal. He plans for the weekend as well as for the future.
He holds the door for you and a prestigious degree
in medicine for himself. He adores his girlfriend
(singular) and small animals and children. Feeling
nauseated yet?
Some of the criteria may seem a bit paradoxical. He
is tall but not too tall, muscular but not too muscular. He enjoys the company of ladies but doesn't
indulge. He doesn't play video games but is very
good at it when he does. He gets jealous but not
very often.
Compared to the qualities of a nüshen (big-eyed,
pale-skined, nice-smelling and graceful in heels), the
criteria for a nanshen center around a man’s capabilities. He can run, drive, climb, dance, sing, flirt and
romance. He can dress to impress, make memorable
public speeches and bravely shoulder responsibilities.
The same as a nüshen, a nanshen is defined by how
out of league he is for all of us who live in the real
world. A nanshen only lives in our fantasy, no matter which k-pop star face you put on him. Like the
“first super model” Gia Carangi said when she first
appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine: “Nobody
looks that good, not even me.”
His shoulders and jawline are strong, like his opinions. He has long legs and a long attention span.
// Mia Li is a news reporter in Beijing by day; at night, she tries to turn that
news into standup comedy.
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17
life&style
style radar
STYLE SECRETS
COVET
Lin Lin, co-founder of Jellymon
Jellymon in a nutshell.
A boutique creative agency
that always aims to push
boundaries to do great work
in China.
You work between Beijing and
Shanghai. How do you think
the two cities compare and
differ?
I get asked this question pretty
often, and I could give you a
number of answers. But, essentially, Beijing loves me in
the harshest ways and
Shanghai tells me
she loves me all
the time. Beijing
makes me say “I
do” as if we were
married, so I take the
traffic and swallow
the air. Shanghai romances me like
a lover who
knows how
to pamper
me and on whom I shouldn't
overdose.
How would you describe your
style?
When it comes to fashion, I
don’t only have one style. I believe in consistency as well as
appropriation. I have had the
same haircut for the past seven
years but I know how to rock
it in different ways: it can be a
1920s Shanghai bob cut or a
Blade Runner kind of hairdo.
What’s in your beauty
bag?
Ruby Woo lipstick
and black eyeliner
(both by Mac), Bare
Minerals Powder Set,
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery
Concentrate (especially
when I’m in Beijing
– I use it in the
morning, midday
and midnight),
City times
Yes, you probably
already have a digital
watch, or have
ditched watches
altogether
because, really,
what’s the point
of looking
down at your
wrist to get the
time when your
phone is already
in your hand? But if
your old-fashioned
self still likes a nice
timepiece, you’ll love
this number by Mr
Jones. Called ‘All Around the
World,’ it has eight distinct hour
hands, each in the shape of an
architectural landmark from the
city they represent (London? Big
Ben. Paris? Eiffel Tower. You get
the idea) and a minute hand in
the shape of a pigeon – because
all cities have flying rats. Genius.
RMB1,580.
Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm,
antiseptic cream, floss and
brushes.
Latest fashion purchase.
A pair of nude Tom Ford cateye shaped eyeglasses I bought
on the first day of the Year of
the Horse. One of my New
Year resolutions is to no longer
deny that I am shortsighted.
Shanghai style vs Beijing style.
Discuss.
I feel defining a city in terms of
‘style’ is pretty limiting. Both
cities are very international
and celebrate individuality and
idealism in a way that, to an
extent, is no less stylish than
London, Paris, New York, Berlin
and Tokyo.
What inspires you?
Science and biology.
// jellymon.com
//www.feilook.com
Photo by Noemi Cassanelli
Grownup
crayons
18
More playful than lipstick and
way less sticky than chapstick,
lip crayons combine the best
of the lip world and are a cinch
to use, even if you’re clumsy.
With a slew of eye-popping,
long-lasting colors, Guangzhou
brand Thehotshop offers a good
way to turn your purse into an
art box, and it does so at prices
so affordable you’ll be able to
try the whole range without
breaking the bank. Time to jump
on the lip crayon bandwagon –
your inner 8-year-old will love
you for it. RMB35.
//www.yetang.com
Edited by marianna cerini
bjlifestyle@urbanatomy.com
Lifelines
“Local flavor has made it to
the international arena!”
A sarcastic netizen on the new-found popularity of
migrant worker-style plaid in the fashion world. The
blue, white and red pattern typical of the bags
touted by millions of Chinese migrant workers
has been all the rage among fashion elites over
the last few months, appearing on the catwalks
of Stella McCartney and Celine. Chinese web
users, however, have sourly ridiculed the style. Looks like
‘migrant chic’ isn’t going to be a thing in China just yet.
Made in China
Under the Lens
Double duty
Ever found yourself at the cash
register, unable to decide which
purchase to go for: the luxe and
snuggly sweater or the shift
dress that fits you like a glove?
We hear your pain.
Choosing favorites – especially
in fashion terms – can be tough.
That’s why reversible clothing –
nifty two-in-one pieces that are
adaptable and transformable –
should find a well-deserved spot
in your closet.
A perfect example of sartorial
inventiveness sourced and produced on our very own stomping grounds is Shanghai brand
EK|Reversible. Founded by New
Yorker and experienced designer
Emily Keller, the brand creates
sleek and innovative knitwear
items that can be worn on both
sides, offering a solid option to
double down the smart way.
Proving a far cry from the puffy
jacket-to-vest thing you sported
as a teenager, each and every
piece from the EK|Reversible
range shows simple, classic
designs (think linear dresses,
sweaters and jackets) made fun
and interesting by contrasting
stitches and intricate constructions.
Best yet, the entire collection
ranges from RMB600-1,000. And
you get two items for that.
// www.emilykeller.co
‘Shanghai
blogger’
The description
accompanying the looks for
the Kate Spade Fall 2014
collection at New York
Fashion Week last month.
Among the pieces were
cigarette pants and short
coats in candy-colored
hues, feather-flocked
bomber jackets,
leopard print
button-down
shirts and a
very clever
Chinese
takeout
purse. The
Shanghaiinspired
line is
not that
surprising,
as dataresearch
company
Global
Language Monitor
recently named the
city Top Fashion
Capital in Asia.
Expect Victoria
Beckham and co
to pull out similar
threads soon.
19
life&style
fashion
The Rites of Spring
Note-perfect looks for the new season
BY Marianna Cerini
Ah, spring, the season of eternal promise and great expectation. Yes, the weather right
now might be a little nippy, but, before you know it, the birds will be chirping, the skies
will be blue and… okay, who are we kidding? This is Beijing. Spring doesn’t last all that
long here, so make the most of it while you can with our seasonal rundown:
Massimo Dutti hat,
RMB390.
p
Topsho e,
e
t
p
o
cr
0.
RMB12
Ted Baker blouse,
RMB1,599.
Asos boxy bag,
RMB291.20.
// www.asos.com
Acorn charm,
RMB160.
// www.xinlelu.com
Zara Jacquard
pattern top,
RMB359.
Gap
boyfri
jeans, end
RMB39
9.
Topshop satin quilt
skirt, RMB1,500.
// www.topshop.com
H&M lace dress,
RMB249.
Zara ankle
boot, RMB899.
COS lace-up
brogues,
RMB1,250.
COS leather clutch,
RMB890.
20
New Look heeled
sandals, RMB267.79.
// www.asos.com
Za
Jacquarrda
pattern
skir
RMB399t,
.
/
H&M denim
shirt, RMB299.
Ted Baker shirt,
RMB999.
Zara blazer,
RMB799.
H&M trousers,
RMB399.
Gap bag,
RMB399.
Ospop
shoes,
RMB188.
// www.nuandao.com
Clarks
desert
boo
RMB750t,.
Whillas & Gunn,
RMB758.
// www.whillasandgunn.com
Master Piece,
backpack
RMB2,597.
// www.
n.com
un
dg
san
illa
wh
Shades of
Grey parka,
RMB1,598.
// www.shop.
projectaegis.com
Ted
Baker
polo,
RMB799.
H&M
four-pack
bracelet,
RMB49.90.
H&M
,
backpack9.
9
2
B
M
R
Topman
varsity
bomber
jacket,
RMB350.
Uniqlo colored
jeans, RMB199.
// www.topman.com
Pull & Bear
loafers,
RMB99.
Asos washed
retro trainers,
RMB232.96.
// www.asos.com
Zara ankle-length
trousers, RMB499.
Warriors of
Radness T-shirt,
RMB312.
// www.shop.projectaegis.com
Bellfield canvas
plimsolls,
RMB256.26.
// www.asos.com
21
life&style
Fashion
ARRIVALS
By Marianna Cerini
What’s new on the scene
Bubble Mood
Print has had a resurgence in fashion of late – and
rightfully so: bold, bright motifs are tantalizing
and visually appealing, making black seem beta
to the fashion crowd, and reminding us that
warmer, more cheerful days are just around the
corner. Leading the trend with head-on panache
is Shanghai/French brand Bubble Mood, whose
spring/summer collection artfully mixes vibrant
patterns and understated flair. For the new season, the label – which has been making beautiful
wrap dresses and eye-popping kimonos since
2009 – delivers a line of gorgeous prints and
inspiring garments in the most delicate
fabrics, juxtaposing geometric and graphic
lines in cold hues (blue, violet and indigo)
with pop styles that draw inspiration from
South American influences. Both flattering
and comfortable, each design works on a
number of fashion levels, easily shifting
from laidback daywear to more glamorous attire – which means we’re probably going to stock up on the whole
range. RMB1,000-1,300.
Yetang
Recently launched e-commerce site Yetang (Wild
Candy) is the bad boy of Chinese e-tailers. A new
venture by Natasia Guo and Yan Zhang, formerly
of Nuandao, the online shop targets young
folks looking for hip, original styles and quirky
designs to stand out from the throng. This is
no mean feat when most Chinese online stores
these days are just saccharine-sweet displays of
cutesy objects and girly frills. Using a Pinterestlike interface, Yetang, which is only in Chinese,
but extremely easy to navigate even for those of
us who don’t speak the language, moves in the
opposite direction, carrying mostly unknown,
edgy and indie brands from both China and
abroad. With a stock that spans hipster chic
wares and refreshing design items, it is miles
away from the cheap tat of Taobao, yet still sells
at very affordable prices. Urban types looking for
some new statement pieces, get ready to take
your wallets out.
//www.yetang.com
//www.bubble-mood.com
Chi Garden
With the re-opening of Chi Garden – an artsy Gulou
boutique whose first brick-and-mortar presence
launched and shut down so quickly most of us didn’t
even notice it – savvy Beijing shoppers have a new
concept store to indulge in. Boasting a minimalist,
white-on-white décor, the walk-in-closet-size shop
features a well-edited, if a tad pricey, selection of
designer clothes, bags and accessories personally picked by owner Wang Hua, a Central
Saint Martins graduate and attentive purveyor
of style. Striking geometrics, sharply defined graphics and avant-garde colors define the style ethos
throughout the store – though really, the space is no
larger than a teeny open cupboard – revealing Wang’s
impeccable aesthetic
taste. Reminiscent of
S.T.A.R.S or Ink, just on
a much smaller scale,
Chi Garden is further
proof of Gulou’s
blooming avant-garde
scene. // 93 Beiluoguxiang,
Kate Spade
Think of Kate Spade and images of clashing colors
and boxy bags immediately come to mind. The
brand, founded in 1993 in New York by a
fashion editor with a highly tuned sense
for accessories, jewellery and color –
who later sold the company for USD124
million to American clothing giant Liz
Claiborne – has come a long way since its
first collection of nylon handbags. Already present in a couple of Beijing malls, its candy-colored
range can now be found at Taikoo Li, in a new
flagship that’s a wonderland of all things pastel.
With flowery wallpaper and color-coordinated
arrangements, the store stocks a dazzling array
of bags, clothes and accessories, all dressed up
in the brand’s signature stripes and playful prints.
Just don’t overdose on it. Prices start at around
RMB500. // Taikoo Li Sanlitun South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
朝阳区三里屯路19号太古里三里屯南区
Dongcheng 东城区北锣鼓巷
93号 (8408 3081)
22
life&style
portrait of china
“I don’t like getting too complicated about what I wear. I like
to mix and match what I’ve got,
reserving my most expensive
pieces for special occasions.
“Money has been devalued so
much. I remember when, back
in the day, five yuan would get
you loads of stuff. Not anymore, sadly.”
Where are you heading? Are
you riding to work?
“I’m retired. These days I just
like to wander around, chilling
and enjoying the weather.”
// Sun Zongyi, a 76-year-old gentleman that looked too dapper to not
stop him for a picture.
•By: Marianna Cerini •Photo by: Noemi Cassanelli •Additional contributor: Tin Wu
23
life&style
LEAD Story
'Growing up 1,000 kilometers
from the sea, I had never taken a
swimming lesson before'
24
Surfin’ P.R.C.
Queen of the waves Darci Liu
BY Marianna Cerini and Marina Garvey Birch
N
ame a sport and the chances are the Chinese
claim to have invented it. One of the benefits
of having such a long and inscrutable history
is that, statistically speaking, at some point just about
every sporting scenario – from kicking a medium-sized
ball around a pitch, to hitting a small ball across a field
with a stick, will likely have occurred here somewhere.
Everything, that is, apart from surfing.
While it may be one of the oldest sports on the planet,
surfing came late to China. So late, in fact, that even
today the number of Chinese professional sponsored
female surfers stands at a grand total of one: 27-yearold Hubei native, Darci Liu.
For a country with over 30 thousand kilometers of
Pacific-facing coastline, the omission can seem like a
strange one.
“It’s crazy, right?!” says Liu, from her home in Sanya
on the southern Chinese tropical island of Hainan. “If
you look at the situation 10 years ago, and at Chinese
women in general, you’d think: really? Chinese girls
surfing?! Impossible!”
Liu, of course, is referring to certain cultural barriers.
Most notably, a fear of open water. Swimming is rarely
taught in Chinese schools, and, as such, few Chinese
can swim, even those in coastal areas.
Women, meanwhile, have traditionally avoided the
beach through fear of getting a tan. Contrary to
Western ideals of beauty, dark skin is often perceived
as unattractive in modern China, and synonymous with
low-status outdoor labor.
“It’s true,” says Liu of these difficulties. “But right now,
I think young girls are really cool, they really want
to learn new things. I think surfing is a very positive
sport.”
“Learning to surf changed my life,” Liu continues,
warming to the theme. “It has opened so many opportunities, and helped me get my confidence back at a
time when I wasn’t really in a good place.”
That time was 2007, when a 20-year-old Liu had just
moved to Sanya, jobless and with no real plan, after
spending the majority of her teenage years learning
ballet in an arts academy in Wuhan. It was during this
time that she first rode a surfboard – and learned to
swim.
“Growing up 1,000 kilometers from the sea, I had never
taken a swimming lesson before,” she recalls. “All I had
was a big river, but my parents would not let me go in
because they considered it very dangerous.”
An encounter with her now-husband, Californian surfer
Matt Hammond, led to her braving her fears and catching her very first wave.
“He introduced me to the discipline,” she says. “The
first time I was on the board I just screamed the entire
time, but the experience also felt incredibly exciting
and fun. Surfing brought about this kind of very simple
happiness that I had never got from anything else.
Once I started riding the waves, I found myself.”
Playing on her physical strength as a trained dancer, Liu
was quick to adapt to the water sport. She developed
25
life&style
LEAD STORY
‘When you’re
riding a wave you
think different,
you act different.
Surfing gives
your brain a spin’
an elegant, aesthetically pleasing technique influenced
by her former ballet education. Although, she says,
“balance and confidence are really the only similarities
between the two disciplines.”
Liu began competing in the official circuit in 2010, just
three years after taking up the sport, soon gaining
sponsorship from Swatch. In 2011, the watch company
endorsed her as a professional team member and invited her as a wild card participant to the Swatch Girls
Pro China in Wanning, Hainan – an event held by the
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) that doubles
as the women’s World Longboard Championship. The
historic move saw her become the first Chinese surfer
to compete in an ASP tournament, a role she continued
honing over the next two years.
“I have been very lucky,” she says. “If I had been born in
Australia or Hawaii, the competition would have been
incredibly tough – those countries have plenty of great
26
surfers already. But it has also been a matter of timing.”
Besides securing Liu’s debut as China’s first representative in an international event, the 2011 Swatch Girls
Pro also marked the first professional surf contest to
be held in the Middle Kingdom – a decision no doubt
spurred by the desire to both promote the growth of
surfing in the region and to ride the wave of the country’s economic strength. It offered the Hainan local a
break she may not have had otherwise.
“Competing with elite surfers wouldn’t have been possible ten years ago,” she says. “Now, even though we
are not at a world level yet, at least we are here. It’s an
encouraging message for the younger generations who
want to surf.”
The support of Swatch has been pivotal to Liu’s pioneering efforts for the sport in China, and the surfer is
eager to praise the brand.
“Their sponsorship has helped me a lot in growing professionally,” she states. “They have introduced me to a
wider audience and allowed me to travel to other countries. Most importantly, by promoting me as a surfer,
they’ve helped make people in China more aware of
surf culture.”
Helping to promote surfing, still very much a minority
sport in her homeland, is a task Liu has taken to heart.
“I think surfing, and the surf culture that comes with it,
can be a very positive thing for China,” she says. “Being
in such close contact with nature makes you realize
how lucky you are. It makes you appreciate things and
have a brighter attitude towards life. When you’re riding a wave you think different, you act different. Surfing
gives your brain a spin.”
This infectious enthusiasm has led Liu to open a surf
school on Sanya Beach, where, during the summer
months, she offers surfing courses to everyone from
adults to teenagers and children, locals and tourists
alike. The demand for lessons, she says, is high.
“Things have changed enormously since 2007. Back
then it was mostly foreigners or people who already
knew how to surf that would come down here to practice. Now there are lots of Chinese people who have
simply read or heard about surfing, or who have tried it
on their holidays abroad and want to actually get better at it in their home country – which is great.”
Liu expects the coming years to see even more people
heading out to the waves in Hainan, and believes the
surfing community will grow across China.
“Young people are increasingly open to trying surfing,”
she says. “And I’m definitely having a good time. I love
surfing – I can’t think of any reason to not want to pick
up a surfboard – and that’s for both boys and girls.”
27
life&style
SPAS
Spa at Four Seasons
I
f you crave pampering in
plush, modern surroundings,
Spa at Four Seasons is your
place. Located on the sixth floor
of the ritzy hotel, this urban
oasis – an effortlessly chic haven
of delicate shades, marble and
soft lighting – houses eleven
lavish treatment rooms blending
Chinese design elements and
contemporary details – think
steam showers and bathtubs
– around a lush indoor Tea
Garden where you can sip hot
cups of cha before and after a
treatment.
care products from the West.
They’re also one of the two spas
in Beijing officially partnered up
with hallowed Paris-based beauty brand Biologique Recherche.
“In keeping with the highly personalized approach of our hotel,
we wanted to create a space
where guests come for the ultimate luxurious renewal,” says
Spa Director Cassandra Forrest.
“Somewhere where they know
they are receiving a service tailored exclusively to them.”
On our visit, we tried the Asian
Fusion Massage (RMB880/60
minutes, RMB1,280/90 minutes),
aimed at releasing stress and
tension. Combining different
techniques, from Chinese tuina
to Thai stretching and Japanese
shiatsu, an expert therapist
works on kneading out knots
and troubled areas, while copious amounts of green tea essential oil are applied to make skin
suppler and firmer. A soothing
massage that guarantees you’ll
snooze your blues away. KK
And they certainly succeed in
their intent. An impressive menu
and expert masseuses ready
to spoil you, offer a holistic
spa journey, encompassing
natural elements and traditional
Chinese techniques like scraping, acupressure and cupping,
as well as cutting-edge, skin-
“Working with a brand like
Biologique Recherche allows
us to customize all of our treatments to individual skin care
needs, while our therapists’ intuitive diagnostic ability and fusion of medicinal practices from
East and West adds a holistic
dimension rarely encountered in
other luxury spas.”
// Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, 48 Liang Ma Qiao
Lu, Chaoyang 四季酒店朝阳区亮马桥路48
号 (5695 8888)
Butterfly Nail Club
B
eijing might well be a
harsh place to live in
sometimes but, for gals
who take their beauty routine to
heart, one can’t deny that when
it comes to mesmerizing manicures and super affordable massages, the city can do it all.
Among the sheer number of
spas, salons and mani/pedi
places, Butterfly Nail Club has
earned a prime spot on our
beauty chart. Owner Kevin Guan
and his team of friendly technicians – all male – will have your
name memorized before you
leave, but the staff’s cheerful disposition isn’t the only draw. The
nail art, which includes glitter
gradations and embellishments
such as rhinestones, features
some of the most understated
and affordable options we’ve
encountered, making this spot
perfect for nail-art newbies.
Armed with the belief that getting a manicure or pedicure
28
should be a pampering experience, Guan has created a laidback environment in the salon,
and he works hard to offer
meticulous, top-notch service
from the moment you step in.
The well-trained technicians can
do just about anything from
leopard spots to patterned designs – though you can also opt
for simpler varnishes – and are
happy to advice on colors, treatments and styles.
At the moment, they are offering 200 early birds a RMB400
membership card that gives you
40 percent discount for each visit – a deal we couldn’t pass on
after our first experience with
them: eager to get our claws
preened and pampered, we
tried a basic manicure (RMB68)
and, we have to say, they totally
nailed it. KK
// Room 5210, 5 Market, Sanlitun Soho,
Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯SOHO五号商场二
层5210室 (5785 3591, Guan-1116@sohu.com)
life&style
Hotels
Christian Metzner of The Astor Hotel, Tianjin
I
n the grand atrium of Tianjin’s
Astor Hotel we're relaxing by
sipping Earl Grey and listening to a harpist gently playing
out a tune over the sounds of
water running from a fountain.
Established in colonial times, the
hotel is a living relic of a former
China – and these days it retains
a classic charm. We expect the
manager of this old-worldly hotel
we’re about to meet to be a veteran, long in the tooth and espousing a Tianjin of yesteryear.
Instead, we’re greeted by the
energetic Christian Metzner –
we’ve barely had time to finish
greeting before he’s recounting
his career. “Most importantly
it’s about finding what you’re
passionate about– and for me
that’s hotels and fine dining.”
Hailing from Germany, Metzner
spent his formative years studying the trade in his native land
before making the great leap to
China. “I knew nothing about
this country and that’s what
drew me here: the chance to ex-
plore the unknown. What better way to learn about a place
than to go there?”
same for the King of Hawaii
or Herbert Hoover when they
visited?”
The hotel industry wasn’t what
he immediately set out to do,
though. “At first I wanted to
study architecture,” he tells
me. “But I learnt that there are
great similarities with hotels.
When I first came to China, I
helped to establish the Westin
Beijing Financial Street. Like an
architect designing a structure,
our team was working together
from scratch on this great
project. With architecture you
create the physical – with hotels
you engender the atmosphere.”
He’s referring to the famous
past guests of the hotel, established in 1863, who include
revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yatsen and Last Emperor Pu Yi. But
Metzner keeps his feet firmly on
the ground.
He’s been at The Astor Hotel, A
Luxury Collection Hotel, Tianjin
since April of 2012, and he’s relished the move from the capital.
“The history of this hotel within
the narrative of modern Tianjin
is what I love most here. Where
else in this city – or country for
that matter – can you browse
through a menu that was the
“I might be GM now, but I’ve
done my fair share of room
cleaning and door work. I look
back on it as vital work. Unless
everybody’s efforts are aligned
together, you won’t create a
successful hotel. I might be
steering the ship, but I need
my team to hoist the sails and
rig the masts. Without them I
won’t be going far.” WP
// Christian Metzner is the GM of The Astor
Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel Tianjin, 33 Taier
Zhuang Lu, Heping District 和平区台儿庄路33
号 (reservation.astor@luxurycollection.com, 022
2331 1688)
GTC Residence Beijing
L
ocated within the
Sanyuanqiao and Yansha
business district area and
just a 20 minute drive away
from Beijing Capital Airport, GTC
Residence Beijing is designed for
high-end businessmen and their
families. Boasting all the benefits
of a five-star hotel with the privacy of your own apartment, it
provides the perfect base for visitors, individual business travelers
and expat families alike.
Besides the swanky facilities GTC
Residence Beijing also provides
a whole range of services and
extra perks to make life in the
’Jing a total cinch, and yourself a
happy guest who does not need
Upon our visit, super high service and lush details made our
stay a thoroughly bespoke experience – so good we couldn't
help but resenting going back to
our tiny flat in Dongzhimen.
Spanning a number of room
types, all of the 134 apartments
come fully equipped with
American-style open kitchens,
central air-conditioning units,
home theater systems, 24-hour
security, and areas for reading
and relaxing – so that you can
count on the highest comfort at
all times – as well as a state-ofthe-art gym and complimentary
yoga classes to keep the blood
pumping after work hours.
to worry about a thing. Daily
room cleaning? Check. Laundry
and dry-cleaning? Check. 24hour front-desk reception, multilanguage consulting services,
car booking, airport transfers
and medical aid? Check, check,
check. Guests can also access a
free bus that covers more than
20 main stops across town.
Because taking taxis is sooo
2013.
When the weather gets better,
a “Sky Garden” built in the complex offers a perfect spot to bask
in the sun, chill with a good
book and just lounge around,
divided as it is into a BBQ area,
children’s playground and golf
practice area. Yes, we wish we
could move there too. KK
// GTC RESIDENCE BEIJING
Beijing Global Trade Center, 36 Bei San Huan
Dong Lu, Dongcheng 东城区北三环东路36号
(56756666)
29
arts
collage
On the Shelves
drum roll
Caspian
Helen Roberts Thomas recalls
her childhood as the daughter of
American Episcopal missionaries
in the Yangtze Valley’s vibrant international community during the
early 20th century. In the Valley of the
Yangtze: Stories from an American
Childhood in China mixes history with
culture and politics, recounting a
childhood spent interacting with the
military advisors to the new Chinese
government in the 1920s.
Post-rock group Caspian won
near universal praise for their
2012 album, Waking Season.
The five-piece instrumental
band will showcase the record
during a five-city tour through
China. Guitarist Philip Jamieson
chats about their last visit, the
next record and head-banging.
Would you work with a vocalist?
Any memories from your 2010
China tour?
Playing instrumentals sidesteps
language barriers. What countries have really dug you?
I wouldn’t say we’re spastic performers but our performances
really are a workout. There’s a
lot of movement, lots of head
banging and bouncing around.
It differs from night to night
rather than region. People
who see live music less in gen-
// march 13 mao livehouse , 111 Gulou Dongdajie,
Dongcheng 东城区鼓楼东大街111号; 9pm; presale RmB80, door RmB120; support: 16mins.
We only did two shows and it
was enjoyable, albeit rushed.
It took more time to fly there
and back than we spent on the
ground. We did a festival for
2,000 people that had never
heard of us, which we loved.
That sticks out the most.
We’ve definitely considered it
and were pleased to feature
direct vocals on a song from
our last album. We’d love to use
more vocals in the future and do
more collaborations.
eral seem to let go much easier
and enjoy themselves more,
whether it’s in Eastern Europe or
Midwest America.
Who’s the most enthusiastic
when you’re playing?
Waking Season was named
postrock album of the year
by Spin magazine. How’s the
follow-up?
On/Off: China’s Young Artists in
Concept and Practice explores
China’s post-1975 generation.
Paula Tsai highlights the work of 50
Chinese artists, including Birdhead,
Cheng Ran and Lee Fuchum, who
grew up in a world that went from
flirting with globalization to being
a true world leader, slowly starting
to embrace its domestic artists and
China’s impact on their work.
As China moves rapidly towards being a global leader in green technology, Kelly Sims Gallagher analyzes
China’s solar photovoltaic, gas turbine, advanced battery and coal gasification industries in The Globalization
of Clean Energy Technology: Lessons
from China, concluding that the biggest barrier is government failure to
provide adequate policy incentives.
30
We don’t have a specific idea
of where we want to go but
we don’t want to replicate our
last record. We want to retain
some of the textual elements of
Waking Season and combine it
with heavier, more direct music.
We’ll develop it naturally.
Transcripted
“Don’t feel pity for me. It does not torture
me to keep spinning for four hours. I
once tried to spin for eight hours nonstop
without feeling nauseous. I guess it might
be my superpower.”
Yang Caiqi, a brilliant 15-year-old dancer from Yunnan Province
who is better known by her stage name Xiao Caiqi (meaning
‘Little Colorful Flag’), spun on the spot for four hours without a
break at the 2014 Chinese New Year Gala. Niece of the famed
dancer Yang Liping, the feat was supposed to symbolize a nonstop clock. The up-and-coming performer may not have felt
ill, but some viewers certainly wanted to call time after a few
moments watching her dizzying display, dubbing the spectacle
“ridiculous” and “cruel.”
CANVASSED
Art mimicking life mimicking art...
Adam Dehmohseni
meets-West” with a sculpture of
a bodhisattva planted on top of
the Victory of Samothrace, while
the “commercialization of art”
is restaged as a convenience
store with meticulously empty
detergent bottles and condom
boxes on sale to the viewer. If
the pseudo-spiritual “cultural
fitness exercises” in Physique of
Consciousness, 2012, don’t leave
you in a sweat, try not to linger
around the disturbing Starving
of Sudan, 2008, in which a faux
vulture hovers over a live
child. Here are two options
for interpreting this show:
either Xu Zhen is a brutal
cynic, or we shouldn’t take
ourselves – and him – too
seriously.
Artist (Xu Zhen, b. 1977, Shanghai)
The latest brand to roll out from
the “contemporary art creation
company” MadeIn is “Xu Zhen,”
incidentally the name of CEO
and artist, Xu Zhen.
This is only the first
of the paradoxes and
pranks left for the
viewer to decode
in an exhibition
that sprawls
across UCCA’s
Great Hall. Within
this strangely symmetrical environment incorporating
painting, sculpture,
mechanical installation, video, photography and performance,
the artist/collective/
company/brand puts its
own spin on some of the
contemporary art world’s
most beloved tropes.
MadeIn upends “East-
// Until april 20; RmB10. Ullens Center
for Contemporary art (UCCa) (10 5780
0200) see listings for details.
GOSSIP
Wooden heroes
Black and gold
Avid Arad, ex-CEO of Marvel Studios,
has confirmed that he will be creating
a Chinese superhero film centering on
the Terracotta Warriors. Made in conjunction with Shanghai Animation Film
Studio, the project has thus far drawn
ridicule from local netizens, many of
whom question what kind of superpowers clay men could possibly have.
Perhaps the idea is a little half-baked.
For the fourth time in history, a Chinese
film has claimed the Golden Bear, the
Berlin International Film Festival’s top
honor. Centering on a series of murders
in a coal-mining town, Black Coal, Thin
Ice, which was written and directed by
Diao Yinan, may live up to its name in
China, where some believe it is skating
on thin ice with the authorities, and may
never make cinema screens.
FILM
Coming to a theater near you…
1 Beijing Love Story
SNOWPIERCER
American Hustle
It’s the year 2031
and earth has
entered a new
glacial age. Chris
Evans (Captain
America), Tilda
Swinton and hot
new Korean box
office dynamo Kang-ho Song are the only survivors
on the Snowpiercer, a massive futuristic train that
travels around the planet at high-speeds. When
elites take over the engine room, discarding the
poor, a fierce revolt begins. The sci-fi action flick is
the first English language production by leading indie Korean director Joon-ho Bong.
Scoring ten
Academy Award
nominations,
this crime caper
follows a conman (Christian
Bale, sporting
an outrageous
comb-over) and his seductive partner (Amy
Adams) who are forced to work for a manic, ambitious FBI agent (Bradley Cooper, modeling a glorious perm). They’re pushed into a world of Jersey
powerbrokers and mobsters in a colorful story
that’s very loosely based on the FBI’s ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
3/15
3/TBA
2 The Monkey King
3 The Man from Macau
4 Frozen
5 Where Are We Going, Dad?
6 Ex Files
7 Unexpected Love
8 Bends
9 Boonie Bears
10 Just Another Margin
31
Underground
arts
Name
Artist
Genre
Label
Format
Released
What
Taxeee Tapes Vol.3
Various
Skweee, hip-hop, bass
87非87 Records
Digital, cassette tape
Feb 22 2014
21 of China’s leading producers
and MCs show their freaky sides
Sounds like
the drop
Beats, blops and breakz
BY Alex Taggart
M
odern Chinese music
doesn’t tend to travel
well. Of the hundreds
of Chinese rock bands and hiphop artists who have achieved
domestic fame over the past
couple of decades, only a select
few have ever developed anything resembling an overseas
following. There are plenty of
reasons for this (look out for
a piece on the subject next
month), such as lyrics being in
Chinese, or losing a lot of their
punch in translation.
Thankfully, lyrical problems are
little obstacle to electronic musi-
cians. Using free-to-download
software and with access to
the same influences and promotional tools as the rest of
the world, any Chinese dance
producer with clever ideas, solid
production and a little luck can,
in theory, break the world’s
dancefloors.
And one has.
Having returned from a year in
London, Beijinger Howie Lee is
now regularly releasing serious
tunes on UK bass music label
and renowned hype factory
Trapdoor Records, resulting in
Being caught with your pants down
in a synth showroom
Available from
big love from The Blogs. Howie
has been the hottest story in
Chinese EDM for a long time.
Local heroes are what make a
scene, and watching him tear
up a young, predominantly
Chinese crowd at Dada in midFebruary with fellow Beijing trap
don Shackup felt like the start
of something special. His China
tour kicks off at Dada on March
21... seriously, write that down.
This is where Chinese electronic
music 2.0 begins.
More on a Chinese homegrown
electronic badass tip – ChaCha.
She’s a Shanghai-based singerproducer-MC and has been
making consistently brilliant
bass-influenced tracks both on
her own and with domestic and
international artists. On March
12 she’s putting on a live show
87fei87.com
as half of dreamy, moody DutchChinese bass act AM444. You
might know what that means,
you might not, whatevs, all I can
say is that ChaCha always brings
real vibes. Always real. Veeery
f**king real. Like that real s**t?
Go to this one. Also at Dada.
Lastly, a mix of old-school star
quality, local relevance, and
forward thinking: Shanghaibased British producer Conrank
is bringing London hip-hop
lynchpin Blak Twang for a
cross-venue event that starts
with a free early-evening music
production workshop on March
20 at Dada, and continues with
a full-on live show at Lantern on
March 21 (see below for details).
Very party, so culture, wow, such
JUE Festival!
JUE FEstival 2014
That’s beijing guide
BY Andrew Chin
Blak Twang
The sound of old America
Blak Twang
Baths
32
Straight outta Deptford, London,
comes this super-dope rapper to
the big smoke. Famed around
the world for his live performances and ability to incorporate South London slang into his
rhymes, Blak Twang’s rise was
hampered by mismanagement.
Despite releasing his debut single in 1995, record label issues
conspired to keep the original
hip-hop geezer from releasing his first album until 2002.
Since then, he’s dropped three
albums and was nominated for
Best International Hip-Hop artist
by industry bible, The Source.
His new single ‘Badda Dan Dat’
dropped in October.
/// mar 21, 10pm, RmB60. lantern, 150m
north of Worker’s stadium West Gate, Gongti
Xilu, Chaoyang 朝阳区工体西路工体西门
往北走150米 (135 0134 8785)
Baths
The chillwave age may have
come and gone but this 24-year
old producer continues to win
props for his emotional dance
music. Post-modern pop mixed
with falsetto vocals and lo-fi
beats make for an intoxicating stew that led to Southern
California Public Radio declaring
him “LA’s big new electronica
musician.” Signed to respected
avant-garde hip-hop label
Anticon, Baths released his
sophomore album Oblivion last
May to mad reviews.
// mar 11, 9pm, RmB80. mao livehouse,
111 Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng 东城区
鼓楼东大街111号 (6402 5080)
Music
What started out as an experiment five years ago has turned
into one of Beijing’s most eagerly anticipated events. This year’s
JUE Festival will host over 300 artists participating in 125 events
that touch on everything from music and dance to community
talks. With so many events to choose from, here’s our editors’
picks to this year’s JUE Festival lineup.
My 17 Gay
Friends
Moxie Peng is one of Beijing’s
most renowned underground
filmmakers and his 2012 documentary Micro Search has been
viewed over a million times on
iQiyi.com. My 17 Gay Friends
is his first documentary to use
the Chinese crowd-funding site
Dreamore. Rather than gloominess, the feature takes a lighthearted look at gay life in the
capital, offering glimpses of seventeen of Peng’s friends, while
poking fun at the stereotypes
that run through gay society.
// mar 21, 9pm, RmB40. funky, 6f, CoCo, 8
Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang 朝阳区工体西路8
号CoCo6楼 (6551 6866)
China HeavY
weight
dreams of being a trapeze artist. However, her dreams are
crushed by an arrogant trapeze
star who declares miners belong
underground and not in the air.
Will Comrade Kim prove everyone wrong?
// mar 16, 7.30pm, RmB60. Broadway
Cinema, north area of Dongzhimen moma,
1 Xiangheyuan lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区东直
门香河园路1号, 万国城北区(二环路东
北角) (8438 8258)
Balance Art
This year, the JUE Festival
awarded bursaries to independent artists among several
different fields. Balance Art received the JUE Performance
bursary and will be hosting a
Body Awareness workshop on
Mar 16 at 2.30pm for RMB200
followed by a free performance
of Fleeting by Night at 6pm.
// mar 16, 2.30pm. Balance art Center, 26f,
tower a, tianheng Plaza, 46 Donzhimen Wai
Dajie, Dongcheng 东城区东直门外46号
ABS Grafitti On
Workshop
Yung Chang won awards for his
documentary Up the Yangtze
and this film follows former
boxing star Qi Moxiang as he recruits young talent from impoverished villages across Sichuan
Province.
// mar 15, 8pm, RmB60. Broadway Cinema
moma, north area of Dongzhimen moma, 1
Xiangheyuan lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区东直门
香河园路1号, 万国城北区(二环路东北
角) (8438 8258)
Comrade Kim
Goes Flying
This delightful, whimsical and
almost Disney-like tale follows
a North Korean coal miner who
Organized by the cult Asian graffiti
collective ABS Crew, the Grafitti On
project invites graffiti enthusiasts to
experiment and explore ideas and
styles across different surfaces.
Grafitti masters will provide handson tutoring at the event and there
will be an hour-long contest
following the workshop.
// mar 15, 3-5pm, free entry. (venue tBa)
Des Bishop &
Da-Shan Comedy
Night
Comrade Kim
China’s most famous Western
comic, Dashan, joins forces with
acclaimed Irish comic and TV
star Des Bishop in this event that
is also part of the Bookworm
International Literary Festival.
Lee Ranaldo
// mar 22, 8-11pm, RmB200. Bookworm, 4
sanlitun nan lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯
南路4号 (6586 9507)
Translation
Slam
This fun event invites wordheads to go head-to-head to
come up with the most accurate
and compelling translations of
songs by Neemah, a multilingual Tibetan urban folk group
that charmed the country last
year. This event is also part of
The Bookworm International
Literary Festival.
// mar 14, 8pm, RmB80. Bookworm, 4
sanlitun nan lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯
南路4号 (6586 9507)
Jingweir launch
party
One recipient of the JUE Festival
bursary is Beijing DIY magazine
Jingweir, which will release
Volume 2, Issue 2 with a showcase featuring local musicians
and DJs. Each attendee will receive a copy of the ’zine.
// mar 21, 7pm, RmB30-40. XP, 2 Di’anmen
Xi Dajie (southwest of the Di’anmen
intersection, behind the fragrant autumn
Chestnut store), Xicheng 西城区地安门西
大街2号
Pitctureplane
with Misloop, DJ
Caution and Heatwolves
This producer was a major force
in Denver’s DIY dance scene
before moving to Brooklyn in
2012, where he’s one of the
figureheads in the revitalized
electronic/punk scene.
// mar 8, 10pm, RmB50. DaDa, 101, Bldg B, 202
Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng 东城区鼓楼东大
街206号B楼202 ( 1108 0818)
The legendary Sonic Youth
guitarist had a major impact on
China’s indie music scene after
inviting Beijing favorites Carsick
Cars to open for his band during
a European tour. Besides Sonic
Youth, Ranaldo has enjoyed a
varied solo career, releasing
several records and dozens of
books, including travel journals
and works of poetry. In addition
to performing, he will conduct a
poetry reading and talk, as well
as leading a workshop on guitar
techniques.
// Performance - mar 15, 9pm, RmB120150 and talk - mar 16, time and price tBC.
(venue tBa)
Woozy Screening: Shut Up and
Play the Hits
This documentary follows LCD
Soundsystem in preparation
for the band's final concert at
Madison Square Gardens.
// mar 22, 2.30pm, free entry. XP, 2
Di’anmen Xi Dajie (southwest of the
Di’anmen intersection, behind the fragrant
autumn Chestnut store), Xicheng 西城区地
安门西大街2号
win!
We have tickets for a range
of JUE Festival events to give
away. To enter, email: bjeditor@urbanatomy.com with
the subject ‘JUE Festival.’
33
Myanmar punk documentary opens
Asian Cinema Week
BY Andrew Chin
unk may have lost its meaning long ago in the West, but
its orginal anti-establishment stance is given new meaning in Yangon Calling, a documentary about the capital
of Myanmar’s small but enthusiastic punk scene during the last
months of military rule.
The idea was sparked back in 2009, when, during his first visit to
the country, co-director Alexander Dluzak found himself alongside a group of punks during a protest on the streets of Yangon.
Interest piqued, he found footage of a local underground concert
on YouTube and returned to the country for seven weeks of filming with his partner Carsten Piefke.
The documentary introduces a number of memorable characters,
from the country’s first punk, Ko Nyan, who runs the city’s only
store dedicated to the look, to Jamani, one of the few female
punks who is forced to stop performing or risk being kicked out
of her family home.
The movement was introduced to the country by sailors in the
1990s and while pop and hip-hop may be more popular, the
country’s punk scene is more fervent, as well as being much
larger than ones in nearby Vietnam and Thailand.
“What surprised me was they were 100 percent punk. They
looked like Piccadilly Circus in the early 80s and they knew every
band and every book related to punk,” Dluzak says.
“Attitude was really important. To them, the music and its message was a way to protest against this regime and a way to show
their opinion without getting punished for it. You won’t be punished for being a punk, even in Myanmar.”
His mother was a university professor, yet he’s one of the few
documented punks to have served hard time: six years in jail for
smoking a joint. He mixes nihilistic views on day-to-day reality, with
wistful admissions of dreams of freedom.
Six months after the Berlin-based filmmakers left the country with
the footage tucked away in their dirty laundry, Myanmar – to the
surprise of the international community – began to open up under
new president Thein Sein.
It’s still very much a revolutionary statement, however. There are
only a few hundred punks in the country, and their colorful mohawks and handmade clothes attract dumbfounded stares and
sarcastic quips.
The film benefited from Myanmar’s presence in the news, screening at over a dozen international film festivals. A 45-minute edit
aired on German television and it has been adapted into a book.
The film’s most memorable figure is the beach-blonde, rail-thin
Scum. A romantic at heart, Scum is beset with contradictions.
While Scum is upset, declaring the film as “complete bullshit and
full of lies,” the rest of the participants were pleased. One group,
34
the indie tinged Side Effects, were invited to open for German
punk giants Die Artze in front of 20,000 people last year.
Despite the continual skepticism of the local punks to Myanmar’s
liberalization efforts, the country is changing. The country already
enjoys strong links with neighboring China, which continues to
push for the reconstruction of the historic Ledo Road that connects India to Kunming, through Myanmar.
Piefke recently returned for a trip and Dluzak implores travelers
do the same. “The country had been isolated for forty years so
now it’s like Thailand was in the 1970s,” he says. “In five years it
will be different, so hurry up.”
Best of Wathann Film Festival
Myanmar’s first film festival launched in 2011 and is
held annually in Yangon each September. The goal is
to improve local films, with 15-minute short films and
30-minute documentaries competing in three screenings. A selection of the film festival’s best submissions
will screen as part of Asian Cinema Week in Beijing.
// mar 14, 8pm, free entry. moma auditorium, (www.juefestival.com/2014)
// mar 11, 7.30pm, RmB50-60. moma auditorium, (www.juefestival.com/2014)
35
arts
Music
‘Bleakness was our backdrop’
Peter Hook on how his music helped transform a city
by Andrew Chin
most musicians would kill to be part of an influential band. Peter hook co-founded two. his first group, Joy Division, is cited as a forefather to postpunk and goth, while his second, new order, was one of the first groups to successfully incorporate dance elements with anthems like ‘ Blue monday ’
and ‘ Bizarre love triangle ’ . We caught up with the 58-year-old bassist on the eve of his Beijing show.
“
The whole idea of the project is chronological,” Hook explains
from Rome during a rare free slot. “We’re coming to China with
the Joy Division stuff. It’s very interesting, we think, being on this
journey and seeing the development of Joy Division into New Order.”
What started as a one-off gig to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Joy Division’s frontman Ian Curtis’ suicide has turned into a
major international tour. Although they’re highlighting New Order’s
first two albums, Movement and Power, Corruption & Lies for their
European shows, Peter Hook and the Light will perform Joy Division’s
albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer at their March 29 show at
Yugong Yishan.
Though Joy Division lasted for only four brief years, their impact was
immense, transforming both their hometown Manchester and the
music business itself. Their story is now part of music lore, inspiring
two films, 24 Hour Party People and Closer, as well as a raft of books
and documentaries.
“It was pretty gloomy and grim so everyone was trying to escape or
make the place brighter and more fun, even in the punk days,” Hook
says of Manchester in the 1980s. “Our music was about escape and
expression. We used the bleakness as a backdrop for it.”
Along with Curtis, guitarist and keyboard player Bernard Sumner
and drummer Stephen Morris, Joy Division developed a sound that
encapsulated their industrial home, with Hook’s melodic bass lines
standing out. “Joy Division had four tremendous musicians and individuals and it was that uniqueness that gave it its power,” he demurs.
“The chemistry of the four of us gave us our strength.”
Their 1978 debut album Unknown Pleasures sold out its initial 10,000
print run, putting Manchester indie record label, Factory Records, on
the map and foreshadowed the 1980s’ rise of indie labels. On the eve
of their first American tour to support their just-completed sophomore album Closer, Curtis hung himself, troubled by a crumbling
marriage and his worsening epilepsy.
Despite the tragedy, the three remaining members soldiered on.
They added Morris’ girlfriend and future wife Gillian Gilbert to the
mix and became New Order. Although their 1981 debut Movement
was ignored by the public and dismissed by critics, the band embarked on a remarkable second act buoyed by the massive success of
their 1983 single ‘Blue Monday.’
Flushed with success, the band invested in their hometown, funding
England’s first super club, Fac 51 – The Haçienda, in 1982. Labeled
by Newsweek as the world’s most famous club, it was the site of
Madonna’s first UK performance and the incubator of the famed
Summer of Love in 1989, where acid and rave culture swept the
country. “Manchester’s a very groovy place, what can I say?” explains Hook, who also DJs. “Most bands make music to get out of
Manchester, we’re one of the bands that made music to stay there.”
36
As the center of the acid house craze, “Madchester” went on to
produce influential British indie acts like the Stone Roses, the Happy
Mondays, Oasis and the Chemical Brothers. Its cultural reputation
paralleled the city’s economic recovery. Is there a lesson in there for
Beijing? “It [music] can introduce a city to the world, can’t it?” Hook
says. “[Factory Records graphic designer] Peter Saville says this is the
new mythology of great cities and how cities create their history
nowadays. I think there’s a lot of truth in that.”
“Ian Curtis could’ve been singing about
cupcakes and fairies for all I knew, he
just looked immense delivering them”
Like many of the outwardly successful clubs in Beijing today, the
Haçienda was a financial fiasco, losing between 12 and 18 million GB
pounds. Its misadventures are chronicled in Hook’s 2009 book, The
Haçienda – How Not to Run a Club.
Despite the experience, Hook opened a new club under the same
name in the old Factory Records head office in Manchester’s city
center. It was there that Peter Hook and the Light debuted with a performance of Unknown Pleasures, despite the objections of his former
New Order bandmates. “It caused me a great deal of trouble with the
other band members, which was one huge impact in my life I never
expected,” he admits before noting that the recently reformed New
Order sans Hook are “doing pretty much the same thing.”
Early skepticism revolved around Hook’s ability to step into Curtis’
immense shoes. “It took about six months to get over how nervewracking it was and begin to enjoy it,” he says. “I definitely understand more of Ian’s intellect and mentality having sung the lyrics for
nearly four years now,” he adds, citing ‘Insight’ as his favorite Curtis
lyric. “I used to watch the passion with which he delivered them. He
could’ve been singing about cupcakes and fairies for all I knew, he
just looked immense delivering them. However, the words are beautiful and he really was a fantastic lyricist.”
In the decades since, Joy Division’s legacy only grows. Their 1980 single, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart,’ released after Curtis’ death, was listed
by NME in 2002 as the best single released since the magazine’s 1952
launch. “We wrote it in about three hours. It was dead easy,” Hook
recalls. “My fondest memory of it is ongoing. Every time I play it, everyone goes mad for it. It has become a truly global anthem, which is
humbling as an artist.”
// mar 29 8pm, RmB280-360. Yugong Yishan, 3-2 Zhangzizhong lu, Dongcheng 东城区张自
忠路3-2号 ( 6404 2711, www.yugongyishan.com)
WIN a pair of tickets – email: bjeditor@urbanatomy.com with
the subject ‘Hooky‘.
comedy
PJ GALLAGHER
LYING GORILLAS AND PSYCHOTIC SCOTTISH BUTCHERS
BY NED KELLY
Irish stand-up PJ Gallagher made a name for himself winding people
up in a variety of characters – from dressing as an old lady and
making explicit sexual propositions to pretending to be an escaped
convict looking for help cutting his handcuffs – filming the lot with
secret cameras and putting it on the television. Now he’s bringing his
cheeky humor to Beijing. Let’s hope the Chinese see the funny side.
Do you have a favorite character?
I loved playing the little taxi driver man in the show
Naked Camera. He was so far out there that nobody
knew how to talk to him at all. All they knew was
they were stuck in a car with him, and because he
seemed so innocent, people seemed to trust him
and say things to him they wouldn’t say to anybody
else. I guess it’s a little like getting into a taxi and
finding out your driver is an alien.
Winding people up like that all day… what is the
most danger you got yourself into?
Honestly, I was never in any danger at all – it renewed my faith in people, doing that show. In fact,
the general rule seemed to be that the more angry
people got during the wind-up, the more funny
they seemed to think it was when it was over. I got
used to it after a while. [Co-star] Jim-Jim [Nugent]
did get chased up the street by a guy with a knife
once though!
What?! Details please…
He went into a butcher shop to do a wind-up, can’t
remember the gag exactly, but it was something to
do with him having to make animal noises instead
of actually saying “beef” or “chicken” or whatever.
The guy lost it almost immediately and came at Jim
with a knife, chasing him down the street. It was
early days and we weren’t long filming in Glasgow,
but we got a laugh out of it. 
Um… ever regretted a sketch you’ve done?
No. I’ve regretted a few series though!
So what was your funniest wind-up?
Unfortunately we never got to broadcast it, but we
were pretending to be zoo keepers in Dublin and
approached a man with his granddaughter. We
told him that a gorilla had told us with sign language that he was calling it names and we wanted
him to apologize. He started screaming that the
gorilla was a liar and he wouldn’t talk to liars. Just
a great moment.
‘The guy lost it almost
immediately and came at
Jim with a knife, chasing him
down the street’
idea of hell, but theirs too. Having a family wedding for us would be like doing stand-up comedy
in a minimum security prison.
You have a show around St Paddy’s Day in
Shanghai – which Irish stereotype do you most
embody?
Well I don’t drink and I don’t think the weather is
too bad, so sometimes I don’t feel very Irish at all. I
am a mother’s boy though, and if I leave the country for more than a week I start singing old songs
of loneliness.
What do Irish and Chinese people have in common?
I guess I’ll find out – but I’m really
banking on a sense of humor…
// the Punchline Comedy Club present PJ
Gallagher, Keith farnan and andrew stanley in
Beijing. RmB250 (presale), RmB290 (door); mar
21, 8:30pm; home Plate BBQ, sanlitun, (see
p54 for details). to book tickets call 139 0639
0437 or email: info@redstarworks.com; www.
punchlinecomedy.com/beijing
win!
We have a pair of tickets for PJ’s gig to give
away. Simply answer the following question:
What about your success in America – why do
you think they’ve taken to you so well?
I’m successful in America? Somebody owes me
some dollars!
What is the name of PJ Gallagher’s old woman
character who goes around making very
sexual suggestions to unsuspecting members
of the public?
You got married in Vegas with two witnesses you
didn’t know – how did your family react?
They were fine. They are all crazy, and the idea of
putting them in a room together is not just our
Email answers to bjeditor@urbanatomy.
com with the subject ‘PJ Gallagher’ by
Mar 16.
37
the
gentleman
outlaw
INIMITABLE,
INDESTRUCTIBLE
AND ON HIS WAY
TO china
BY NED KELLY
38
arts
lead
Keith Richards wrote the book on being a rakish rock star. A kohleyed demigod dandy with a dark side, his life has been marked by
supermodel girlfriends, heroin busts and rival lovers being shot
in his bed. He’s certainly no choirboy. Yet that’s exactly where he
started. And his first big gig was for the Queen.
“
Yeah, she heard me, and she saw me,”
Keith Richards says of Elizabeth II. “It
is such a distant memory. I think it was
Elizabeth Hall, either that or the Festival
Hall, about 1955 or 1956. Before the voice
broke.”
That voice, so distinctively husky and
cigarette-stained – it is hard to imagine him
in cassock, an angelic singing soprano. The
voice breaking is a pivotal moment in the
Richards narrative, for once he was surplus
to choir requirements, he was unceremoniously dropped.
‘Everybody knows
I’d say no to a
knighthood; that’s why
it isn’t offered. I’m not a
royalist, let’s put it that
way’
“Like a hot brick, man. That was my first
taste of showbusiness really,” he recalls.
“Also, after that they kept us back a year,
because we hadn’t got the right marks on
math or geometry or whatever, because
we’d been doing the choir, you know? So
that was the reward you got – to be kept
down a year. Which at 13 years old is a bit
of a shock.”
one and then they all want one.” So… Boris
says you deserve one. Mick says you want
one. Definitely still ‘no’ to a knighthood?
It is this treatment that Richards ascribes his
anti-establishment mindset to.
And does it still rankle Richards that a
Rolling Stone did accept one?
“I started to question who was ordering me
about and by what authority,” he says. “So
then I got this questioning: ‘Who are you to
do this to people?’ And in some ways I guess
it stayed with me from then on.”
“No, not really. I know he’d been angling for
it for years. It was no big surprise or shock.
Mick has a different thing… although he
didn’t use to,” he pauses. “I guess it was a
bit of a surprise when I found out that he
actually wanted one, because he is very
bolshie in his views,” Richards says, breaking
into his throaty smoker’s chuckle.
This proved so much the case that when
Mick Jagger accepted a knighthood,
Richards’ reaction to the “paltry honor” was
to say he did not want to take the stage with
someone wearing a “coronet and sporting
the old ermine – it’s not what the Stones is
about, is it?” and insisting that he himself
“wouldn't let the royal family near me with a
sharp stick, let alone a sword.”
“Yeah I did say that,” he confirms. It obviously didn’t reach the ear of the London Mayor,
Boris Johnson, who recently put forward the
case for Richards receiving a knighthood
once again. “You know what Boris is like,”
Richards says. “I like him – but he does go
off the deep end a bit.”
Jagger, for his part, retorted to Richards’
gibes by saying: “I think he would probably
like to get the same honor himself. It’s like
being given an ice cream – one person gets
“I think everybody knows that. That’s why it
isn’t offered. I love the royal family and it’s
great for Britain and everything like that. But
it is such an archaic thing – it’s for tourists
really. I’m not a royalist, let’s put it that way.”
Arguing over whether to accept knighthoods – Glimmer Twins Richards and Jagger
have come a long way from humble beginnings. They were both born in 1943 in wartime Dartford, on the outskirts of London.
In his 2010 autobiography, Life, Richards
recounts the tale of a Nazi doodlebug bomb
explosion sending a brick flying into his cot.
Luckily, young Keith had been evacuated,
but it killed neighbors on either side, and
was, he says, “evidence that Hitler was on
my trail.”
Joking aside, times were tough. Richards’
parents had met as factory workers, and the
family hovered uncomfortably on the borderline between the lower and middle classes, in a society in which class was the chief
controlling factor. Food was allocated on a
strict system of rationing and the schoolyard
was “nearer to a battlefield.”
“Oh man, Jesus Christ! It was rough, man,”
Richards says. “I mean, you didn’t think it
was rough then. It is just that your horizons
were a lot smaller – it’s amazing what a few
zeroes can do to broaden your horizons.”
The Promised Land on the horizon for this
blues-obsessed boy was America, where the
music he loved originated and his idols resided. The Rolling Stones’ first US tour came
in 1964 as part of the British Invasion, and to
a 21-year-old Richards it was mind-blowing.
“To get the chance to go and play in
America and they were going to pay me – I’d
died and gone to heaven. We met Muddy
Waters on that first trip.”
The Stones’ earliest success had been based
on playing cover songs of American blues
artists such as Waters and Robert Johnson,
many of whom remained relatively unknown in their own country. Ironically, it was
five white boys from England who popularized many of these black musicians in their
own country.
Playing with the likes of Waters wasn’t just
about jamming with their heroes, but a way
to pay them back. “That's where that fame
bit comes in handy,” Richards has previously
said of the situation. It is something he has
kept up throughout his career, and gives
him “a warm feeling.”
“Yeah, Johnnie Johnson is probably the best
case. Chuck Berry’s piano player, who probably wrote all the melodies for Chuck,” he
says. “By doing that Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll
movie – I think in ‘86 – Johnnie had a whole
new career and went out with a bang.
Getting what he deserved – some long-waited-for applause from people that had never
heard of him before.”
The Stones had started writing their
own tunes by the time they hit America.
Sometimes in their sleep. In the early hours
of May 7, 1965, in a Florida motel room, a
bleary-eyed Richards awoke, grabbed a tape
recorder and laid down one of the greatest
pop hooks of all time: the opening riff of ‘(I
39
‘I don't know whether I slept with my
guitar or if it slept with me. But several times I just crashed out with it in
my arms... she’s just the right shape’
Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.’ He then promptly
fell back to sleep.
“When I woke up in the morning, the tape
had run out,” Richards would later recall.
“I put it back on, and there’s this maybe 30
seconds of ‘Satisfaction,’ a very drowsy sort
of rendition. And then suddenly the guitar
goes ‘CLANG,’ and then there’s like 45 minutes of snoring.”
Just three days later at Chess Studios in
Chicago, the Stones recorded the song that
would catapult the band to superstar status. Ask Richards today what his personal
favorite Stones song is, and sure enough:
“I guess ‘Satisfaction’ has to go to the top
of the list because it is what it is,” he says,
before adding that “personally I prefer to
play ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ – I could play him
all night, man.”
40
And Richards still advocates sleeping with a
guitar “if there’s no babe around,” pointing
out that “she’s just the right shape.”
“I don’t know if I slept with it or if it slept
with me,” he says. “But there were several
times I crashed out with it in my arms.”
Good way to get to know her then? “It’s
okay when you’re young.” But not when
you’re old? “No, I haven’t slept with her
lately, man!”
Despite having hit the big time, through a
mixture of mismanagement, high tax rates
and excessive living, by the spring of 1971
the Rolling Stones had spent the money they
owed in taxes in Britain. They left before the
government could seize their assets.
Richards moved with his girlfriend, Italianborn actress and model Anita Pallenberg
(who had formerly been with band founder
Brian Jones, and was rumored to have
had an affair with her co-star in the film
Performance: a certain Mick Jagger) and
their young son Marlon to the Côte d'Azur
in southern France.
There they rented Villa Nellcôte, a 16-room
Belle Époque mansion which had served
as the local Gestapo headquarters during
the German occupation in WWII. The floor
vents in the basement were still decorated
with swastikas, and it was down there that
the Stones recorded their 10th studio album, Exile on Main St.
“It was pretty funky,” Richards recalls. “It
was a basement. A disused basement in a
very big, old house. It had the sound, you
understand. You know, I’d work in a gas
chamber if it got the right sound.”
finishing recording for the night, heading
down to his dockside and driving the band
in his speedboat, Mandrax, across the
crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean to
Italy for breakfast. No passport, right past
Monte Carlo as the sun was coming up,
with the music recorded the previous night
ringing in their ears.
“Yeah, jump in the boat and go to a totally
different country for breakfast – sheer
luxury, right?” he reminisces.
The result of this exotic and chaotic scene
is what many critics argue is the Stones’
greatest album, a murky “knock-down
rock’n’roll stemming from blues, backed
with a pervading feeling of blackness,”
as fellow musician Lenny Kaye wrote. To
support the release of Exile, the band
embarked on the ‘The Rolling Stones
American Tour 1972,’ an epoch-defining
rock‘n’roll junket of excess. Covered by the
likes of celebrity writers Terry Southern
and Truman Capote, and pop artist Andy
Warhol, it saw arrests, riots and tear gas at
nearly every city it stopped in.
Such was the backstage debauchery that
Cocksucker Blues, a cinéma vérité style
documentary made on the tour – cameras
were available for anyone in the entourage
to pick up and start shooting – was shelved
by the band over fears the nudity, snorting,
needles and out-and-out hedonism were
potentially incriminating. It also went beyond a Byronic ‘mad, bad and dangerous
to know’ image they wished to project and
strayed the wrong side of sordid (heads
up: you can watch it on YouTube). So how
much of the depravity can Keef remember?
“Oh lots. I remember most of it. There are
a few blank spots, but otherwise… at that
time, to us, that was a normal day at the
office. It was crazy. But who hasn’t seen
crazy offices before now? It was a rocking
time. Everybody enjoyed it and everybody
lived.”
By now the Stones’ drugs use had become
heavy, and a supply of pure heroin had
been sourced through the Marseille mafia. Pulled by the poppy and pushed on
by pharmaceutical grade Merck cocaine,
Richards had acquired a taste for nocturnal
working hours, starting recording sessions
in the evening and going through until
sunrise – and considering it mutiny if anyone toiling with him left the deck.
One person for whom it all got too much,
though, was guitarist Mick Taylor, who quit
the band in an attempt to deal with his
heroin addiction. “I make no bones about
it,” Taylor has said. “Had I remained with
the band, I would probably be dead.” Alive
and well, he is special guest on the Rolling
Stones ‘14 On Fire Tour,’ and will be joining
the band on stage in Shanghai.
“I realized, I’m running on fuel and everybody else isn’t,” he says in Life. “They’re
trying to keep up with me and I’m just
burning. I can keep going because I’m on
pure cocaine… I’m running on high octane,
and if I feel I’m pushing it a little bit, need
to relax it, have a little bump of smack.”
“Yeah man, this a really great part of it all –
resurrecting Mick,” says Richards. “Ronnie
and I are having a ball with Mick Taylor. To
have three guitars on stage… all Rolling
Stones records, we overdub, there’s layer
on guitars. There’s probably six to eight
guitars on a record, so when Ronnie and I
get on stage, we have to decide which are
the important parts. So to have Mick Taylor
come in is sort of ‘to the power of’ – it
gives us a little more room to maneuver.
It’s great to have him back in the band.”
One of the abiding images from the autobiography is Richards’ description of
Ronnie Wood was Taylor’s replacement
back in 1974, and marked what Richards
has described as a return to ‘the ancient
art of weaving.’ “People were saying they
couldn’t tell who’s playing the lead and
who’s playing the rhythm,” Richards explains. “And that’s the whole point – to
play off of each other. Swapping both
things, so there’s no need to know who is
lead and rhythm. That’s what creates the
sound. And so we called it ‘the ancient art
of weaving.’”
There is no question as to why Richards
is still touring at 70 years of age. His love
of playing can be found in almost every
sentence he utters, radiates from his very
being. It is something ineffable. “It’s difficult to put it into words. I guess it’s a transference of energy between the crowd and
your fingers. And then you send it back. I
always feel like I’m a bit of a transmitter.
The crowd gives you the energy and you
put it through yourself and then send it
back out. It’s a sort of two-way street,” he
explains. “It is a transference of great feelings of love and energy. And long may it
last. If I could stay on stage all the time – or
even the rest of the world could – there’d
be less trouble.”
One of Richards’ sayings is, ‘It's really good
to be here, and as I always say, it's really
good to be anywhere!’ True to form, he
can’t single out one period as the best
time to be a Rolling Stone.
“All of it is, man,” he insists. “If I think of
one thing, it only sparks another. It is an
amazing way to spend a life really. In fact
it is indescribable. I can only say that I’ve
enjoyed it thoroughly so far. And I look forward to loads more.”
Having been No. 1 on the ‘who’s likely to
die’ list for ten years (“I was really disappointed when I fell off the list”), Richards
shrugs off the constant jokes about his
continued survival being a source of widespread bafflement.
“You should just be proud of it I suppose,”
he says. “I recommend it to everybody, you
know – long may it happen to everybody.
Long life, have a good’un.”
In Life he says, “We age not by holding on
to youth, but by letting ourselves grow
and embracing whatever youthful parts
remain.” It seems at the ripe old age of
70, Keith Richards still has plenty of youthful parts remaining. “I hope so. I’m going
strong, yeah. You know I personally don’t
think about it. It’s only when you get asked
about it that it comes on, ‘Jesus Christ,
I’m 70…’” And there goes Keef’s smoky
chuckle again. “But otherwise I don’t feel
any different – so far, touch wood – than
I have ever, really. I tend not to have to
think about my health. I don’t know if it is
because I am sturdily built or whatever, but
it doesn’t cross my mind. I feel great – now
let’s get ready to rock’n’roll…”
// The Rolling Stones play the Shanghai
Mercedes-Benz Arean on March 12
41
TICKETS
Unless otherwise stated, all tickets are RMB75 (includes a drink) for adults and RMB20 (includes a soft drink) for
children and students. Literary lunches are RMB188. Tickets can be purchased in person directly from Capital M during
office hours and at Literary Festival sessions, or from Mypiao (Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm) via 400 620 6006 and www.
mypiao.com. Please note all dates and times are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please check
www.capital-m-beijing.com. For details of how to get to Capital M, see listings.
illustrations by Zhang mingshu
MARCH 16 / SUNDAY
MARCH 21 / FRIDAY
Endre Lund Eriksen & Endre Skandfer / 11am-12pm
Literary Lunch. Covering China: Trends in Current
Affairs / 12pm
Two of Norway’s most celebrated and beloved children’s
authors, Lund Eriksen and Skandfer team up to talk about
enchanting mountainous worlds, populated by friendly,
noisy monsters. Their interactive talk will be for kids and
parents alike.
Dany Laferrière / 3-4pm In French
The author of a dozen novels, including the provocatively
titled How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired,
Laferrière won the Prix Médicis in 2009 for The Enigma
of the Return, the story of his return to Haiti after 30
years of exile. More recently, he published Diary of a
Writer in Pyjamas and The World is Moving Around Me,
an eyewitness account of the earthquake that struck Haiti
in 2010. In December 2013, he was elected to the French
Academy.
Christopher Doyle / 5-6pm
An award-winning cinematographer who has worked with
directors such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and, most
notably Wong Kar-wai, Doyle’s work includes Temptress
Moon (Chen Kaige), In the Mood for Love (Wong Karwai), The Quiet American and the recent remake of Psycho.
Winner of the AFI Award for cinematography and the
Cannes Technical Grand Prize, among others, Doyle has
been working in Asian cinema since the 1970s.
What’s new in the news. Panel includes Jane Perlez and
Evan Osnos.
C. Raja Mohan / 7-8pm
Author of Samudra Manthan: Sino-Indian Rivalry in the
Indo-Pacific, Mohan heads the Strategic Studies Program
at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi, and is
currently non-resident senior associate at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC.
Mohan has published widely on arms control, nuclear nonproliferation, Asian security and Indian foreign policy.
MARCH 22 / SATURDAY
Jeremy Tredinnick / See page 50, 11am-12pm
Cruz Garcia & Nathalie Frankowski / 12-1pm
Better known as the co-founders of Beijing-based design
think tank, WAI Architecture, Garcia and Frankowski
are also co-authors of The Story of the Little Girl and the
Sun, a witty and informative children’s book exploring the
geometric shapes found in space.
Emma Larkin / See page 49, 1-2pm
John Delury / See page 48, 3-4pm
Evan Osnos / See page 44, 5-6pm
MARCH 23 / SUNDAY
MARCH 18 / TUESDAY
Benjamin Law / 1-2pm
Simon Napier-Bell / See page 47, 7-8pm
MARCH 19 / WEDNESDAY
Literary Lunch. Covering China: Trends in Food / 12pm
A panel of food editors on the latest trends, ideas, fads,
organics and scares in China’s food world. With That’s
Beijing’s very own Will Philipps, along with Cat Nelson,
Sienna Parulis-Cook and Sean Silbert.
The author of two books, black comedy The Family
Law and gonzo-style travel book Gaysia: Adventures in the
Queer East, Law is known for his outrageous first-person
style explorations into a range of difficult issues. His work
has appeared in over 50 publications worldwide, including
Good Weekend, frankie, The Monthly and QWeekend. Nancy Huston / 3-4pm
What’s new in the travel world? Travel writers and travel
industry pros tell us. Panel includes Jeremy Tredinnick,
Mei Zhang and Jeff Brown.
Multilingual Huston has written over 35 books, including
novels, essays, screenplays and children’s books. Her
sprawling 2006 World War II epic, Fault Lines, examines
the effects of Himmler’s little-known Lebensborn project,
which saw over 250,000 blonde children kidnapped from
Poland and the Ukraine and placed in adoptive German
families.
Nicholas Griffin / See page 46, 7-8pm
Timothy Garton Ash / See page 45, 5-6pm
MARCH 20 / THURSDAY
Literary Lunch. Covering China: Trends in Travel / 12pm
43
COVER STORY
Now in its fourth year, the Capital M Literary Festival returns to Beijing with a
diverse and distinguished range of writers, historians, theorists and thinkers.
Here’s our guide to the best of the week-long series.
COVER STORY
2 0 1 4 / 0 3 / 2 2 S AT U R D AY / 5 - 6 P M
A Letter From America
BY STEPHEN GEORGE
“I’ve always found that one of the hardest aspects of writing about
China is that you’re always being asked to assign proportion to
people’s experiences”
After almost eight years living in Beijing,
Evan Osnos, author of the New Yorker’s
widely-acclaimed regular column, Letter
From China, now finds himself in the curious
position of writing letters to China. “I have
a new foreign assignment… which is the
United States,” he jokes of his current role,
as DC-based staff writer for the New Yorker.
“I was abroad for eleven years, and coming
back home has been more surprising than
I expected it to be,” says Osnos. “There is
something fundamentally different about
moving back and imagining the parameters
of your life in an American context that
just changes the way you see yourself in the
world.”
So has he found himself out of step with
the cultural and political values of modern
America? “The truth is, I’ve been struck by
how America feels especially American to
me,” he says. “The United States seems to be
constantly asking itself ‘what does it mean
to be American?’ It’s a very crazy time right
now in American politics, where everyone
is jockeying to prove they’re more American
than the next guy. The idea that being an
atheist is a liability in politics, for example, or
that politicians have to declare their position
on gun control, is fascinating to me.”
In this, Osnos sees a parallel with recent
developments in China. “It’s interesting. In
many ways, the United States is proclaiming
its most essential American nature, at the
exact same time that China is proclaiming its
most essential Chinese nature. For example,
you have the Chinese government talking
about the Chinese Dream and the renewal
of the Chinese nation, both of which are
exercises in this idea of national identity.”
But despite their similar names, the
two countries’ ideological models have very
little in common, argues Osnos. “I think it’s
put into especially stark relief when you put
the Chinese Dream next to the American
Dream. It’s quite noticeable to me just how
different they are. On the Chinese side, the
government is trying to rally people around
an idea of what it means to be Chinese and
pull them together around that idea, while my
own sense of it – and this is what I’m writing
about in the book [Age of Ambition: Chasing
Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China]
– is that we’re living in a time where Chinese
people are actually pointing themselves in
many different directions.”
This notion of a more diffuse sense
of Chinese identity is a theme that runs
throughout Osnos’ work. In his regular
column for the New Yorker, Osnos rarely
discussed the totality of China. Instead,
readers were invited to understand the
country through a diverse series of vignettes.
Was it a conscious decision, I wonder, to
focus on a multitude of voices, as opposed to
a more singular idea of China?
“It came naturally from a sense of
humility, I hope,” explains Osnos. “That’s in
the sense that anyone who spends time in
China, quickly realizes that you can only hope
to get an understanding of a very limited
part. Your view of China is determined by
where you happen to be focused at any
one time.”
Was he weary, perhaps, of
assuming that his chosen characters
were somehow representative of the
country as a whole?
“Yes, I’ve always found that
one of the hardest aspects of writing
about China, is that you’re always
being asked to assign proportion to
people’s experiences,” agrees Osnos.
“You're trying to decide if this
person whose life you’re describing,
whose life you’re following, is reflective
of broader trends in this country – or is
it more idiosyncratic and representative
of itself. I decided early on that the only
honest way I could write about this country
was by setting aside these generalizations,
about what ‘Chinese people’ believe,
or what ‘Chinese people’ are
experiencing, and try to write
about individual lives, and try to dignify
them with the value that they deserve.”
Was this primarily a literary, or political
decision? “It’s both,” says Osnos. “It’s a
literary decision in that if you try to write
about a ‘Chinese person’ then very often you
end up with nothing, but if you set out to
write about a life, it leads you in directions
that you could never have predicted. Then
you end up with a story that’s a much more
honest way to describe the country.
“And then it’s a political decision,
because on some deep level, I do believe
that the Chinese individual – whether in
politics, in economics or in society – has
become important in a way that it never was
in the past, and if we want to understand the
country, we have to understand what it means
to be a Chinese individual. People are now
able to make decisions in the course of their
lives, about taste, about style, about choice,
that defy broad and easy generalizations
about the country. So it’s vital that we
understand what these individuals are doing,
because they matter.”
Evan Osnos’ first book, Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China, will be released in May this year.
44
What Should They
Know of England,
Who Only England Know?
BY Will Philipps
“Here we have a China that no one imagined 30 or 40 years ago. It’s
unprecedented territory for a nation of its kind and so it’s incredibly
important for the rest of the world”
Writer and Oxford University historian
Timothy Garton Ash describes his work as
“studying the history of the present,” which
is a polite academic way of saying that he’s
captivated by change, addicted even.
“At the age of 23, I jumped into my car
and drove straight to Berlin,” he says of his
early attempts to get a handle on his craving.
Could he foresee the dramatic changes ahead?
“In 1978, if you’d said the Berlin Wall
would come down in 11 years time, nobody
would have believed you. The European
divide seemed like a fact of physical
geography back then. Nobody would have
believed that the whole thing could have
changed so dramatically, and so peacefully,
by the early 90s.”
So given the choice, would he do the
same again? “If I were 23 today, I would
probably fly straight to Beijing. I find it
extraordinarily interesting. Here we have a
China that no one imagined 30 or 40 years
ago. It’s unprecedented territory for a nation
of its kind and it’s incredibly important for
the rest of the world.”
Change though, as Garton Ash rightfully
points out is an exceptionally difficult thing
to predict. “We have to be very careful about
what Henry Bergson called the illusions
of retrospective determinism. Just because
Eastern Europe changed so radically in the
1980s, does not mean it is destined to happen
everywhere. China will still be China, but,
more so than most other countries, it is
compelled to adapt. That is what makes it
politically the most fascinating place on earth
right now.” It’s an interesting point, but it begs
the question: can meaningful change occur
without physical revolution? “The key is
universalism,” says Garton Ash decisively.
“In the West we need to engage with ideas
and systems that we are unfamiliar with –
as do other cultures with ours. The more
that information – and people – flow across
borders, the more conversation we need
about what values we share and what values
we don’t.”
Intrinsic to this notion of universalism
is the idea of making the strange familiar
and the familiar strange. “Making the move
abroad is absolutely essential – you see
and understand your own country
in quite different ways,” he says by
way of example. “The Chinese postgrad students I’ve interacted with [at
Oxford University] are incredibly hard
working and able to adapt. It takes a
bit of time, but they certainly take to it,
and then they are far from uncritical.”
Garton Ash embellishes the point with
a quotation from Kipling, “What should
they know of England, who only England
know?”
In 2009 Garton Ash re-examined
his own youthful journey, with the
publication of The File, a work of
non-fiction in which he returned
to former East Berlin,
long after the fall of the
Berlin Wall, to unearth
the surveillance dossier
that the Stasi, the East
German secret police, had
been collecting on him during
his time in East Germany.
The themes explored in the book are
particularly pertinent now, given the way that
mass surveillance made the headlines in 2013.
But Garton Ash is quick to put comparisons
between the NSA and the Stasi in perspective.
“The technological possibilities of
security services these days are beyond a
Stasi general’s wildest dreams. But, having
lived under the Stasi, I’m a little bit slower
to reach for the comparison – the NSA is
under the rule of law and democracy, so it’s
not the same thing. But having been spied
on, and having read my file, I am more alert
to the danger. In Germany there was outrage,
while in the UK it was a big story – but there
wasn’t the same huge movement for change.”
One major difference in these parallel
narratives is the advent of the Internet.
Blogging platforms, like Weibo, add not only
a new window through which to view the
history of the present, but a platform from
which to alter its course.
“Two big things that have changed
in the last half century are the physical
movement of people over frontiers by mass
migration and the virtual movement of ideas
and information across the Internet,” he says.
Things might have been different for
Garton Ash in East Berlin had the internet
been in existence, both in his hands and that
of the Stasi. However, he avoids theorizing.
“All technologies are double-edged swords
and no technology has ever set people free
by itself. Be it in Europe or in Africa or
in America, these new technologies have
empowering possibilities for citizens, but also
controlling possibilities for states.”
Despite the potentially deep personal
scars such surveillance can cause, as Garton
Ash would well know with his Stasi file,
he is philosophical on the issue. “In a way,
everyone should have their Stasi file. It’s a
very sobering experience.” Timothy Garton Ash's latest book, Facts Are Subversive: Political Writing From a Decade Without a Name is out now.
45
COVER STORY
2 0 1 4 / 0 3 / 2 3 S u n d ay / 5 - 6 P M
COVER STORY
2 0 1 4 / 0 3 / 2 0 T H U R S d ay / 7 - 8 P M
How Ping-Pong
Changed The World
BY OSCAR HOLLAND
“Since the Berlin Olympics in 1936 there has always been this
correlation between the health of a nation and sporting events. The
real challenge now for China is to compete at sports which are more
widely played”
In Beijing, one is rarely far from a pingpong table. The permanently affixed, heavyduty playing surfaces are occupied yearround, usually by dexterous octogenarians
whose abilities are enough to dissuade mere
mortals from ever playing in public.
But in 1935 table tennis was only
the 12th most popular athletic activity in
the country, sitting below jump rope and
only just above home construction in the
nation’s hearts. So how did the humble
game, invented in England as a drunken
after-dinner distraction, rise to the status of
national sport?
The reason, according to author and
journalist Nicholas Griffin, is British
aristocrat and Soviet spy Ivor Montagu.
When not producing films with Alfred
Hitchcock, fishing with Trotsky or driving
around Beverly Hills with Charlie Chaplin
shouting Russian swear words at parking
valets, the fervent communist dedicated
himself to the global
proliferation of table tennis.
In Ping-Pong Diplomacy Griffin charts
the extraordinary spread of the game
throughout China and attributes its success
to the ideological inclinations of Montagu,
the figure responsible for codifying its rules
and founding the International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF).
“I think the absolutely key thing for
Beijing in the early 1950s was to find a
sympathetic international sporting body
that was not the International Olympic
Committee (IOC),” Griffin explains. “It was
pushed out by the West and the same goes for
the International Federation of Association
Football (FIFA).
“China felt very aggrieved at [its]
treatment by those bodies and they wanted
somewhere where they’d get a fair go. And
since the ITTF was in the hands of a man
who happened to be a communist, they
thought ping-pong was the way forward.”
The game’s role in the politics of the Cold
War would prove monumental. Described
by Griffin as a “Trojan dove,” China’ s love
affair with table tennis would lead to an
official invite for the American national team
in 1971, ending a 22-year standoff between
the two countries and paving the way for the
landmark summit between Mao and Nixon.
Against this backdrop, Ping-Pong
Diplomacy presents a compelling and largely
untold account of the individuals responsible
for the sport’s rise in prominence. Were it
not for the actions of Montagu and others,
Griffin maintains that the complexion of
Beijing would today be profoundly different.
Volleyball and speed skating were also
contenders for the nation’s favorite sport in
the 1950s, though the author doubts that
either could have infiltrated the fabric
of the capital in quite the same
way. Table tennis was game of
proletarian simplicity, accessible
to anyone able to carve
themselves a paddle and find a
flat surface to play upon.
“I think the other
remarkable thing which made
China focus on table tennis was that the
Japanese were having incredible success at
that time,” he says. “There was a feeling that
anything Japan could do, China could do as
well, and soon better.”
And that they did. Montagu offered
Beijing the chance to host the 1961 World
Table Tennis Championships and the Chinese
team swept the medal table, a dominance that
continues to this day. The players, some of
whom Griffin was able to track down during
his research, became instant celebrities.
“I did get to play against one of the exworld champions,” he recalls. “He was very
kind but let’s just say he won handily. Most of
my [experience playing] table tennis is that
classic European tale of playing a lot between
the age of eight and 15 and then never really
touching it again.”
The author proves modest in more ways
than one. While historians often use modern
parallels to bestow relevancy upon their work,
Griffin is keen to bat away too meaningful a
comparison with Dennis Rodman’s attempts
to build bridges through sport.
“If you end up in rehab I’m afraid it’s
not really much of a statement of shining
diplomacy,” he jokes, referring to the former
NBA star's recent post-mission relapse. “But
if there’s genuine goodwill, and a willingness
to change the status quo in North Korea,
then basketball would be a fantastic way to
go, because you have two world leaders [Kim
and Obama] both known to favor a particular
sport. There’s no political will behind it for
now, but it could have a fascinating future.
“Since the Berlin Olympics in 1936
there has always this correlation between the
health of a nation and sporting events. The
real challenge for China now is to compete at
sports which are more widely played. They’re
doing an amazing job in tennis. Basketball
would be the next great statement and then I
think football [soccer] is the one lurking on
the horizon.”
Until then, Beijing will remain a city
of the ball and bat. The rebellious British
aristocrat responsible for the phenomenon
made little record of his trips across the
bamboo curtain but his indelible mark on the
capital lives on.
Nicolas Griffin's book, Ping-Pong Diplomacy: Ivor Montagu and the Astonishing Story Behind the Game that Changed the World is out now.
46
The Man Who
Brought Pop to China
BY Karoline Kan
“Very few Chinese knew about Wham! but a week later, every music
fan in the country seemed to know everything there was to know
about the band”
Long before George Michael started
hanging around public toilets, smoking a
reported 25 spliffs a day and driving his car
through London shop fronts, he was busy
making history. In April 1985, he performed
alongside lesser-known band mate Andrew
Ridgeley at the Beijing Workers’ Gymnasium
in front of an audience of 15,000, almost all
of whom were dressed in blue and gray Mao
suits. Wham! had become the first Western
pop group to ever tour communist China.
The performance was watched
closely by police, several members of the
Government and the world’s media. With
the band’s invitation coming just a few years
after China’s commitment to reforming
and opening up, the occasion was of huge
historical significance. China had showed,
though the medium of inoffensive dance
pop, that it was living up to its rhetoric and
embracing the outside world.
The man behind the tour was neither
Ridgeley nor Michael, but their thenmanager, Simon Napier-Bell. Best known
for managing acts like The Yardbirds, John’s
Children and Marc Bolan, Napier-Bell is also
a journalist and author. But despite writing
several books about his experiences in the
music industry, he was initially reluctant to
detail Wham!’s eastern endeavors.
“I’d been pestered for years by publishers
to write a book about Wham! but it just didn’t
interest me,” he explains.
His resolve broke in 2005 with the
publication of I’m Coming to Take You to
Lunch: A Fantastic Tale of Boys, Booze and
How Wham! Were Sold to China. The book
presents the groundbreaking tour as a winwin situation for communist superpower and
post-disco duo alike. On China’s side, the
tour showed a keenness to welcome the eyes
of the world, while for Napier-Bell it offered
an opportunity to promote Wham! to a
colossal, and untapped, market – both inside
and outside of China.
“To begin with, I had planned to make
Wham! the best-known band in the world
within three years. But it proved impossible
to reach that goal in such a short time,” he
explains. “To make things worse, George
Michael not only hated the media but also
disliked endless touring. Thus I had to
try another way. Making Wham! the first
Western band ever to perform in China
would guarantee global press – especially in
America.”
The idea was a bold one. For it to work,
Napier-Bell would have to convince the
Chinese government that it could appease
its urgent desire for the world’s attention by
bringing in a pop group. But with rock band
Queen also vying for the honor of being the
first Western act to perform in China, the
next challenge was to make sure that group
was Wham!.
In addition to some light sabotage (he
made brochures comparing the wholesome
pair with the dangerously flamboyant Queen
front man, Freddie Mercury), NapierBell also traveled to China on 13 separate
occasions. He invited countless Chinese
officials to lunches, each fuelled by one of
history’s greatest tactics of persuasion –
which explains how “booze” came to feature
in the book’s title.
“I negotiated repeatedly with Chinese
officials and told them that the foreign
media were waiting for exciting news from
China, so why not let them know that a top
international band had been invited to play?”
he recalls. “I told them that when people see
Wham! performing in Beijing, it would prove
[that they were] serious about opening up.”
The Chinese eventually agreed and
issued an official invitation, though there
would be no publicity for the performances
and the band would have to cover venue
rental, equipment and ticket printing.
These costs were no barrier to NapierBell’s determination to open the Chinese
market and he even gave out two free Wham!
cassettes with every ticket. The strategy
proved well-judged.
“Very few Chinese knew about Wham!
but a week later, every music fan in the
country seemed to know everything there
was to know about the band,” Napier-Bell
explains. “[The plan] obviously worked
because [travel writer] Colin Thubron…
mentions endlessly hearing Wham! being
played everywhere when he visited China
shortly after the concert.”
As the architect of China’s first contact
with Western pop culture, Napier-Bell also
became one of the few to visit the country
at the dawn of its market-economy age. But
he believes that the Beijing he returns to for
this month’s Literary Festival is a markedly
different place.
“At the time when Wham! went to
China, everyone was wearing Mao suits and
when I tried to talk to people they ran away,”
he says. “Beijing had just one modern hotel:
the Great Wall Hotel. In 1985, Beijing and
the hotel were like two different worlds, but
today it’s the world of the [latter] that has
triumphed. The Great Wall is now simply
one of thousands of glittering steel-and-glass
buildings.
“The grim, never-ending drabness that
I knew so well has completely disappeared.
Beijing looks like Tokyo or Singapore
because everything that was old, grubby and
depressing has been torn down and replaced
with things that are tall, shiny and gleaming.”
Upon his return, Napier-Bell intends
to visit Beijing Workers' Gymnasium, where
Wham!’s journey from entertainment sections
to front pages began. It may no longer play
host to hordes of blue and gray Mao suits but
it remains the setting of a unique event in
the histories of both China and Western pop
music.
Simon Napier-Bell's book, I'm Coming to Take You to Lunch: A Fantastic Tale of Boys, Booze and How Wham! Were Sold to China, was published in 2005.
47
COVER STORY
2 0 1 4 / 0 3 / 1 8 T U E S d ay / 7 - 8 P M
COVER STORY
2 0 1 4 / 0 3 / 2 2 S AT U R d ay / 3 - 4 P M
The Underlying
Currents of History
BY KAROLINE KAN
“To really understand Mao and understand the fact that his picture is
still in Tiananmen Square, and why Chinese people still feel attachment
to him, you have to understand some of his achievements”
There are countless books about the rise
of modern China and its likely affect on the
rest of the world. Few, though, care to go as
deep, or as far back into the country’s recent
history as Wealth and Power: China’s Long
March to the 21st Century. Its author, John
Delury, an Assistant Professor of East Asian
Studies at Yonsei University, together with
Orville Schelle, expertly traces the country’s
underlying historical currents, identifying 11
key Chinese “reformers” whose lives, taken
together, encapsulate the country’s story of
national collapse and revival.
So how did they manage to condense the
near-limitless cast of contemporary Chinese
history into a list of 11 principal figures?
“We planned to start with the late Qing, but
to get the intellectual history, especially the
notion of fuqiang [obtaining wealth and
power], we had to go back to earlier Chinese
intellectuals, whom many Chinese are not
even familiar with. And we had to cut-off
characters and add pages for those who are
more important to make a clear-cut theme,”
explains Delury.
Both Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping,
whose stories have been covered extensively
elsewhere, were each given two chapters,
rather than one. “Mao and Deng deserve
twice as much coverage as everybody else
in terms of their impact on contemporary
China,” says Delury. “It requires two
chapters to tell Mao’s story. Still today, the
physiological impact of Mao on Chinese
people and Chinese society is profound. As
for Deng, China today is Deng’s China.”
Delury and Schelle do not set out to
change the popular view of Mao; they are,
however, determined to offer a more evenhanded account. “When Orville first traveled
to China, Mao was in power in the late stage
of the Cultural Revolution. At that time,
many people in the United States thought
Mao was great, but now there are great
swathes who see him as a monster.
Orville and I were trying to show
Mao in a more balanced light. We’re
by no means trying to defend him,
but, at the same time, to really
understand Mao and understand
the fact that his picture is still in Tiananmen
Square, and why Chinese people still feel
attachment to him, you have to understand
some of his achievements.”
Although the book examines a variety of
often-competing ideological constructs, one
phrase appears again and again: Nationalism.
“The term was first posed by Sun Yatsen. His brand of nationalism is remarkably
useful to us in understanding the nationalism
of today’s China,” says Delury. “There is a
reason why the Communist government
hangs his portrait on Tiananmen Square each
National Day. Sun’s idea itself is vague, you
can do different things with it. Sun Yat-sen
is not a multi-party democracy type person,
he had the idea of building a very strong,
basically one-party state. He went back and
forth on the question of ‘how ethnicity related
to the nation.’ So during the Qing period, Sun
was anti-Manchu and talked about how the
Han should take their ‘nation back.’ Yet, after
the Qing collapsed, Sun promoted the idea
of a multi-ethnic nation, which is very close
to today’s view of the Chinese nation, which
takes the form of the Han and 55 minority
groups.”
John Delury's new book, Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the 21st Century is out now.
48
In addition to the concept of
“nationalism,” the book pays special attention
to the psychological trauma inflicted at
various times on the nation’s ruling elite
and intelligentsia as well as the apparent
humiliation by the Western powers and
Japan. But with China now ranking as the
world’s second largest economy, why do those
complexes continue to hold such a powerful
grip over the country’s collective psyche?
“China’s humiliation complex partly
comes from the fact that, apart from the
anti-Japanese war, which caused China huge
damage, and the Korean war, China has not
won another contemporary war. Yes, Japan
lost the big one [World War II], but it won a
lot before that, and the US has won plenty of
wars,” says Delury.
Delury also stresses the importance of
modernity. In the West, the contemporary era
is framed by the advent of new inventions,
new breakthroughs and new political ideals
that helped to liberate minorities and expand
democratic freedoms. In a piece published
last year in the Wall Street Journal, Delury
and Schelle argued that “It is time for China
and the more vociferous propagandists in
Beijing to move beyond declarations about
China’s ‘one hundred years of national
humiliation’. That period has come to an
end. The world has changed, China and the
West have changed, and a new narrative is
necessary for China to achieve its declared
aim of equality and a ‘new type of great power
relationship’.”
But how might he advance this change?
“Of course the change also requires other
parties,” says Delury. “China’s relationship
with Japan is very problematic. It’s easier
for Chinese to transcend their humiliation
complex if the Japanese leadership openly
acknowledges what they did to China.
But, as Shinzo Abe frequently worships at
the Yasukuni Shrine, it’s very hard for the
Chinese to get rid of the humiliation. It’s a
very serious dilemma. It’s not good for either
China or Japan.”
Burmese Days and Nights
BY Stephen george
“I would imagine Orwell would turn in his grave at the idea of a tourist
industry profiting from his name”
There’s a certain level of unintentional
intrigue involved in interviewing American
author and journalist Emma Larkin. Having
spent the best part of eight years reporting
from inside of Burma (now known as
Myanmar), Larkin, who writes under a
pseudonym, has developed a talent for
keeping her real identity hidden.
“It was never all that intentional,” she
says of her ambiguous literary persona. “It
was just something that happened out of
necessity, and grew from there. It seems
strange, I suppose, with the Internet, social
media and modern publishing. But I actually
quite like the privacy.”
Born in Thailand to an American
mother and educated in the UK from the age
of ten, Larkin was provided early on with a
ready set of differing identities from which
to experiment with. “I didn’t feel particularly
disingenuous,” she says. “It’s always felt very
natural. Though I do sometimes get confused,
especially when I answer the phone – and
someone asks for ‘Emma.’”
Larkin, who speaks in a crisp but warm
English accent, uses her American nationality
when traveling across boarders as a means
of putting distance between herself and her
journalist alter-ego.
“The situation was very different the
first few times I visited [Myanmar],” she
says of her various trips in the mid-to-late
90s. “Back then, it was difficult to get access.
Working in Burma was so slow, there was no
Internet, no mobile phone networks and no
one trusted anyone. It was a very paranoid
place. Most people refused to talk to anyone
– especially outsiders – and that’s not to
mention all the pretense that was involved,”
she says. Like changing your name, I ask?
“Yeah, and pretending to be a student and be
really, really interested in Burmese language
[Larkin did in fact study Burmese language
at SOAS], hanging around in cafés for hours.
Getting somebody to trust you was a big deal.
You couldn’t just walk into the University
and ask to speak to the professor, you weren’t
even allowed on the campus.”
Did she ever consider giving up? “At
times, definitely, but for the most part,
I found it really exhilarating,” she says.
“Back then, because of things like journalist
restrictions, there were so few people from
the outside going into Burma. It was like
being given this license to go in and collect
all these compelling stories.”
After several long trips, Larkin returned
with a more concrete idea. To retrace the
steps of another young writer who preferred
to use a pseudonym, those of Eric Blair (or as
he’s more commonly known, George Orwell).
“There was very little contemporary material
about Burma, so I turned to the older stuff,
like Orwell’s Burmese Days,” she says of her
early interest.
Although originally published in 1934,
Larkin found the themes running through
Burmese Days mirrored those of modern
day Myanmar. “I found it fascinating, it was
as if a lot of what he was writing about had
been frozen in time. There are echoes in the
landscape, as well as these strong emotional
echoes, especially in regard to the loneliness
of the characters – and their inability to
speak out. It really struck me. I wanted to
investigate the parallels.”
Her book, Finding George Orwell
in Burma, revisited the places where
he lived as well as deftly reimagining
the experiences that helped shape his
political outlook and later writing.
“There is a joke in Burma,” says
Larkin. “That Burmese history
is reflected in the work of George
Orwell; Burmese Days is the colonialist
period, Animal Farm is the socialist era
and 1984 is the military regime.”
Larkin, of course, was working in
the country during its 1984 period. “I
had to be especially careful,” she says,
recalling the book’s research stages.
“Especially with the Orwellian-style
military intelligence. The repercussions
of the book wouldn’t have affected me, I’d
have been deported and banned from the
country. It was my friends who’d be affected.
It’s not something to be taken lightly.
In the book, names are changed
and, in some cases, locations too.
After I finished the book, I gave
it to a select few people to read inside Burma,
and went back and highlighted the bits that
they thought might be dangerous.”
Her book has since gone on to find a
considerable worldwide audience, including
here in China, where it has helped to spark
something of a budding Orwell industry in
Myanmar. “It’s weird,” she laughs. “There’s
a lot of tourism, pilgrimages and people
pretending that this was the house where
Orwell lived. I would imagine he would turn
in his grave at the idea of a tourist industry
profiting from his name.”
The growth in international interest has
been met with a resurgence in interest within
the country too. “I met a publisher during a
recent trip to Yangon who wanted to translate
Orwell’s work, he’s been waiting for years to
have the opportunity,” says Larkin. “Until
now, the only Orwell novel to have been
translated into Burmese is Animal Farm, and
that was produced in the 1950s by the US
embassy, as a propaganda tool.”
Emma Larkin is the author of several books on Southeast Asia, Finding George Orwell in Burma is available in both English and Chinese, and is available now.
49
COVER STORY
2 0 1 4 / 0 3 / 2 2 S AT U R D AY / 1 - 2 P M
COVER STORY
Travel writing enjoys a certain glamorous, if rugged,
reputation. From Kipling to Hemmingway, the image is one of
adventure, of exploration – of life on the road. Not so, says Jeremy
Tredinnick. “Most of your time is spent at home in front of a
computer, either planning a trip or writing a story up. And the
actual travelling can be tedious, frustrating and very annoying at
times, not least because of having to spend time with people you
don’t really like or whose opinions vary wildly from your own.”
And then there’s the slightly more irksome problem of being
shot at: “That was on the Afghan border in Pakistan’s Northwest
Frontier region. It wasn’t really the photography that was the
problem, it was just me being there in the first place.”
Seeking safer environs, Tredinnick’s focus of late has been
PHoto / Jeremy Tredinnick
50
COVER STORY
On The Frayed Edges of The Silk Road
BY Will philipps
and shot images wherever I went with a Nikon D200. The Uygurs
and other Xinjiang peoples are mostly very hospitable.”
Developing an in-depth narrative of a destination is in line
with the author’s philosophy toward travel journalism. “Sadly,
the Internet has engendered a world of quick-hit info, full of ‘Ten
Places to Shop, Eat and Stay’ type articles – not my cup of tea!
I think it’s why I’ve migrated to writing cultural and historical
guidebooks mostly.”
Despite the challenges, Tredinnick has no complaints. “I was a
London bus driver once – compared to that, this job is manna from
heaven. I’ve seen some inspirational sights, met some amazing
people and raised a family on the income. I’m not sure that is so
easy to do in the modern-day travel publishing industry.”
Central Asia and China. Though the PRC is not without its own
unique set of problems. “The pollution doesn’t make it easy for
photographers,” Tredinnick explains. Maybe that’s why he pointed
his lens west, to the blues skies of Xinjiang, a region about which
he has been writing and editing travel guides at Odyssey Books and
Maps.
“As most people already have some idea of the Silk Road
destinations, I wanted to explore the lesser known areas such as the
Ili Valley, the Altai and the Karakoram,” Tredinnick says of a new
title devoted purely to Xinjiang.
“I arranged a four- wheel drive with driver and guide for a
six-week dash into the north. It was a tough trip but enormously
rewarding; I wrote reams of notes in an old-fashioned notebook,
51
the grapevine
Nibbles
Like the dinosaurs in Jurassic
Park, ailing superhero movie
franchises and the Lord Son
of God, Jesus Christ, The
Taco Bar has returned from
the dead. Yes, the (taco) bell
did toll for its original location, but they’re back in
an as-yet-undisclosed spot in
Sanlitun.
Darling of
the MacBookwielding workfrom-home
types, Colibri is
having something of a reinvention with a
new menu of
Italian trattoriastyle fare. Don’t worry – you
can still buy a single coffee
or pastry and poach their
WiFi for a full six hours. Next
door in 3.3, the team behind
La Pizza has opened La Pizza
Italian Buffet, with a focus
on Italian home-style cooking and (you guessed it) delicious slabs of Italian pizza.
The slightly less straightforwardly-named Tun San Li
Mall on Gongti Bei Lu had us
speculating for some years as
to whether it would actually
open. It now has, and inside
is a new branch of Yunnan
chain In ‘n’ Out, and a funky
space that calls itself Café
Groove Coffee and Bistro.
Elsewhere, Home Plate
BBQ has reopened its
Sanyuanqiao digs, and 3
Colours Lotus has opened
a new branch in Yashow.
Moving west, we’ve noticed
that Beijing’s friendly jiaozi
tycoon, Mr. Shi, has opened
a new bar, Mr. Shi’s Spot,
next to his original Baochao
Hutong dumplings operation. We’ve also noticed a
glut of new craft beer bars
in the hutongs, like Beer Keg
Brewpub in Fangjia, as well
as pre-existing restaurants
El Nido and Pinotage commencing their own brewing
operations. Crafty ploy to tap
into Beijing’s thirst for the
ale, that. WP
52
Pick of three: seasonal strawberry sweets
21 CAKES
This bakery’s Strawberry Fool ain’t no
sucker. Quite the opposite in fact, this traditional English gent of the pastry world
is layered with berry reserve, topped with
organic strawbs and smothered with New
Zealand cream. Smashing.
// RMB168-650 depending on size,
(pre-order: 400 650 2121, www.21cake.com)
Niajo
The strawberry – or as they might call it in
Spanish restaurant Niajo, la fresa – in fact
originated in France. And it’s traveled well
– a bit like Niajo’s elegant strawberry cake.
Segments of tangy berry sit on a layer of
raspberry compote and sponge.
// RMB58, 3/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang
朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里花园三层 (5208 6052,
www.niajo.com)
Aroma
The Ritz-Carlton’s five-star patisserie has a team of
dedicated pastry chefs to ensure each personalized
creamy creation offers unparalleled satisfaction. They
handpick the best berries for a range of tarts and
cakes, like this strawberry and blueberry sponge.
// RMB260/1.5pc, RMB360/2pc, 1/F, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel,
A83 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区建国路甲83号
丽思卡尔顿酒店1层 (5908 8888)
Head to head
Paddy O’ Shea’s vs The Den
The challenge: The Best Pint of Guinness in Town
Challenger: Pint of the Black Stuff at Paddy’s.
Digs: Unofficial Irish embassy and daytime drunk-tank.
Deal: RMB50
Tasting notes: Not rushed and given plenty of time
to settle, this solid, dependable draft pint is usually
worth the wait, even during peak hours.
Would St. Patrick approve? Imported direct from the
old country, and served by a rake-thin laowai claiming
dubious Irish ancestry, it’s the closest you’ll get to authentic in this town.
Get it: See listings for details.
Challenger: Pint of the Black Stuff at The Den.
Digs: 24-hour gentleman’s club.
Deal: RMB50
Tasting notes: Expertly poured and served at optimum
temperature with just the right amount of foam,
24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Would St. Patrick approve? Also imported direct from
Dublin, The Den’s draft Guinness is popular among the
bar’s sizable Nigerian clientele, a concrete endorsement if ever we saw one.
Get it: See listings for details.
Verdict: Though Paddy’s will undoubtedly be packed full of wasted Americans in oversized silly hats come
March 17, it’s The Den’s underrated creamy pint of goodness that clinches it.
eat / drink
Edited by will philipps
no Subway sandwich
Metro Ban
say what
Let’s face it: taking the subway in
Beijing ain’t fun. Squishing yourself
on a seat about the size of a battery
hen cage; fending off that dude
who insists on striking up conversation with you no matter how obvious your audibly loud headphones
are, and those creeping whiffs of
someone’s fermenting jian bing. Well, not anymore. Starting March
10, Beijing will implement a new series of regulations and fines,
including banning drinking and eating on the metro. A rather hefty
RMB500 will be the penalty for passengers caught snacking on carriages, platforms and subway lifts during their commute.
The new law has found an equal number of supporters and detractors. While many have cheered the news saying they had waited “too
long” for the ban, others have decried the decision, complaining that
they desperately need the time on their metro ride to eat their breakfast or snack. We’re all for the new regulations, but mostly because
of the new fine for pushing and shoving when getting on and off
carriages – quite how it’ll be enforced we don’t know.
Full up
Belly fit to burst
Taking the concept of
overeating to a whole
new level, a 58-year-old
woman in Chongqing
reportedly had her stomach removed after it
‘exploded’ from gorging
on too much food and
booze during Chinese
New Year.
“That was the moment I realized
I could eat 3kg of noodles. Since
then my eating ability has increased
significantly, because I purposefully
eat at self-service buffets.”
Competitive eater Pan Yizhong recalls the moment, in 2006,
when he first discovered his ‘talent’ of being able to consume
vast amounts of food. The SCMP profiled the man – China’s most
celebrated competitive eater – who can consume 147 dumplings
in a single sitting. For Pan, it seems, coming from a nation where
millions starved as a result of mass food shortages only 50 years
ago, displays of grotesque overeating pose no moral quandary.
In season
A post by a nutritionist at the Beijing Friendship Hospital stated that
the woman was hospitalized at the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital because of severe abdominal swelling and diagnosed with gastrectasia,
an abnormal dilation of the stomach.
Loquat
Deliciously sweet and tart, the
Chinese name of these yellow
fruits (pipa, 枇杷) comes from
their distinctive lute shape.
Soothing for coughs, loquats
are delicately perfumed and
boast the texture of a peach.
A specialty of southern China,
choose ones with fuzzy, unblemished skin about the size of a
ping-pong ball. Average price:
RMB16/jin.
The gluttonous granny had to undergo surgery, during which (the
story gets weirder) gases containing ethyl alcohol burst from her
tummy and, coming in contact with the surgeon’s electrical surgical
knife, allegedly caused a fire, a “rare but not impossible” occurrence,
according to one of the doctors who took part in the operation.
“Normally, people will stop eating when they feel full. However,
drinking alcohol during a rich meal can make them ignore their bodies’ signals, and they eat too much,” the doctor added. The greedy
lady had her stomach removed and is currently recovering. All's well
that ends well.
RANDOM Number
1.6 billion
The total bottles of red wine imbibed by Chinese
consumers last year, putting the world’s vin rougeswilling crown officially on the Middle Kingdom’s
head – beyond both France and Italy. Beleaguered
white vintages, are not making the same splash,
however. “White is the color of death,” says
Guillaume Deglise, Vinexpo’s chief executive. “So
you don’t want to drink that… and why would you?”
Green dates
Crisp and refreshing like apples,
with a honeyed aftertaste, these
popular early spring treats (da
qingzao, 大青枣) are loaded with
vitamin C and have a supposed
calming effect on the stomach.
Originally cultivated in Taiwan,
they now grow across southern
China. Medium ones with a light
green skin are usually sweetest.
Average price: RMB7/jin.
53
eat / drink
new restaurants
Home Plate BBQ, Sanlitun
Is bigger REally better?
By Anthony tao
L
ike Tom Sawyer and his
desire for treasure, there
comes a time in every
rightly-constructed restaurant
owner’s life when he has a raging desire to expand. So it was
for Blue Frog, The Kro’s Nest,
and Great Leap Brewing, among
others. So it had to be for Home
Plate.
Kentucky. “Research,” he says. “I
probably gained 20 pounds. My
belly is my badge of honor.”
There’s one more significant addition to the new place worth
mentioning, and that’s pastry
expert Dustin Merrett. He was
hired as chef, the first person
other than Murray to wear that
label in Home Plate’s short history.
You probably know the story
well, but it’s worth revisiting as
a tale of expat success. Adam
Murray, with help from his fiancé, began what would become
Home Plate from his figurative
backyard in 2010, delivering
homemade barbecue to those
around UIBE university near
Shaoyaoju.
Merrett has already put gourmet twists on homely classics.
For example, he prepares the
Texas chili with seven varieties
of peppers, whole tomatoes,
beer, and – surprise! – dark
chocolate. In addition, he makes
the barbecue sauces – with
names like Texas Heat, Kansas
City Sweet and Memphis Tang –
from scratch. “It took me a good
two months to get the sauces
right,” he says.
That expanded to become the
98-square-meter Xiaoyun Lu
branch, before demand again required expansion late last year.
Home Plate opened the doors
to a 554-square-meter space in
Sanlitun last December, with a
kitchen that’s bigger than the
entirety of the old restaurant.
Whereas the old Home Plate felt
like an urban shack, defined by
mortar, chalk and scuff, the new
place feels like an establishment,
one that’s already been here forever. There’s probably no better
mark of a strong brand: that a
place could so quickly outgrow
its former self and seem right at
home in its new skin.
Not to say operations are perfect. When we visited earlier last
month (still in its soft-opening
phase), Murray was still filling
out his staff (always difficult
around Spring Festival), finalizing the menu and waiting to
install proper fapiao printers.
54
Murray spared no expense:
in addition to two smokers
imported from Georgia, in the
States (big enough to prepare
whole hogs and lamb), he had
Apothecary’s Leon Lee design a
cocktail menu featuring the likes
of Smoky Maple Old Fashioned
and Devil’s Julep (both made
with bourbon), and commissioned Stephen Gleadow to render a series of Home Plate logos
as grunge-style art to be placed
against the back wall.
The dessert menu, you’ll be happy to know, also came together.
Trust me when I tell you Home
Plate may now have the best
cheesecake in town.
‘My belly is my badge of honor’
We’ve heard some of the same
grumblings about inefficient service and inconsistent food quality – not to be confused with
bad, mind you – that nipped at
the heels of the old place. And
then there’s this phrase, which
people casually toss around,
ripe with connotation: It’s not as
good as it was before.
We live in a new Beijing, where
the proliferation of dining venues is matched only by customers’ soaring expectations. That’s
the trap of success: you show
people how good you can be,
and they expect you to always
be that good.
Allow me to assure you that
Home Plate remains just fine.
Meat drips off the bones and
sauces stick to your fingers,
and the bread is toasted to just
the right crisp. Murray even
embarked on a barbecue tour
of the US starting in August
2012 that took him to eateries
in Kansas, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Alabama, Georgia,
Tennessee, Arkansas and
Of course, expansion – chasing Sawyer’s elusive treasure
– comes with certain perils, such
as diminishing returns and overexposure. Everyone’s a critic, as
you may have heard. Inevitably,
a portion of early-adopters will
feel alienated by a restaurant’s
expansion, believing it no longer caters specifically to them. (It
never does, hipsters.)
But that’s what restaurant owners put up with. For Murray,
there was a time when he had
to beg friends and family for
money just to open a shack that
he envisioned would be purely
a delivery service. Now he owns
an emerging Beijing institution.
“This is the place I wanted to
open originally but could never
afford to,” he says. “I don’t think
there’s any identity crisis here. I
know there isn’t. We’re not drifting away from barbecue.”
// Daily 11am-10pm, 1/F, Unit 10, Electrical
Research Institute, Nan Sanlitun Lu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区南三里屯路机电院10
号1层 (400 096 7670 del.5128 5584,
homeplatebbq.com)
new restaurants
meow hotpot
the cat’s out of the bag
By Will Philipps
to hate cat gifs with all our
cynical, highbrow might, but the
reality is those damn kittens are
quite funny. Meow Hotpot (Mao
Zhua Huo Guo, translation: cat
scratch hotpot) seems to have
picked up on the furry fandom
as the motif is emblazoned on
every inch of their huge hotpot
restaurant.
O
f all the recent internet
phenomena that amuse
and confuse us, the
ubiquity of one truly baffles us.
Gangnam Style, Harlem Shake,
scam emails from Nigerian officials: move aside. We’re talking
about cats. Cat reaction gifs,
LOLcats – we’ve even come
across a language learning program (CatAcademy) that utilizes
feline flashcards. Maybe it’s
because, as one Japanese study
found last year, looking at pictures of cute animals can help
us to relax.
We think they’re right. We want
Most of the cat figurines here,
though, are the lucky Chinese
waving cats, an object whose
background we’d actually explored. Shock, horror: they
originated in Japan. Shock, horror: that’s about it. Still, they can
bring in diners, as we waited an
hour for a table here. This place
has done roaring trade since
opening, and apparently it’s doing for spicy broths what Great
Leap has done for crafty brews.
All the chillies are imported
from Sichuan. All the veggies are
locally sourced and everything
claims to be free from preserva-
tive nasties. The pot in which
we cooked our ingredients
had four partitions – but most
of our food found its way into
the mala chamber of spice. We
blanched some youtiao sticks
(RMB12) – nice way to add a bit
of crispiness to a mostly soggy
hotpot affair, as is the pork
(RMB22) – some duck intestine
(RMB18) and all the usual vegetables (ranging from RMB8-26).
Across the board, very reasonably priced.
The location might be an
issue for some (south west Third
Ring), but we feel this place is
worth the trip. Most gripes with
the ’pot usually revolve around
the spice’s propensity to cause
havoc with your gut, but Meow
is about the cleanest we’ve been
to. Just be ready to have cat
nightmares for a week after.
// Daily 11am-10pm, 2 Haihu Xili, southeast
of Yangqiao, Fengtai 丰台区海户西里2号
洋桥东南角 (8729 5117)
CU JU
Between a Moroccan and a bar place
BY Oscar Holland
Equally multi-faceted is proprietor Badr Benjelloun, who also
serves as music blogger and
erstwhile owner of the shortlived Daze. Following the success of his sandwiches, bagels
and rotating Sunday specials,
the Morocco native has expanded Cu Ju’s menu with more
elaborate dishes inspired by his
homeland.
The most noteworthy addition
comes in the form of merguez
sausages, egg and chakchouka, a hearty mix of bell peppers, tomatoes and generous
helpings of cumin (RMB50 or
RMB40 without sausage). A
similarly well-balanced blend
of Moroccan spices is used to
season the Yunnan-sourced
goat cheese (RMB40).
Those still unsure of Cu Ju’s
split personality may yet be
swayed by the venue’s access
to rum, as it is used in delightful unison with ice cream,
Xinjiang raisins and a satisfying-sized white chocolate
brownie (RMB40).
But the greatest challenge
posed by the bar’s multi-functionality is one of space. Or lack
thereof. Should dining coincide
with the screening of a wellfollowed sport, then practical
options may be limited to finger
foods such as olives, which,
W
inning accolades as
both a Middle Eastern
restaurant and sports
bar might point to Cu Ju being
somewhat confused in character. Indeed, if there were award
categories for the city’s best rum
bar then it would surely take
those too. But the cozy hutong
joint seems entirely comfortable in its identity, both jack and
master of its trades.
although finely marinated, are
perhaps a little steep at RMB30.
The selection is otherwise reasonable though, making halfprice Mondays phenomenally
good value. The menu has also
been cleverly constructed to
squeeze multiple dishes out
of a relatively restricted base
of ingredients, which should
help the small kitchen maintain
quality.
// Daily, 11:30am-2pm, 6pm-1am 28
Xiguan Hutong, off Dongsibeidajie, south of
Beixinqiao, Dongcheng 东城区细管胡同28
号东四北大街北新桥南边 (6407 9782)
55
eat / drink
new restaurants
Ru yuan
COURTING THE HIGH LIFE
BY Will Philipps
W
ith their mix of
gentrified cafes, decrepit doorways and
increasingly hipsterish haunts,
we often forget that Beijing’s
hutongs were once the network of arteries that kept the
old imperial city alive. These
days, step into a siheyuan
courtyard and you’re probably
lamenting the fact your bathroom is not in the same building as your bedroom. But there
was a time when stepping into
such a place meant crossing
the threshold of an exclusive
aristocratic residence, a peaceful confluence of structure and
garden providing an oasis from
bustling Peking.
Ru Yuan, which lies on the
typically indistinguishable
Dongsishisitiao Hutong, is in
fact three adjoining siheyuan
courtyards linked together to
form a restaurant and boutique
hotel complex. Stepping back
in time into these luxurious
dwellings reminds us why
they were built in the first
place. Attention to detail and
intricacy is noticeable in every
nook and cranny of the space –
except for the unmarked front
gate. Walk along Manhattan’s
Upper East Side or Paris’s 7th
Arrondissement and those
districts’ wealth is apparent
from the imposing frontages
that loom over you. In Beijing’s
hutongs you could exit a filthy
public toilet with only a grey
concrete wall separating you
from an exclusive politburo
playpen – and you wouldn’t
even know it. (And for those
arriving in a cumbersome black
Audi, fear not: there’s an underground car park at Ru Yuan).
So Ru Yuan’s unassuming
entrance only heightens the
awe once you step inside. It’s
not spacious, but its labyrinth
of stone, red beams and darkened rooms is disorientating
and creates depth in an otherwise small space. Wooden
cabinets and relief carvings
are individually crafted by artists whose skills were once
employed at the Forbidden
City; 500-year-old trees hunch
over meticulously renovated
archways. As a historical piece,
such is the gleaming perfection
that it feels quite juvenile. But
by walking inside one of the
half dozen or so dining rooms
(all private and able to sit over
ten) and a concerted effort to
provide a modern finish make
itself clear. In fact, the interior was conceptualized by a
Japanese designer whose taste
could be described as confident
or gaudy depending on who
you ask. It is typified by colorful scrolls, golden accouterments and sparkling chandeliers – it wants you to look at it
and feel underdressed.
If you’re going to live like an
aristocrat you might as well eat
like one. The constantly changing set menu (from RMB1,680)
features Tanjia cooking, a style
created by Qing dynasty official
and gourmand, Tan Zonghou,
100 years ago. His inclination
was to let high quality and
fresher ingredients do the
talking rather than relying on
spices. The food is sturdier
but lighter than your average
banquet and goes easy on the
usual onslaught of gluttony.
A rich egg yolk soup got things
underway, followed by balls of
goose liver, disguised as cherries by a thin layer of sweet red
sauce (which we could have
done without). A fish-shaped
clump of tofu with Chinese
toon herb is about the best
way to enjoy the soybean curd
– although we could think of
more enticing ways to present
it. Cubes of wagyu beef don’t
last long on the table, while a
dish of scallops and mushroom
is one we’ve eaten before,
but never this crisp. There’s a
refreshing lack of glutinous
consistencies all round.
Next we have a cut of grilled
fish that looks like salmon but
turns out to be ocean pout on
egg white (pout incredibly has
antifreeze proteins in its blood,
meaning it can survive in freezing water). It’s dry and ever so
slightly sweet; a flavor similar
to eel. Many of the dishes’
appearances are attempting
to trick us – we suspect Tan
Zonghou was a man who liked
to play with his food. Pork
rump jiaozi arrive with minimal
pretense however, and they are
some of the richest and meatiest we’ve had in all Beijing.
Some dense, doughy cakes
arrive for dessert. Putting it
politely, tastewise these artful creations are better left on
the table to complement the
interior design. (Afternoon
tea is available at Ru Yuan for
RMB180.) The high-ranking
officials of old Peking would
probably relish a night of
debauchery by the end of the
dessert course, but for us it’s
a time to hand over the credit
card and return to normality.
// Reservation required for dining. Courtyard
75, Dongsi Shisitiao, Dongcheng
东城区东四十四条75号院
(6445 7316, www.75garden.com)
56
new restaurants
Okra 1949
What Happened to Zhou?
T
raitor Zhou, of Traitor Zhou’s Kaifeng Non-kosher Delicatessen,
was a traitor, presumably, because his delicatessen wasn’t
kosher. How Zhou ended up as a member of the Jewish
faith is a moot point. Maybe his family converted around the time
Shanghai played host to a thriving Jewish community in the 1930s
and ’40s. Then again, maybe he wasn’t Jewish at all. Maybe he was
just a regular Chinese guy who owned and operated a deli that was
popular with people of a certain faith – rendering the traitor tag a
little mean-spirited, especially for a non-proselytizing religion such as
Judaism. All of which begs the question, why would Zhou adopt the
name in the first place? Only founder and co-owner Max Levy knows
for sure.
By Qiao Zhi
三色莲花印度餐厅
雅秀店：5F Yashow Market 朝阳区工体北路 58 号雅秀服装市场五
秀水二号店：Xiu Shui 2, 14 Dong Da Qiao Road, Chaoyang
朝阳区东大桥路 14 号
Authentic and hearty
home-made Italian
family food.
F4, 3.3 Mall, San Li Tun.
Tel: 5136 5990
Intriguingly, the name Zhou is nowhere to be found on Levy’s newest
venture, Okra 1949. Maybe Levy was uncomfortable with the idea
of linking a self-proclaimed traitor with a Japanese restaurant? Zhou
may have run a good deli. But business is business, after all. With
Zhou out of the picture, Levy has focused his attention on Japanese
staples, such as sushi. We tried the yaki toro (RMB150) – a large juicy
chunk of line-caught black-fin tuna, lightly grilled and served with
garlic and spring onion, and the sushi ume (RMB125), which consists
of maki and four pieces of nigiri, both of which were excellent. That
said, high-end sushi is, when you get down to it, nothing more than
very fresh raw fish. Honestly speaking, just how much does raw fish
really differ from high-end restaurant to high-end restaurant?
So, let us focus for a moment on the other elements – the intangibles, if you will. Like Traitor Zhou’s, Okra 1949 is meticulously arranged, impeccably organized and stylishly concocted. The lighting
is perfectly balanced between not-too-dark and dark, the seating
comfortable without being lounge-like, the wait staff are knowledgeable and the food beautifully presented – on these merits alone,
Okra 1949 might arguably be the best sushi restaurant in Beijing. But
perhaps what makes it really good is the salt. Yes, you read that correctly. What Okra 1949 has, that other expensive sushi restaurants do
not, is a quite amazing variety of salt. There are other worthy qualities, and no doubt the wagyu beef is superb, but, really, you have to
try that salt.
//Tue-Sat 6pm-10.30pm, Sun 5pm-9.30pm, 1949 The Hidden City, Courtyard 4, Sanlitun
South, Chaoyang 朝阳区工体北路4号院1949会所 (6593 5087)
57
eat / drink
new Bars
La Bordeauxthèque
PREMIUM WINE CELLAR
BY Will Philipps
cabinets like Rodin’s dancers.
Lafite-Rothschilds, Latours and
Cheval Blancs all await purchase
in climate-controlled housings. It sounds like the kind of
snooty place that makes cutting
remarks about your local wine
shop behind its back, while recoiling in disgust at the sight of
a bottle of Great Wall.
I
t’s hard not to be intimidated by a place like
Bordeauxthèque. With only
two outlets worldwide (the
other in Paris), its world-class selection of exclusively Bordeaux
wines sits spotlighted in display
Getting there requires you to ascend five escalators past brands
such as Alexander McQueen
and Prada in the newly-minted
Galeries Lafayette mall in Xidan.
If the height wasn’t making us
dizzy, the price tags on display
in some of the windows were.
But a French wine cellar in a
Xidan mall? It’s a bold move
aimed primarily to hit the
Chinese market. And that’s noticeable as soon as you see the
entrance to La Bordeauxthèque.
We expected dark and velvet
lined, but Bordeauxthèque is
bright and open-planned. There
are standees promoting special
offers and free samples for
browsing shoppers. Sure, choosing from over 600 varieties
might seem daunting, but the
English-speaking service guided
us flawlessly. It might look like a
museum, but as the sommeliers
will explain, the exhibits (ages
ranging from 1899 to 2009) are
there for the tasting. It all feels
personable.
Helping customers to relax (and
provide a comfy spot to sit and
mull over dropping five figures
on a case of 1961 Haut-Brion)
is the wine bar section of La
Bordeauxthèque, where a menu
offers a collection of bistro bites:
quiche lorraine, toasted panninis (both RMB50), cheese platters
(RMB68-98) and cakes and tarts
(RMB50). They’re well turned
out, but save your degustation
efforts for the wines.
As any sommelier will tell you,
trying to articulate the complex
flavors would be like trying to
equate into language one of
Monet’s Water Lilies. (It’s all
subjective anyway, we’re told.)
The wines we tried (selected
grapes available by the glass,
RMB28-100) ranged from a
piercing, sweet 2004 Sauternes
white, to a boisterous, rusty
1999 Pomerol red – and all
were fabulous.
Even though many of the wines
here are quite reasonable
(starting at RMB120/bottle), La
Bordeauxthèque is an ambitious
project. It’s on the top floor of
a shopping mall in a city whose
love of wine is in its infancy.
Sure, China may have surpassed
la belle France in wine consumption (see page 53), but this elite
wine cellar will need plenty of
bottle to establish itself over
here.
// Daily 10am to 10pm, 5th Floor, Galeries
Lafayette Mall, 110 Xidan Beidajie, Xicheng
西城区西单北大街110号老佛爷百货5楼
(5979 8998)
Basement
Sound of the underground
BY Will Philipps
B
asements on the whole
don’t have a great reputation. In our youth we
ensconced ourselves in our parents’, playing hours of Nintendo
– when we should have been
out flirting with girls and engaging in mild substance abuse.
count-swallowing diatribe,
Basement is a really solid space,
if a little on the unremarkable
side (but if it’s remarkable you’re
after, you’ll just have go to True
Color – and no one wants to go
to True Color).
Now, in this mundane nineto-five existence that ensnares
us, all we think about when
we hear “basement” is a spot
to park the car in, or maybe
install some kind of sordid sex
dungeon. We think it’s because
most people subconsciously associate basements to the underworld. Agreed, it doesn’t make
all that much sense.
The design is moderate. A
conglomeration of stone walls,
bare wooden tables and orange
spotlights means a desert camolike color palate of quite a narrow range, displaying a level of
style often spurned by nearby
competitors. The oversize white
chandeliers, we confess, are an
exception, but like those white
jeans we bought back in 2005,
we’re all liable to blips at times.
What does make sense, however, is a brand new sunken
Sanlitun nightspot within the
South Sanlitun Lu/Bookworm
complex. Despite the word-
Refreshments are prepped at
a large semi-circular bar, behind which is a raised platform
for a DJ or band (the Beijing
Beatles played last month).
58
The music was loud and rapid
fire; we hope it’s not like this
every night, because unless
it’s packed to the rafters –
which it won't be on, say, a
Wednesday – it makes for a nice
understated bar area. There
are familiar drinks like a whisky
sour (RMB45) along with shooters and champagnes – or try a
“special cocktail” (RMB50) like a
Jagermeister tini, nutcracker or
Mexican woman. (We’ve never
had a Mexican woman before,
and what better place than a
Basement for our first time.)
If you don’t know the ingredients you’ll have to guess – the
cocktail list won’t tell you. Sod
pre-existing knowledge – you’ll
just have to hit and hope. That
devil-may-care attitude is exactly
the kind of spirit you should be
taking to a place like Basement.
You might just like it.
// Daily, 8pm-late, next to Salsa Caribe, Nan
Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区南三里屯路北
京机电院10号1层(133 66901 518)
new Bars
Parlor
The HUngover Games
By Qiao Zhi
T
he evolution of Xingfucun Zhong Lu into the choice habitat of
the discerning Beijing drinker, one who doesn’t consider raucous students and supermarket fridges full of beer an essential
ingredient to a night out, is coming along nicely. Restaurants, cafés,
pubs and shops can all be ticked off the list of high-street essentials.
But until very recently it was slim pickings for extended bacchanalia
post-midnight.
And that, dear readers, is where Parlor comes in. As the name might
suggest, it’s a slick-backed, pinstriped, brogue-wearing cat of a 1920s
cocktail lounge. The spot-lit entrance is tucked away on a shadowy
alley, well-hidden and the perfect spot for roughing up a stinking rat.
There isn’t a door policy, but if there were, it would read: “no riffraff”. Head inside the black entrance corridor and the first thing you’ll notice is a glass cabinet containing mannequins dressed in sets of clothing from that era – maybe there is a door policy after all? They’re asking you to take an honest evaluation of your sartorial selections and
ask “am I smart enough?” It’s a cunningly subtle reworking of a doorman’s job, and a gentle way to boost the bar’s self-worth over yours.
It worked. Entering, the confidence of this place disarms. Alooming
spiral staircase, vintage swing-era Art Deco posters, dark wood floors
and dusty old chests to rest your drinks on. It’s at film-set levels of
faithful reproduction – right down to the doily coasters.
We tried a Mala Old Fashioned (RMB65), the classic whisky cocktail
with added Sichuan spice. We’re not sure the drink really needs
spicing up, but this one feels like taking a slap in the face with a
wet towel. Next up is the sugary sweet Rose Tango (RMB70), mixing
creamy egg white with a floral zest. Somewhere between a cupcake
and a cocktail, it’s the sort of drink our great aunt might treat herself
to after a heady game of bridge.
Stepping outside into the early hours of the Beijing night, brings
the grim realization that you’re not in ’20s Shanghai, and the Parlor
games are over. Still, it’s a real neat bar. You’re gonna be a big star in
this town, kid, mark my words.
// Daily 6pm-2am, 39-8 Xingfuercun, Dongcheng
朝阳区幸福二村39－8号 (8444 4135)
59
community
tiger father
The Pineapple of Perfection
the fine art of getting totally lost in translation
By trevor marshallsea
I
Me: We want the vehicles that
go on the ice!
Receptionist: A sled?
Me: Yes. The kind that are
pulled by the tall.
Receptionist: The… the what?
Me: You know? We want to
eat… a tall sled.
Receptionist: (The Chinese for
WTF?!)
Me (with dogsled-driving actions): This!
Lani: Daddy! She thinks you’re
doing Gangnam Style.
Me (still doing Gangnam Style):
Woof! Woof!
t’s started already. My offspring are only eight and
seven, yet I’m undergoing a
common parental transformation. I’m changing not so much
from hero to zero – as the
cliché goes – but from hero to
complete, utter, hideous embarrassment.
This happens to expat parents
earlier than to common house
parents. It’s not because expat
kids are more precocious than
domesticated ones (though they
do get world-weary by the age
of about five). It’s because of the
language they use. In our case,
the language is Chinese.
‘I took an
important
early decision
concerning the
tones: that I
would not bother
using them’
Parents often complain they
can’t understand what their kids
are saying. In this case, it’s the
reverse. I could swear, bellow or
shriek – all are more acceptable
to my daughters than me speaking Chinese.
My particular brand of Mandarin
gets described in various ways
by various people. These include
“Great!” by me; “Fantastic,
amazing, I can’t believe you’re
not Chinese,” by the polite locals; “Awesome!” (me again);
“No, we’re laughing at you,”
by my wife; “Lucrative,” by my
Chinese teacher; and “Dad, are
you speaking Chinese?” by my
two insubordinates.
It’s easy for them to say. It’s a lot
harder for me to say.
This is because they’ve been
learning it, properly, from the
ages of three and one. They
don’t know it’s sometimes
ranked third-hardest language
on Earth (I’m never going to the
Basque country or Hungary).
And they didn’t have to get their
head around any linguistic revolutions, because everything was
new to them anyway.
Unlike them, with my greater
years I could assess things about
Mandarin – such as how learning to use its four tones correctly is actually very hard.
That’s why I took an important
early decision concerning the
tones: that I would not bother
using them. I do get by with
my Chinese. I can make myself
60
understood, though sometimes
it’s like a dodgy lawnmower – it
can take a few goes, and some
physicality, to get it operational
– and is about as pleasing on
the ear. And quite often, bits fall
off and I can’t find them again
when I need them. Such as little words that mean so much,
like zi.
‘Dà xiāngzi’ means ‘big box.’
Forget the ‘zi,’ however, and –
assuming you’ve got the wrong
tone – you’ll be talking about
quite a different object. This was
illustrated by a recent exchange
between myself and a bookstore
assistant, witnessed by my two
cringing girls:
Me: I’ve bought quite a few
books. Do you have a bag?
Shop Assistant: No.
Me: Then do you have an elephant?
SA: What?
Me: An elephant.
SA: Err, no.
Me: Do you have an elephant
out the back?
SA: No.
Me: Really?!
SA: Really, we don’t.
Me: Jeez! What kind of a…
SA: Ooooh! You mean a big
box!
Me: Yes! That’s what I said – an
elephant!
Not only did they not keep a
dà xiàng out back, they didn’t
have a big box or bag. So who
looks foolish now, hmmm? I
blamed the kids, for not correcting me sooner. They defended
themselves, saying they had “no
idea what the hell” I was talking
about.
The girls were excited about
our recent trip to Harbin for the
Festival of Freezing Your Butt
Off. Well they were excited,
until I started asking our hotel’s
young female receptionist about
dog sledding.
I figured ‘chē’ would do for
‘sled,’ as it’s used for most vehicles, although it does sound a
lot like ‘eat’ (chī). And, heck, it’s
easy to confuse ‘dog’ (gǒu) and
‘tall’ (gāo), right? Any fool could
do it.
The kids edged away. The receptionist stared. Who knew
Chinese dogs don’t say ‘woof
woof?’ Turns out they say ‘wang
wang.’ (German dogs say ‘vow
vow’; Albanians ‘ham ham,’ etc.)
The receptionist clearly had no
idea who or what goes ‘woof
woof’ while doing Gangnam
Style in a hotel lobby, but you
could tell it wasn’t something
she’d easily forget.
OK, I admit my Chinese can be
like a can of worms left open
in a minefield. For example,
our ayi’s two favorite sayings of
mine are:
“The kids are hungry! Give them
a scooter!” (Snack: xiǎochī;
small vehicle: xiǎochē.)
“Their hands are cold! Get them
some chips!” (Gloves: shǒutào;
French fries: shǔtiáo.)
But I’m heaps better than the
kids in other areas. I mastered
swearing, slang and Beijing’s ‘pirate’ accent early on. There’s no
way the girls could say: “That’s
not the #*%@ing price we
agreed, you son of a turtle!”
Sometimes I feel I bumble
through life here like Mr.
Magoo. But people always seem
to laugh. That’s got to be good,
right? And as every parent
knows, what’s more fun than
embarrassing your kids?
// Trevor Marshallsea was a foreign
correspondent in Beijing in the 1990s and
returned a decade later. This time around
he stays at home to grow the kids. Read
more of his domestic adventures at www.
thetigerfather.com
Health
smile like you mean it
SDM Dental’s Invisalign gets the best results
By Qiao Zhi
smile (Well, we
can’t all be stand
up comics or
world leaders.) It
makes you feel
better and those
around you feel
better too.
Dr. Ji 纪麟严
R
adiating confidence is
one of the most effective ways to engage with
others and better communicate.
Studies show that body language
and the ways we project an image of ourselves are one of the
most important ways to interact.
Better communication means
building better relationships at
work, in social situations and
with your loved ones.
What’s the best way to show
your confidence? A beaming
Not everyone
was born with a
Hollywood pearlywhite grin, and for
many getting that
means years of uncomfortabe
and unsightly braces. But there
is an alternative. One of the
best new ways to ensure you
have a smile to be proud of
– plus all the health benefits
that come with straight, clean
teeth – is with the Invisalign
Treatment. Beijing’s SDM dental clinic now offers the treatment in 6 of their clinics and
shared with us the benefits of
the revolutionary brace.
“Invisalign is a new method of
orthodontic treatment using a
series of clear, removable plastic teeth aligners to straighten
teeth. Over time the teeth
slowly and painlessly straighten
as the set of teeth aligners are
changed to continue the process.”
It sounds like a traditional
brace, but the reality is quite
different. “Compared with traditional braces, the Invisaligner
is barely noticeable. It’s easy to
remove, for eating and drinking, say, and more comfortable.
If the course is correctly adhered to, the process is quicker
than traditional orthodontic
treatment.”
Regardless of how teeth come
to be crooked – for some it’s
genetic, for other it’s early
loss of baby or adult teeth, an
improper fit of dental restorations, or undue pressure on the
teeth and gums from thumb
sucking – the treatment works
for almost everybody and can
treat occluding relations and
periodontal diseases.
But having a trusted dentist on
hand is crucial too. “They make
the initial 3D model and monitor the whole treatment process
– if necessary making adjustments to the treatment details –
to make sure every movement
of the treatment is carried out
properly.” And what’s the most
common feedback? “They
always tell me how Invisalign
treatment changed their lives.
They feel happier and more
confident than ever before.”
SDM Dental has 6 locations in Beijing,
for more information visit
www.sdmdental.com
The Kempinski’s Pulse Health Club
W
henever we get a
guided tour of a
home, hotel or habitation of one form or another,
one of the most important
measures of quality and consideration to any visitor is the
bathroom. Doesn’t matter if it’s
Buckingham Palace or grandma’s cottage – if the bathroom
isn’t clean, roomy and stylish we
don’t want to stay there.
The Kempinski’s Pulse Health
Club scores very highly in this
category indeed, and it’s especially important for a gym,
because high levels of ablution
must be taken post exercise and
often in the company of others.
Pulse Health Club’s bathrooms
have a kind of silvery ice-palace
décor, with spacious changing
areas; a sauna, steam room and
power showers; and even a few
sunloungers for an after exertion lie down.
It’s all thanks to the Kempinski’s
recently refurbished fitness
for the 2010-2011 China Squash
Association tournament. Join a
class if you want too – there’s
aerobics, dance lessons, and
taichi classes on a regular basis.
Elsewhere there’s a solarium
and professional massage provided by qualified therapists if
all that gut-busting exercise is
your idea of hell.
center, which also features all
gold-standard equipment from
Techno Gym, the kind you’d expect from a five-star hotel sports
center. Treadmills, cross-trainers,
rowing machines, bikes, free
weights and weight machines
are all there to punish your
weakling sap of a body into
shape for summer. Need a helping hand? The Kempinski has
a team of dedicated personal
trainers to administer said grueling workout.
Split into two separate workout
areas, the upstairs gym also
offers a pool and Jacuzzi with
views over the Beijing skyline.
While downstairs you can try
your hand at a variety of ball
sports, like tennis, ping-pong
and squash – the Kempinski’s
three squash courts were used
When we have to call time on
our exhausting 2 hour workout,
we’re ready to throw in the
towel – or should that be pick
up the complimentary pair of
towels and get ready to return
to the glittering surrounds of
the Pulse changing rooms. WP
// Rates vary depending on membership
tariff, see website for details, Kempinski
Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center Office and
Apartment Buildings, 50 Liangmaqiao Lu,
Chaoyang 北京燕莎中心有限公司凯宾
斯基饭店朝阳区亮马桥路50号 (6465
3388, health-club.beijing@kempinski.com,
www.kempinski.com/en/beijing/)
61
events
pick of six art exhibitions
Coming Soon: Lei Lei Solo Show
Feb 15 to Mar 14, Star Gallery
C5 Qikeshu Creative Park. No.55 Banjieta Lu, Chaoyang
星空间, 朝阳区半截塔村55号七棵树创意园C5 (6418 9591)
Marcos Lutyens:
Pushed
Zhang Enli, The Fire, 2013
5+: Ding Yi, Geng Jianyi, Hu Jieming, Wang Youshen,
Xu Chen - Produced by Madein.com, Yang Fudong, Yu
Youhan, Zhang Enli
Feb 22 to Mar 23
Red No.1-D, Caochangdi,
Chaoyang朝阳区草场地
红一号D座
(5127 3298)
Feb 24 to Mar 13, ShangART Beijing. No. 261 Cao Chang Di, Jichang Fulu., Chaoyang
朝阳区机场辅路草场地261号 (6432 3202)
Marcos Lutyens, Life window factor activity, 2014
Anatoly Shuravlev
Reach Out – China
Exhibition
Mar 8 to Apr 20, Galerie Urs Meile Beijing.
No.104 Caochangdi, Chaoyang
麦勒画廊北京朝阳区草场地104号
(6433 3393)
Harm van den Dorpel, Assemblage, 2013
Art Post-Internet
Mar 1 to May 11, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. 798 Art District, 4
Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang
朝阳区酒仙桥路4号798艺术区 (5780 0200 )
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Ximeno Garrido Lecca, (b. 1980, Lima, Peru)
The Invisible Hand: Curating as
Gesture- The 2nd CAFAM Biennale
Feb 28 to Apr 20, Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum. 8
Huajiadi Nan Jie, Chaoyang 朝阳区花家地南街8号中央美
院美术馆 (6477 1637)
events
Events are editors’ picks of the best activities and are
not comprehensive. To list an event, email bjevents@
urbanatomy.com. For some details, see Listings.
COMMUNITY
Nightlife
MAR 1
Talk: Feminism in the 21st
Century World
What does feminism mean in
China, Europe and elsewhere, and
what does it mean on an international
level? Perennial questions explored,
at The Bookworm’s International
Women’s Day, featuring conversations
with prominent feminist writers and
commentators.
// RMB80; 10am; The Bookworm, (see listings
for details)
COMMUNITY
Workshop: Fashion Extravaganza for
Students
Renowned artist The Black Lychee will
help children to better understand the
creative process behind a fashion show
and inspire some future Armanis.
// Free; 10-11am for 3-5 years old, 1-2.30pm for
6-11 years old; Ullens Center for Contemporary
Art, see listings for details.
MAR 1-13
ARTs
Play: Rhinoceros in Love
More an allegory than a real love story,
the ridiculously-titled Rhinoceros in
Love tells the story of a man’s desperate attempts to woo a partner. An evergreen on Chinese stages since its first
show in 1999; by renowned director
Meng Jinghui.
Performing Arts, 2 Xichangan Jie, Xicheng
西城区西长安街2号
MAR 2
COMMUNITY
Workshop: Carnival Culinary
Traditions
Whatever and wherever the festival,
there’s always food. Chef Johana de la
Torre will show you how to make some
traditional carnival dishes from nations
like Jamaica and Brazil without leaving
Beijing.
// RMB280, RMB220 for members; 5-7.30pm;
The Hutong Kitchen, 1 Jiu Dao Wan Zhong Xiang
Hutong, Dongcheng 东城区九道湾中巷1号159
0104 6127 info@thehutong.com
NIGHTLIFE
Gig: Avril Lavigne
The queen of punk pop’s reign might
be waning in the West but she rules
supreme in China. Expect girl power,
spiky hair and lots of Sk8er bois.
// RMB380-1680; 7.30-9.30pm; Beijing
Mastercard Center, Haidian 海淀区海淀区复兴
路万事达中心 (8765 8765, www.byguyguyguy.
com)
MAR 3
COMMUNITY
Film: Love Liza (2002, dir. Todd Louiso)
Part of Dada’s Philip Seymour
Hoffman month. This is one of the
late Hoffman's most visceral roles,
plumbing the depths of addiction and
depression.
// Free, 9pm, Dada (see listings for details)
MAR 4
EAT/DRINK
MAR 8-9
NIGHTLIFE: SECRET GARDEN POP UP
DISKO SNOW AND MUSIC
Been captivated by the winter games over in sunny Sochi? Well, did you know
there are a ton of snowcapped and smog free mountains right outside the capital so that you, your very self, can try some downhill skiing (without the lycra
and high speed crashes)? The rather luxurious Genting Secret Garden resort
outside Zhangjiakou (which might be hosting a games of its own in the future) is
hosting a weekend of snow sports and music with some of Beijing’s top DJs in a
truly epic location.
// Prices start at RMB937/pp for groups of four, which includes transport to and from Beijing, accommodation with breakfast, and a 1.5 day ski pass. Contact Migas 010 5208 6061or drop in to pick up
tickets; (www.secretgardenresorts.com)
Drink: The Big Smoke Bistro
The Big Smoke and JingA present a
night of solid brews with some surprising experimental concoctions thrown
in. Reservation required.
// No cover; 7pm to late; The Big Smoke Bistro,
Lee World Building, 57 Xingfucun Zhonglu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区幸福村中路57号楼利世楼
(6416 5195)
MAR 5
Arts
Festival: JUE Festival Beijing
Events get underway on March
5 for this year’s JUE Festival.
Running strong in its 5th year,
the event brings a truly diverse collection of arts events to our city.
// See our feature on page 32/33 for our pick of
the events, or go online at
www.listings.thatsmags.com for a full run down.
MAR 5-9
Peking Opera: You and Me
Based on the ancient epic Zuo's
Commentary (722 BC), this classic opera examines whether blood really is
thicker than water and the importance
of family ties, rousin and emotional
stuff. By film director Zhang Yimou and
composer Zhu Shaoyu.
区西长安街2号
MAR 6
NIGHTLIFE
Gig: Dirty Vegas
Big in the early noughties when they
released Grammy award-winning
release Days Go By, the British house
trio are back touring again after a
brief split.
// RMB150 (door), RMB100 (presale); 9pm;
Gig: Pacalolo
Synth pop, electronica and dance music fused together with beautiful melodies by a Chinese group with a rather
funky name.
MAR 8
ARTs
Concert: Mars Folie Festival 2014 in
Beijing
The Alliance Française Beijing is holding a two day concert with artists from
all corners of the Francophone world,
which includes folk rock, rap, reggae
and Celtic rock.
// Reservation required with at Alliance Francaise
Guangcai, Xihai and BLCU centers; www.beijing.
afchine.org; 4-6pm, 8-10pm; concert at Yugong
Yishan. See listings for details.
Talk: Between Clay and Dust:
Musharraf Ali Farooqi
Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s Man
Asian short-listed novel, Between Clay
and Dust, is a story of how traditional
Pakistani roles and institutions intersect with modernity. Farooqi will discuss this sensitive and intelligent novel
which took him over a decade to write.
Go to this.
// RMB80; 4pm; The Bookworm, (see listings
for details)
Talk: Leftover Women: Leta
Hong Fincher in Conversation
After 1949, Chairman Mao proclaimed that “Women hold up half the
sky.” Yet the gains of gender equality are now rapidly being eroded in
China’s post-socialist era. Leta Hong
Fincher, whose book on China’s on
the subject is published in May, will
examine this important and often overlooked development in contemporary
Chinese society.
for details)
MAR 8-9
COMMUNITY
Kids: Family Weekend at UCCA
Create artwork with artist Song Kun,
learn from international book illustrators, build your very own museum and
watch children movies from the French
Embassy's special collection.
// Free; 10am-7pm; UCCA, (see listings for details)
MAR 9
COMMUNITY
Talk: Getting Serious About
Comedy
Oxymoronic nonsense, or a genuine attempt to define the craft? See
for yourself, as four “funny people”
from around the world examine what
humor is and how they write it.
for details)
Talk: At Least We Lived
At Least We Lived is the remarkable story of Max and Audrey
Oxford, a British couple who met and
married in China at the height of the
second World War. Acclaimed author
Rana Mitter explores how the conflict
shaped the region and those in it.
63
events
community
// RMB65 6pmThe Bookworm, (see listings for
details)
MARCH 8, 15 & 22
COMMUNITY
Workshop: Dried, Fermented and
Preserved - Chinese Supermarket Series
Want to be able to pick up a package
of dried noodles, vegetables or tofu
and know what to do with them? Chef
Sophia Du will show you how to make
the most of that big scary place we call
the Chinese supermarket.
// 10am-12.30pm; RMB750 for 3 classes, RMB600
for members (events@thehutong.com for reservations); The Hutong Kitchen, 1 Jiu Dao Wan
Zhong Xiang Hutong, Dongcheng 东城区九道
湾中巷1号 (159 0104 6127 info@thehutong.
com)
Gig: And So I Watch You From
Afar
Get up and close with And So
I Watch You From Afar. Irish rockers
return to Beijing and promise not to
remind you of compatriots U2.
// RMB120 (door), RMB80 (presale); 8.30pm;
YugongYyishan, (see listings for details)
COMMUNITY
MAR 9
ART
Concert: the Budapest Festival Orchestra
The Budapest Festival Orchestra play
an evening of classic Beethoven librettos in the one of the capital’s premier
venues.
// RMB280-1080, 7.30-9.30pm; Beijing National
Center for the Performing Arts, 2 Xichang'an Ji,
Dongcheng 东城区西长安街2号国家大剧
院 (6655 0000)
MAR 10
COMMUNITY
Film: Almost Famous (2000, dir.
Cameron Crowe)
Continuing its Philip Seymour Hoffman
series, Dada presents the story of a
high school boy given the chance to
write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock
band on tour.
// Free; 9pm; Dada, (see listings for details)
Talk: How Young Adult Fiction is
Coming of Age
The number of Young Adult titles
being published around the world is
rising dramatically each year, and it
is increasingly recognized for its importance in meeting the life needs of
young adults and its increasing value
in enhancing adolescent literacy. Three
leading young adult writers will discuss the nature and evolution of this
exciting genre.
// RMB65; 3pm; Element Fresh, Parkview Green,
Dongdaqiao, Chaoyang 朝阳区东大桥芳草地
MAR 11
COMMUNITY
Talk: Literature and the City
From the southern farmsteads
of William Faulkner to the blackened smoke stacks of Dickens’ London,
writers have always been influenced
by the environment around them. How
will the authors of today respond to,
and how will their work be shaped by,
these rapidly growing new environments? Authors from India, Brazil,
Slovakia and China in discussion.
for details)
MAR 12
NIGHTLIFE
64
Gig: AM444
Shanghai's renowned singersongwriter ChaCha and Dutch
producer JaySoul team up for a rare
live performance. Fusing electro-funk
and trip hop, this duo does accessible,
top-notch soulful music like no other
act in China.
// No cover; 9pm; Dada, (see listings for details)
Mar 7-21
THE BOOKWORM LITERARY FESTIVAL
The eighth Bookworm Literary Festival, taking place March 7-21, will be a celebration of literature and ideas that brings together diverse voices from China
and beyond. The sizeable program offers contemporary literature, lyricism and
inspiration from more than 25 countries around the globe. It’s not one to be
missed.
Be sure to bookmark our picks of this year’s festival:
Asia’s WWI: 100 Years On
Paul Ham and Mark O’Neill talk with Steven Schwankert
This year marks the centenary of the outbreak of the World War One, one of
history’s most lethal and costly conflicts. To honor this notable anniversary, the
Bookworm will host a talk centered on East Asia’s experiences during the fiveyear conflict and the 135,000 Chinese who worked for the British, French and
American armies.
Mar 9, RMB80, 2pm.
From Her Neighbours’ Eyes: Japanese, Indian and Russian Journalists on
China – Ananth Krishnan, Yosuke Watanabe & Alexey Efimov
China’s political clout in Asia is on the rise. We all know what the West has to
say about that but how does this increasingly assertive regional power appear
from the perspectives of China’s neighboring countries? Journalists from Japan,
India and Russia share their views.
Mar 13, RMB65, 1pm.
Boom or Bust: Projections for China’s Economy
Arthur Kroeber, Huang Yiping & Michael Pettis, with Ted Plafker
China’s economy has been surging for decades but it faces a raft of new challenges. With provincial government debt standing at three trillion US dollars
and annual GDP growth falling from comfortable double digits to a comparatively low 7.6%, what do the next 20 years hold ion store for China’s economy?
Arthur Kroeber, Huang Yiping and Michael Pettis join The Economist’s Ted
Plafker to share their thoughts on the question that will define China’s future.
Mar 15, RMB80, 4pm.
After the Revolution: How Literature Confronts Political Turmoil
Dany Laferrière and Santiago Roncagliolo with David Sullivan
Throughout its history, literature has always responded creatively to political
crisis and turmoil. It also helps us to understand times of violence and madness when order is upturned. Writers Dany Laferrière and Santiago Roncagliolo
discuss with poet David Sullivan.
Mar 16, RMB80, 6pm.
Committing Journalism-Foreign Correspondents on Chinese Affairs
Ed Wong, Clifford Coonan and Jocelyn Ford
Once again, some of the finest China correspondents join to discuss their latest
experiences of journalism in the Middle Kingdom.
Mar 18, RMB80, 1pm.
Dashan and Friends
Canadian legend Dashan appears in a very special Chinese-language comedy
show. Hosted by Des Bishop and in conjunction with JUE Festival, the event
forms part the Bookend Comedy Weekend immediately after the main program.
Mar 22, RMB200, 8pm.
Talk: Crime Fiction
Crime fiction is as popular as ever.
An international duo of crime
authors from Sweden and Mexico will
discuss their thoughts on crime as a
genre, the reasons for its continuing
popularity and the steps it should take
next.
// RMB65; 6pm; iQiYi, Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
爱奇艺咖啡朝阳区南三里屯路
House of the Deaf Man: Reading
and in Conversation
Nominated three times for the
Anasoft Prize, Slovakia’s most prestigious literature award, and listed
for the EU Prize for literature, Peter
Kristufek is fast gaining the reputation
as a heavyweight on the contemporary
European literary scene. Hear this author reading from chapters of his most
recent book, House of a Deaf Man.
MAR 13
COMMUNITY
Talk: Decoded: Ma Jia in
Conversation
The Former People’s Liberation
Army telecommunications and propagandist specialist turned best-selling
novelist will talk about his novel
Decoded, the English translation of
which will be released this March.
Decoded follows the life of a talented
mathematician who works for the
PLA’S highly secretive cryptography
division.
for details)
MAR 13-14
NIGHTLIFE
DJ: Mister -MSince appearing in the 1990s with a
cartoon-esque look, Mister -M- has
been glowing brightly ever since in the
French pop rock scene.
// RMB350 (door), RMB250 (presale); 8:30pm;
MAR 14
NIGHTLIFE
DJ: Jubei
UK drum and bass head DJ Jubei is
coming into town and playing a set
with local DJs Kay C (Syndicate), Oshi
(the Drop) and Slash and Tribune
(Legacy Drum and Bass).
// RMB60 (presale), RMB100 (door); Lantern Club
(see listings for details); (Online ticketing: www.
clubzone.cn; www.bobamusic.com)
Nightlife
Gig: DJANG SAN
Djang San has released 18 albums
and live recordings, and perfected his
craft with countless successful Beijing
shows.
MAR 15-31
COMMUNITY
Film: Francophone Film Encounters
The Francophone Film Encounters
will show movies from all around the
worlds handpicked by picked by 23
embassies.
// Free; every Saturday and Sunday 2pm-4pm;
Beijing Alliance Française (BLCU), Building 2 BLCU, 15 Xueyuan Road, Haidian 学院路15号教
二楼421 (8230 3619, www.beijing.afchine.org)
COMMUNITY
Talk: The Siege of Tsingtao
Through a mix of complex alliances and global ambition, in
1914 Word War One spread to northern China, where the German-held
port of Qingdao became a key battle
ground. Renowned historian Jonathan
Fenby will talk about World War One
and China, the causes of the conflct,
the ulterior motives for it and the path
it helped set East Asia on for decades
to come.
for details)
MAR 14-17
ART
Play: Eugene Onegin
The first co-production of the
Mariinsky Theatre and the NCPA,
Eugene Onegin will raise the curtain of
the NCPA’s Opera Festival in 2014.
// RMB100 to 680; National Centre for the
区西长安街2号
MAR 16
COMMUNITY
MAR 15
Comedy: The Tianjin Comedy Night
The Astor Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Tianjin is hosting a special night of
comedy this month, with some tip-top laugh merchants making the trip over
from Beijing, along with the team from Turn Up Events, providing a night of
standup and improv skits, where they’ll riff off suggestions from the audience.
The magnificent Astor Hotel is no laughing matter, though. It’s an award winning modern hotel, but as China’s oldest international accommodation, dating
back to 1863, it offers visitors a chance to explore its rich heritage in the narrative of modern Tianjin and greater China. Be sure to arrive at 7pm sharp for the
cocktail reception with canapés, soft drinks, beer and wine.
// RMB250 (Accommodation Package, including night’s stay and breakfast, RMB1000/person,
RMB1350/couple); 7pm reception, 8pm start; The Astor Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Tianjin,
33 Taier Zhuang Lu, Heping District, Tianjin 天津市和平区台儿庄路33号 (tickets: 86 22 2331
1688, christian.metzner@luxurycollection.com)
MAR 15
community
COMMUNITY
Workshop: Puppy and Dog
Obedience Training Basics
Dog constantly humping your Granny’s
leg? The International Center for
Veterinary Services (ICVS) is offering
doggy obedience training programs.
// Free; 11am-12pm; International Center for
Veterinary Services, 13-16 Futong Xi Dajie,
Chaoyang 朝阳区阜通西大街融科橄榄城
商街13-16号 RSVP by Mar 14 to icvs_china@
yahoo.com
Hike: Ming Village Day Trip
This hike follows roads and hill trails in
and around tiny villages northwest of
Beijing, including a tough climb on a
MAR 17
COMMUNITY
Film: Magnolia (1999, dir. Paul
Thomas Anderson)
Dada’s Philip Seymour Hoffman month.
Magnolia is an epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love,
forgiveness, and meaning in the San
Fernando Valley.
NIGHTLIFE
Gig: Kiryu
This Japanese quintet are a visual-kei
band, which means they dress up in
the kind of flamboyant, androgynous
glam-rock costumes that haven’t been
cool for a good 30 years now.
// RMB 250(door), RMB200 (presale); 7pm; MAO
Livehouse, (see listings for details)
COMMUNITY
NIGHTLIFE
SPORTS
Talk: Changing Patronage,
Changing Art
In the 1990s, emerging from
behind the curtain of communism,
contemporary Chinese art rocked
the international art scene. After two
decades, its influences are shifting.
Join this discussion on how this changing patronage is shaping the face of
Chinese contemporary art.
for details)
MAR 18
Talk: Red April Santiago
Roncagliolo in Conversation
As one of Peru’s most prominent voices in media and literature,
Santiago Roncagliolo has written four
novels and two investigative histories.
His writing, both fiction and nonfiction, delves into Peru’s violent past
of Maoist insurgency in the 1980s, and
confronts issues of denial, lingering
trauma and morality.
for details)
Gig: Huazi and the Self Education
Band
Huazi and his band, Self Education,
are a notable figures in the world of
China’s rock-n-roll, with a career spanning over 20 years.
// RMB100 (door), RMB80(presale); 8pm; MAO
Livehouse, (see listings for details)
rundown stretch of Great Wall.
// RMB380, (RMB340 members); 8.30am start;
(www.beijinghikers.com)
MAR 29
Charity: Bridging Education and
Mobility 2nd Anniversary Party
You’re invited to join Bridging Education and Mobility (BEAM) in celebrating
their 2nd Anniversary, as they build on the successes of their first two years in
supplying innovative teachers and quality education to a range of rural and migrant schools. Did you know that only 3% of students from these schools make
it to university? Guests will have an opportunity to learn more about sponsoring much needed educational projects in under-resourced classrooms across
China. Eat, drink, and party for a great cause.
// Reservation required by visiting www.beamalliance.org/beamparty; RMB100, including food and
drink; 4-6pm; Jintai Art Museum, inside Chaoyang Park Gate 1朝阳区朝阳公园1号门内
Talk: Blogging China
Beijing Cream co-founder Anthony
Tao gathers China bloggers across
the web to discuss the ins and outs of
blogging China news, from the serious
to the quirky. Does reading, writing
and discussing these issues fill a hole
left by the dry economic and political
reporting of major media outlets, even
adding shade and nuance? Join the enigmatic Tao to discuss the issues.
MAR 19
COMMUNITY
Talk: 300 Shots – China’s
National Drink, Baijiu
Drawing on interviews with baijiu aficionados, distillers and key players in the alcoholic beverage industry,
65
events
Derek Sandhous’ Baijiu, the Essential
Guide to Chinese Spirit introduces the
history of alcohol in China, tracing the
role it has played in Chinese art, culture, politics and business over the last
thousand years.
Community
(8414 9810, www.xian-bar.com)
EVERY FRIDAY
COMMUNITY
The Religion & Ritual Tour
Visit Beijing’s Confucius Temple, the
Imperial Academy and Lama Temple
with a native English-speaking guide.
In doing so you will find out what happens when Buddhist saints get angry;
discover why official exams ruined so
many lives; and learn what Tibetans do
with the thighbones of criminals.
// 2-4pm, RMB270 (adults); RMB135 (kids under
14); includes native English speaking guide,
Yonghegong and Confucian Temple ticket entry,
and all activities (138 1777 0229, info@newmantours.com, www.newmantours.com)
MAR 21
EAT/DRINK
Eat: Spring New Menu and Seafood
Sunday Brunch
Selecting the best locally-produced and
imported ingredients, Chef Eugenio, of
The Ritz Carlton is showcasing a special spring menu along with the hotel's
regular Sunday brunch.
// Lunch: 11.30am-2pm, dinner: 6-8pm, Sunday
brunch: 11.30am-2pm; The Ritz-Carlton, 83A
Jianguo Lu, China Central Place, Chaoyang 朝阳
区建国路甲83号北京丽思卡尔顿酒店 (5908
8151, www.ritzcarlton.com)
EVERY SATURDAY
COMMUNITY
Game: Mashup Men's Basketball
League
Mashup’s Spring Basketball League is
already underway, but it's never too
late to get in on the action. Sign up
now we’ll ensure you a place on the
team. Get ballin’ now!
// 7.30-9.30pm; BCIS in Shuangjing; (www.
mashupsports.com)
MAR 24
COMMUNITY
Film: Capote (2005, dir. Bennett
Miller)
Monday night is movie night. Philip
Hoffman won an Academy Award for
Best Actor for his depiction of Capote,
in this crime thriller.
MAR 26
EAT/DRINK
Restaurant: The Big Smoke Bistro
Join Alex and Kris for a monthly tour of
the brewery and guided tasting of all
six offerings on tap at Big Smoke, plus
a bonus sample of whatever's fresh in
the tanks.
// RMB100; 6-7.30am; The Big Smoke Bistro, Lee
World Building, 57 Xingfucun Zhonglu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区幸福村中路57号楼利世楼
(6416 5195)
Every Sunday-Thursday
New Tapas menu at Agua
Factoid: the word tapas comes from the Spanish tapar meaning ‘to cover’, as
hundreds of years ago, Andalusian famers used to use small discs of bread and
meat to cover their sherry glasses to stop pesky fruit flies diving into their postwork tipple. Tapas has since evolved into a bar snack art-form that can include
anything and everything. Agua’s new selection includes morcilla encebollada
(black pudding with caramelized onion and white wine, RMB65), callos garbanzos (beef tripe stew with chorizo RMB55), gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic
and chilli, RMB80) and carpaccio de boletas (porcini mushroom carpaccio,
RMB68). For the duration of March, diners can choose 5 tapas from the classic
and contemporary tapas menus for RMB250 Sundays to Thursday.
// Agua, 4/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里花园4号 (5208 6188)
shen@jagermeister-cn.com, weibo.com/jagermeister, 135 0134 8785)
MAR 28
MAR 29
NIGHTLIFE
NIGHTLIFE
DJ: Xiao Ou & DJ Peewee
Norwegian rapper Xiao Ou (spits his
rhymes in Chinese – impressive) and
his partner-in-crime DJ Peewee bring
the goodness at Lao What Bar. MC
Heretic and TroubleX support.
// Free; 9pm-2am, Lao What Bar, 72 Beichang Jie,
Xicheng District 故宫西门北长街72号161中学
对面 (133 3111 2734)
DJ: Nassdak & Bite-Size Buddha
Nassdak and Bite-Size Buddha join forces for a night of the disco that is funky
and the house music that is bumpy.
// RMB30 (Free before 11pm); 10pm; The Bar at
Migas, 6/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu Chaoyang
朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园6层 (5208
6061)
Gig: Street Kids
Celebrating Street Kids’ four-year anniversary party, DJ Laura "Bitch" Ingalls
is playing a house-y set but with a
funky – and we suspect, bitchin’ –
disco twist.
// RMB50 (free before 11pm); 10pm; The Bar at
Migas, (see listings for details)
DJ: LOCALIZED – Beijing’s
Underground Music Scene
Jägermeister presents LOCALIZED, the
second of a new series of music events
designed to connect figures in Beijing’s
underground music industry. Expect a
dynamic musical spectrum from five of
Beijing’s most revered DJs, spanning
Techno, House, Nu-Disco and Minimal.
// RMB30, includes one Ice Cold Jager Shot;
10pm; Lantern, see listings for details. (henry.
66
MAR 29-30
COMMUNITY
Shopping: Vintage Market
Dada bar transforms itself into a full
on shopping market, with local designers, vintage clothing collectors, and
other crafts-hawkers setting up pop-up
shops.
// 2-8pm; Dada; (see listings for details)
MAR 31
COMMUNITY
Movie: The Master (2012, dir. Paul
Thomas Anderson)
This was Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last
film with director P.T. Anderson.
// Free; 9pm; Dada (see listings for details)
EVERY MON-FRI
EVERY SUNDAY
COMMUNITY
Tour: The Summer Palace
Find out the secret stories of the
Summer Palace’s lake, hills and temples, which you certainly won’t find
written in your Lonely Planet guidebook.
// 2-4pm; RMB270 (adults), RMB135 (kids under
14), includes native English speaking guide;
Summer Palace entry tickets, a boat trip on the
legendary Kunming Lake, and all activities (138
1777 0229, info@newmantours.com, www.
newmantours.com)
EVERY WEEKDAY
EAT/DRINK
EAT/DRINK
Eat: Migas Business Lunch
Renowned for the bar but revered for
their food, the business lunch at Migas
includes a an appetizer, first course,
main and dessert for RMB95.
// RMB95; midday-2:30pm; Migas Restaurant,
(see listings for details)
Eat: RMB48 Lunch Set
Changing daily, have a soup and a
sandwich, salad and a soft drink for
only RMB 48 or add RMB 10 for fresh
juice.
// RMB48; 10.30am-3pm; Domain Restaurant, 2F,
East Hotel, 1F, 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳
区酒仙桥路22号 (8414 9830)
EVERY WEDNESADY
COMMUNITY
Game: Mashup Pickup Basketball
The mashup pickups have weekly
games, two full courts and plenty of
fun for everyone. Visit the mashup
website for full details.
// 7.30-9.30pm; BCIS in Shuangjing; (www.
mashupsports.com)
EVERY THURSDAY
EAT/DRINK
Drink: Martini Night
All ladies can drink selected martinis,
cocktails and mixed drinks for free. All
with live music and DJs.
// 9pm-12am; Xian Bar, East Hotel, 1F, 22
Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区酒仙桥路22号
ALL MONTH
EAT/DRINK
Eat: Afternoon Tea
A great selection of desserts, cakes,
scones and mini sandwiches, including
some good beverages.
// 12pm to late; RMB 168 plus 15% for two people; Xian Bar, East Hotel, 1F, 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区酒仙桥路22号 (8414 9810,
www.xian-bar.com)
Eat: Earth Hour, Feed the Pandas at Kerry
Buy a special Earth Hour handmade
cupcake at Kerry’s Pantry or Adventure
Zone (RMB20) and 100 per cent of the
profit will be donated to Shangri-La’s
Care for Panda Project.
// Kerry’s Pantry, Kerry Center, 1 Guanghua Lu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区光华路1号 (6561-8833 ext. 45)
events
CITY SCENEs
Migas DJ rips it up, wears silly shirt.
No sign of Ringo at The Beijing Beatles’ maiden Basement performance, but no great
loss – he wasn’t even the best drummer in The Beatles (apart from, obviously, the solo
on the final track of Abbey Road).
Balloon artist falling flat? DJ missing the beat? Nothing like a blow-up
Man arrives from the past to present mysterious golden egg of
brown sugar animal grandmaster to send to the crowd wild, as seen here good fortune to mixed reactions from the guests at the launch of
at the Somerset Zhongguancun Spring Festival Temple Fair.
Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel’ s ‘Lobster Indulgence' menu.’
Lead guitarist of Di Ku Ai (低苦艾) playing here at XP knows how to keep the crowd
guessing at a traffic light party.
Yao Ming photobombs the unveiling of the
latest issue of That’s Beijing.
67
events
WEEKLY SPECIALS IN FOOD AND DRINK
Happy hours
Ladies’ nights
Meal deals
Brunch
monday to Friday
Cosmos.
58 Gongti Xi Men, Chaoyang 朝阳区工体西门
58号 (6551 2373)
Mai Bar
Mondays, buy two
cocktails, get one
free.
40 Beiluoguxiang,
Dongcheng District东城区
北锣鼓巷40号 (138 1125 2641)
Eudora Station
8pm-12am, ladies ordering food from
the ladies’ night menu receive selected
free drinks.
6 Fangyuan Xi Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区芳园西路6
号 (6437 8331)
Au Goulot
Four Corners
Performers to Au Goulot's open mic
night receive one free beer.
43号 Zhonglouwan Hutong Dongcheng
钟楼湾胡同41号
Ladies get 15 percent off red wine. cheap
shots and drink deals at 4Corners's
weekly celebration of KTV. .
7 Dashibei Hutong, Dongcheng 东城区大石杯
胡同7号 (6401 7797)
Parlor
Two-get-one-free on selected cocktails.
39-8 Xingfuercun, Chaoyang 朝阳区幸福二村
39-8 (8444 4135)
Starfish
4-11pm, ladies enjoy three Kumamoto
oysters with a glass of Prosecco for
RMB150.
22-1 Dongzhimen Outer Street, Chaoyang 朝阳
区东直门外大街22-1号 (6416 5499)
Monday to friday
Agua
The World of Suzie
Wong’s
Mon-Fri, Agua’s new set lunch menu is
RMB118/person for 3 courses, including
a range of traditional Spanish dishes like
paella with slow-cooked eggs, and sobrassada sausage with potatoes.
RMB118/person, Mon-Fri, 12pm-2:30pm, Agua
Agua, 4/F Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里
花园4楼D308号 (5208 6188)
9pm-12am, free drinks for girls.
Gate 8, West Gate of Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang
朝阳区朝阳公园西门8号 (6500 3377)
Vics
Free drinks for ladies until
midnight.
Inside the north gate of the
Workers’ Stadium, Chaoyang
朝阳区工体北门内 (5293
0333)
Greyhound Café
5pm – 7pm, only RMB28 for a Tsingtao
or Bud ,and RMB38 for a Mojito or Dry
Martini.
Greyhound Cafe (see listings for details)
Bar Blu
Free cocktails for ladies until midnight.
4/F-6/F Tongli Studio, Sanlitun Hou Jie,
Chaoyang
朝阳区三里屯酒吧北街同里4层-6层
(6417 4124)
Monday to Saturday
Twilight
Mon-Sat before 8pm and all day Sun,
RMB20 off cocktails.
0102, 3/F, Bldg 5, Jianwai SOHO, 39
Dongsanhuan Zhong Lu, Chaoyang District朝
阳区东三环39号建外SOHO5号3层0102室
(5900 5376)
Opus Terrace
Flamme
Every Tuesday 2-for-1
steak all day.
3/F, S4-33 Sanlitun
Taikooli, 19 Sanlitun Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳
区三里屯路19号三里屯
太古里南区3层S4-33 (6417 8608)
Tuesday to Friday
S.T.A.Y Restaurant
Tuesday - Friday 11.30am-2.30pm Three
courses including coffee and tea for
RMB388/person with 15 percent service
charge.
Level 1, Valley Wing, Shangri-La Hotel, 29
Zizhuyuan Lu, Haidian 海淀区紫竹院路29号
香格里拉酒店1层 (6841 2211-6727)
Black Sun Bar
Pints of Guiness at RMB35 all day long.
Chaoyang Park West Gate, Chaoyang 朝阳区朝
阳公园西门 (6593 6909)
68
‘March & Match’ in Migas
5J’s pure Ibérico ham is renowned for its full flavor and rich taste. For the
duration of March at Nali Patio restaurant-cum-bar, Migas, whenever you
buy a 50g or 100g cold cut of this specially imported savory ham, get an
extra 100% for free. That’s double for your money, folks. Then add the perfect glass of wine to complement the meat – a Abadia Retuerta red, which
again, Migas are letting you have at two for the price of one. Spring is coming – we can feel it.
// Prices vary, call for details; Migas (see listings for details)
5-8pm, ladies enjoy free cocktails; on
Fridays, it's bachelors night, where chaps
get 50 percent off beer and burgers for
the same times.
Daily 4pm-1am, Sun bunch 12-4pm, Opus Bar
& Terrace, 48 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳
区亮马桥路48号 (5695 8888)
Xian
9pm-12pm all ladies can drink selected
martinis, cocktails and mixed drinks for
free! All with live music and Dj.
Xian Bar, EAST, Beijing - 1/F,22 Jiuxianqiao
Road, Chaoyang 朝阳区酒仙桥22号北京东
隅酒店一层
( 8414 9810)
XIU
Slow Boat
Brewery
Flights of three, five or
ten 200ml smaples are
20 percent off.
56 Dongsibatiao, Dongcheng 东城区东四八条
56号 (6538 5537)
Mao Mao Chong
Wednesday 7-11pm, cocktails RMB35.
12 Banchang Hutong, Jiaodaokou Nan Dajie,
Dongcheng 东城区交道口南大街板厂胡同
12号 (6405 5718)
Elements
9pm-1am, free mojitos, champagne and
Mon-Thur 6-9pm, buy one get one free
on selected drinks.
6/F, Park Hyatt Beijing, 2 Jianguomenwai Dajie
北京柏悦酒店, 建国门外大街2号6楼
(8567 1108)
Zeta Bar
9pm-late, head upstairs to the “ladies’
only” section for free cocktails.
2/F, Hilton Beijing, 1 Dongfang Lu, Chaoyang 朝
阳区东方路1号希尔顿饭店2层(5865 5050)
Every day
The Big Smoke
Daily 4-7pm, 20 percent off all cocktails,
house wines and beers.
57 Xingfucun Zhonglu, Chaoyang 朝阳区幸
福村中路57号楼利世楼 (6416 2683)
Blue Frog
Daily 4-8pm, buy one get one free all
drinks.
S4-30, 3/F, Building 4, Sanlitun Taikooli
South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三
里屯路19号三里屯太古里南区4号楼3层
S4-30 (6417 4030)
Centro
Daily 5-8pm, two-for-one deals.
1/F, 1 Guanghua Lu, Shangri-la's Kerry Centre
Hotel Beijing, Chaoyang朝阳区光华路香
格里拉北京嘉里中心大酒店1层 (6561
8833 ext. 42)
Chill
Daily 4-8pm, RMB10 off any beer.
2 Andingmen Xidajie, Chaoyang 朝阳区安定
门西大街2号 (6405 9575)
Cuju
Daily 6-9pm, buy one get one free draft
beer, mixed drinks and soft drinks.
28 Xiguan Hutong, Dongcheng 东城区西管
胡同28号 (6407 9782)
Eudora Station
Daily 4.30-7.30pm, buy one get one free
on all alcoholic drinks.
6 Fangyuan Xilu, Chaoyang
朝阳区芳园西路6号 (6437 8331)
R Lounge
Selection of drinks
for free all night.
61 Dongsanhuan
Zhong Lu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区东三环中路61号北京富
力万丽酒店4层 (5863 8241)
One East
Sun 12-3pm,
American-style
set lunch from
RMB188, plus a
DIY bloody mary bar for
an extra RMB98. Prices subject to 15 percent surcharge.
2/F, Hilton Hotel Beijing, 1 Dongfang Lu,
North East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang
朝阳区东三环北路东方路1号北京希尔顿
酒店2层 (5865 5030)
Qi
Sun 11.30am-2pm, all-you-can-eat dim
sum including one double boiled soup
for RMB288 per person. Add a bottle of
Dom Perignon for RMB1988 for two.
Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street,
1 Jin Cheng Fang Dong Jinrong Jie,
Xicheng 西城区金城坊东金融街1号
(6601 6666)
Senses and Prego
Sun 11.30am-3pm, Retrolicious
Champagne Brunch, international and
Flamme
Cocktail, beers and wine by the glass are
50% off from 3 to 7.30pm daily.
S4-33, 3/F, Sanlitun Taikooli, 19 Gongti Beilu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯太古
里南区3层S4-33 (6417 8608)
Modo Urban Deli
4-7pm cocktails, house wine RMB25, Beer
RMB15.
S10-31, 3/F, Bldg 8, Sanlitun Taikooli South,
19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯
路19号三里屯太古里南区8号楼S10-31
(6415 7207)
Mosto
6-7pm discounts on cocktails, wine and
beer.
Nali Patio 3rd Floor, 81 Sanlitun Beilu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里花
园 (5208 6030)
NOLA
3-8pm. Sun-Thu, half price on Pabst Blue
Ribbon, Tsingdao and all cocktails including Daiquiris.
A-11 Xiushui Nanjie, Jianguomenwai Dajie,
Chaoyang 朝阳区建国门外大街秀水南街
A-11 (8563 6215)
R Lounge
Daily 6-9pm, two for one standard drinks
and cocktails.
4/F, Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, 61
Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang 朝阳区东
三环中路61号北京富力万丽酒店4层 (5863
8112)
Asian specialties with free flow champagne, wines, cocktails and juices for
RMB 458. Prices subject to 15 percentservice.
The Westin Beijing Financial Street, 9B
Financial Street, Xicheng 西城区金融大街
乙9号(6629 7810)
Seasonal Tastes
Sun 11.30am-3pm Unlimited buffet for
RMB428-498 per person plus 15 percent
surcharge.
Westin Chaoyang., 7 North
Dongsanhuan Road, Chaoyang 朝阳区东
三环北路7号(5922 8880)
Sureño
Sunday lunchtime, three or four courses
for RMB298 or RMB328 with desserts.
Both include soft drinks and juices,
champagne package is RMB200, cocktail
package is RMB150. Prices subject to 15
percent service charge.
Bldg 1, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
朝阳区三里屯路11号1号楼 (6410 5240)
Vasco’s
Sun 11.30am-3pm, international buffet
with free-flow champagne for RMB458
plus 15 percent service charge.
Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, 8
Wangfujing Dongjie, Dongcheng 东城
区王府井东街8号(5812 8888 ext. 8411)
Saturday and Sunday
Transit
Daily 6pm-7:30pm, two-for-one.
N4-36, Sanlitun Taikooli North, 11 Sanlitun
Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯路11号三里屯
太古里北区N4-36号 (6417 9090)
Union Bar and Grille
Daily 4-8pm, discount beer and cocktails.
3/F, Sanlitun Taikooli Bldg 5, 19 Sanlitun Lu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯路19号院三里屯
太古里5号3层S6-31单元 (6415 9117)
Zeta Bar
Daily 6-9pm, half price drinks.
Hilton Hotel, 1 Dongfang Lu,Chaoyang 朝
阳区东方路1号希尔顿酒店(5865 5000
ext. 5050)
The Rug
A la carte brunch menu offered
daily from 10.30am-5pm, ranging from
RMB48-138.
1/F, Bldg 4, lishui jiayuan, Chaoyang
Gongyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang 朝阳区朝阳公园
南路丽水嘉园4号楼1楼(8550 2722)
Bene Restaurant
Daily 11.30am-2pm. RMB98 includes antipasto with main course, pizza or pasta.
Sheraton Dongcheng, 36 Dongcheng Beilu,
Dongcheng 东城区北三环路36号 (5798
8888)
Cafe Sambal
Nasi Campur Malaysian set: two meats
and vegetables each, varying daily. With
soup, appetiozer for RMB78. Curry sets
from RMB55-65
Agua
Sat-Sun,
Agua’s
Sombresa
Weekend Brunch is RMB198 per person
and includes five tapas to share (portioned depending on party size) a main
course and one dessert. Add RMB98 for
free flow red or white sangria or Agua
de Valencia (cava + orange juice).
// 12pm-2:30pm (free flow until 3pm),
Agua, 4/F Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里
花园4楼D308号 (5208 6188)
Aroma
Sat-Sun 11.30am-3pm, international buffet starting at RMB518 plus 15 percent
service charge.
Ritz-Carlton Beijing, 83A Jianguo Lu,
China Central Place, Chaoyang 朝阳区建
国路83甲(5908 8161)
Café Sambal
Sat-Sun, RMB98, Café Sambal are rolling out weekend brunch with a rotating menu of Malaysian delicacies, like
Kapitan and Nasi Lamak. Three courses
plus coffee, tea or fruit punch.
43 Doufuchi Hutong, Jiugulou Dajie,
Dongcheng 东城区旧鼓楼大街豆腐池胡同
43号 (6400 4875)
Colibri
See Listings for details
Beijing Marriott Hotel
Daily 11.30-2pm, Complete with dumplings, noodles, congee and dessert
favorites, including chilled fruit juice or
Chinese tea for RMB118. Sun and Sat
11.30-2pm, dim sum with a lobster and
unlimited beer for only RMB168.
26A Xiao Yun Road, Chaoyang 朝阳区霄云
路甲26号北京海航大厦万豪酒店(5927
8888)
Vivid
Daily, 6pm-10pm, happy hour, buy-oneget-one-free on all wines and cocktails.
Vivid, Level 5, Conrad Beijing, 29 North
Dongsanhuan Road, Chaoyang 朝阳区东三
环北路29号北京康莱德酒店5层 (6584
6310)
Taverna
Daily 11am-2.30pm. Two courses
and coffee or tea for RMB78. Add a
glass of wine for RMB30 or dessert
for RMB20.
Courtyard 4 ,Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang 朝阳区工
体北路4号院 (6501 8882)
Transit
Daily 12pm-2.30pm. Choice of appetizers, mains, rice or noodles with dessert
for RMB88.
N4-36/37 Sanlitun Taikooli North, 11 Sanlitun
Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯路11号三里屯
太古里北区N4-36号 (6417 9090)
menu for RMB48, and add a cup of coffee for RMB58.
LG51, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Sanlitun Taikooli
North, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯路11号
三里屯太古里北区地下层51 (6417 0808)
Enoterra
Sat-Sun 11am-4pm, a la carte brunch for
RMB75-130. Free-flow sparkling wine for
an extra RMB80.
4/F Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu,
Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里花
园4楼D308号 (5208 6076)
Eudora Station
Sat-Sun 10am-3pm, breakfast buffet with
one main and free-flow juice or coffee
for RMB98.
Opposite Lido Palace, 6 Fangyuan Xi Lu.
Chaoyang 朝阳区芳园西路6号(6437 8331)
Sui Yuan
Sat-Sun and public holidays 10.30am2.30pm, unlimited dim sum for RMB128
plus 15 percent surcharge.
Hilton Double Tree, 168 Guang’anmen
Waidajie, Xicheng 西城区广安门外大街
168 (6338 1999 ext. 1726)
Yi House
Sat-Sun international set menu for
RMB308.
Grace Hotel, Bldg 2, 1 706 Hou Jie,
Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Art District,
Chaoyang 朝阳区酒仙桥路2号院798艺
术区706后街1号 (6436 1818)
Sat-Sun 9am-2pm, any dish from brunch
69
LISTINGS
展馆南里12号通广大厦1楼底商 (6538 9488)
Expensive...................................¥
Expense Account ....................¥¥
Recommended .........................*
Top Ten ....................................**
RESTAURANTS
THE HOT ONE HUNDRED
About This guide represents our editors’ top
100 picks, and includes some That’s Beijing
advertisers. Restaurants rated(*) have been
personally reviewed by our experts, and
scored according to the cuisine, experience
and affordability.
Win a dinner voucher for 8 Qi Nian.
Email: bjeditor@
urbanatomy.com ‘8
Qi Nian’
29 Grill (Steak) *
Top-notch steak, along with just about every other cut of meat found in the barnyard
in this well-priced meat-eaters’ mecca.
// Tues-Sun 11:30am-11:30pm. 3/F Corad Beijing, 29
Dongsanhuan Beilu. Chaoyang District 朝阳区东三环北
路9号1层 (6584 6270)
Ai Jiang Shan (Korean)
This upscale seafood restaurant proves that
chargrill and composure can go together.
Their RMB58 bibimbap lunch is an absolute
bargain.
// Daily 11am-10pm, Sat and Sun until 9.30pm. 5/F, LG
Twin Towers (East Tower), 12 Jianguomenwai Dajie,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国门外大街乙12号双子
座大厦东塔5层 (51096036/6037, for other locations
visit http://www.aijiangshan.com)
5 tapas for RMB250
classic & contemporary style, Sun-Thur
OPEN DOOR
8 Qi Nian
Lucky number eight
Housed in the newly-opened New World Beijing Hotel, 8 Qi Nian is the
latest in a spate of lush restaurants to open in town.
Agua ¥ (Spanish)
Occupying the high end of Nali’s Spanish
invasion, Agua excels with reasonably priced
classics like suckling pig, chorizo and jamon.
// Daily Midday-2pm, 6pm-10pm. 4/F, Nali Patio, 81
Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路81号那
里花园 (5208 6188)
Alfie’s (British)
What’s all this about, then? British
gastropub classics, (like pukker fish and
chips, RMB188), a swanky gentleman’s club
interior, and located in a chic modern art
gallery-cum-mall. That’s what, mate.
// Daily, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30-10pm, brunch served on
weekends, Parkview Green, 9 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区东大桥路9号芳草地L1-22 (5662 8777)
A place to impress guests, the venture is grandiose but not gaudy - a
feel that can be credited to the sophisticated yet straightforward food
on offer – providing big spenders with plenty of treats to feast on and
show off their status.
// New World Hotel, 8 Qinian Street, Chongwenmen, Dongcheng 东城区崇文门祈年大
街8号北京新世界酒店 (5990 3388, www.beijing.newworldhotels.com)
70
Back Alley Bistro (Contemporary Western)
There’s not enough of this in Beijing: a cozy
joint offering top-notch ‘California-style’
cuisine at bang-on price points. A fresh,
revolving menu has everything from burgers (RMB 45/65) to braised oxtail (RMB138)
to seared scallops (RMB148).
// Tues-Sun 11am-2.30pm, 5-11pm. West side of Jiezuo
Dasha, Xingfucun Zhonglu (next to Frost Nails), Chaoyang
District 朝阳区幸福村中路(Frost旁边)(6417 5430)
Baoyuan Jiaoziwu (Chinese regional)
Famous for their rainbow of dyed dumplings, Baoyuan have their jiaozi (six, under
RMB10) wrapped in a larger yuanbao
silver-ingot shape, with creative vegetarian
options and authentic Sichuan food.
// Daily 11am-10pm. North of 6 Maizidian Jie, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区麦子店街6号楼北侧 (6586 4967)
Barolo ¥¥ (Italian) *
Average Italian abounds in Beijing: not
here, though. Quite the opposite, in fact,
meaning Barolo is as well-regarded as the
Piedmont wine it is named after.
// Mon-Sun 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm. Ritz Carlton Hotel,
China Central Place, 83A Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国路甲83号华贸中心丽思卡尔顿酒店
内 (5908 8151)
Beiluo Bread Bar (Cafés)
This local hipster café favorite offers inhouse baked bread and sandwiches but
we usually go for the hand-pulled noodles.
Gets cozy at night.
// Tue-Sun 12-10pm. 70A Beiluoguxiang, Dongcheng
District 东城区北锣鼓巷甲70号(近南锣鼓巷)
(8408 3069)
Bellagio (Taiwanese)
Where else can you carve through mountainous shaved ice desserts and suck down
creamy bubble teas at 5am? A favorite
among the city’s hip and young, this
swanky Taiwanese restaurant chain is best
enjoyed long after dark.
// 6 Gongti xilu Chaoyang District 6 号工体西路(6551
3533) See www.bellagiocafe.com.cn for more locations
Bene ¥(Italian) *
Chef Ricci will have you singing like a
soprano with his pork ravioli and prizewinning tiramisu. Excellent set menus
(RMB588) and extensive wine selection.
// Daily 11am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm. Sheraton Beijing
Dongcheng, 36 Northeast Third Ring Road, Dongcheng
District 东城区北三环东路36号(5798 8995)
The Big Smoke (American)
Taking the Home Plate BBQ concept and
upscaling was a gourmet masterstroke. Full
menu evenings-only (also delivers rotisserie
chicken via Uncle Otis).
// Daily Mon-Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 11am-10pm.
First Floor, Lee World Building (opposite Frost Nails), 57
Xingfucun Zhong Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区幸福
村中路 57号楼利世楼 (6416 5195, 6416 268,www.
uncle-otis.com)
Biteapitta (Middle Eastern) *
Enjoyed by vegetarians (hummus, falafel)
and RMB58 kebab-lovers alike, Biteapitta
has the Middle-East mid-range market all
wrapped up in a fluffy pitta.
// Daily 11am-11pm, Second Floor, Tongli Studio, Sanlitun
Houjie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯后街同里2层 (6467 2961)
Spanning a wide range of traditional Chinese cuisines, from Hunan
and Sichuan to Guangdong dim sum and signature dishes from the
Yangtze River region, the kitchen serves beautifully presented dishes
and flawless combinations of flavors, best paired with the over 30 varieties of tea available on the menu.
In a salute to Beijing’s past, the Emperor’s Menu is one of the restaurant’s main highlights; an eight-course reproduction of the ritual
vegetarian feast served to emperors at the Temple of Heaven in past
centuries – and a culinary experience set to impress even the most
pernickety of guests.
Aria ¥¥ (European) *
A gold standard of opulence and, at RMB1,100
for the Wagyu beef and starters around
RMB150, the prices reflect that. In-house
sommeliers help tailor your meal perfectly.
// Mon-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-midnight; SatSun 6-10pm. Second floor, China World Hotel, 1
Jianguomenwai Waidajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国
门外大街1号中国大饭店2层 (6505 0828)
Allday’s (Café)
Japanese-owned Allday’s is an oasis of
calm just outside the hustle and bustle of
Sanlitun. Plenty of options for a caffeine
boost compliment a wide range of Western
staples from the kitchen.
// Daily 7am-11pm, Unit 1, Tongguang Plaza, 12
Nongzhanguan South Road, Chaoyang District 朝阳区农
Blue Frog (American)
This Shanghai hamburger franchise has
been keeping Americans in China obese
since it opened. Monday’s burger deal is
always packed.
// Daily 10.00am-late. Sanlitun: Level 3, S4 Tower, 81
Sanlitun Village, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区
三里屯路三里屯Village三层S4 (6417 4030, for other
branches see www.bluefrog.com.cn)
Brasserie Flo ¥ ¥ (French) *
Marble slabs, mosaic floors and brass
fittings establish the Parisian bona fides;
dishes like snails (RMB78), oysters (RMB48
each) and steak tartare (RMB158) confirm.
The grandeur is matched only by the service, and the prices reflect the authenticity
of the experience.
// Daily 11am-midnight. 18 Xiaoyun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区霄云路18号 (6595 5135, www.flo.cn/brasserie/
restaurants/beijing)
With its crisp white tablecloths and service,
this upscale New York diner serves up some
of the classiest burgers in town.
// Tue-Fri 11am-1pm; Sat-Sun 9.30am-3pm; Tue-Sat
5.30pm-10pm. Opposite the West gate, Chaoyang Park,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区朝阳公园西门 (6591 8676)
Brian McKenna @The Courtyard ¥ ¥ (Contemporary Western) *
Innovative and creative dishes are de rigeur
at the Michelin-starred Irish chef’s reinvention of this long-standing Beijing fine
dining institution.
// Daily, restaurant 6pm-10pm, bar 5-11pm, 95
Donghuamen Avenue, Dongcheng District 东城区东华
门大街95号 (6526 8883)
Chi (Western)
Hutong dining par-excellence, with organic ingredients all locally sourced, from
the owners of neighboring Saffron.
// Daily, opens 10:30am, last order 9:30pm, 67 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District 东城区五道营胡同
67号 (6445 7076)
Burger Bar (American)
Don’t be fooled by the American diner-style
interior, Burger Bar’s pedigree of bap
fillings include wagyu beef, foie gras and
truffles. Burger King this ain’t.
// Sun-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri/Sat 11:30am-midnight,
B2/F, Parkview Green, 9 Dongdaqiao Road 朝阳区东大
桥路9号侨福芳草地大厦地下二层 ( 5690 7000)
Café Ricci (Contemporary Western)
An excellent example of how Italian sensibilities can meld peaceably into a Chinese
context, Ricci offers a range of fusion creations, like Sichuan spicy-chicken focaccia
(RMB45) and a spicy mocha coffee. It’s a
paradise for those with a sweet tooth, too.
// Daily 8am-9.30pm 1/F, Keji Dasha Tower D, Bldg
8, Tsinghua Science Park, 1 Zhongguancun Donglu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区中关村东路1号清华科技园
8号楼科技大厦D座1层 (8215 8826 http://riccicafe.com)
Café Zarah (Cafés)
Red armchairs, table candles and a matching
Gaggia machine harmonize the creamy,
minimalist interior of this cafe, popular with
young professionals. The Austrian-style
breakfast sets here are the real deal, while
Zarah’s coffee also trumps just about any
in town.
// Daily 9.30am-midnight 42 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng
District 东城区鼓楼东大街42号 (8403 9807)
Chuan Ban (Chinese Sichuan) *
This bright, modestly decorated dining hall
is frequently cited as Beijing’s best Sichuan
restaurant.
// Mon-Fri 7-9am, 10.50am-2pm, 4.50-9.30pm; Sat-Sun
7am-10pm 5 Gongyuan Toutiao, Jianguomennei Dajie,
Dongcheng District 东城区建国门内贡院头条5号
(6512 2277, ext. 6101)
Colibri (Cafés)
Its cheery, brightly lit veneer, spacious
seating and wide tables make it the
darling of the Macbook freelancer crowd.
While it serves a variety of standard café
fare, the main attraction are its wide
array of colorful delicious, generously
frosted,freshly-baked cupcakes.
// Sanlitun Village North11 Sanlitun Lu, Level LG51 (bet.
Dongzhimennei Dajie & Gongti Bei Lu) 朝阳区三里屯
路11号三里屯Village北区LG层51号 (6417 0808)
Crescent Moon (Xinjiang) *
Roast mutton enthusiasts go over the
moon at this reputable Xinjiang Muslim
restaurant. Eastern European and Central
Asian influences are evident throughout,
with peppery and cumin-spiced dishes
livening up traditional Chinese favorites.
// 弯弯月亮 16 Dongsi Liutiao 东四六条16号
(6400-5281)
Da Dong (Chinese, Peking duck) *
Among the city’s most famous haunts, Da
Dong guarantees slick carvings of Beijingstyle roast duck and delectable wrap fillings. The venue’s a class act and the plum
sauce is hard to follow.
// Daily 11am-10pm. No.22 Dongsishitiao, Dongcheng
District 22号东四十条甲 (5169 0328 See www.dadongdadong.com for more locations Daily 11am-10pm)
Da Gui (Chinese Guizhou)
Guizhou’s famed hot-and-sour cuisine nestled into a charming traditional alleyway.
Munch happily into pickled greens and
don’t miss the salty-sweet deep-fried black
sesame balls. They’re sensational.
// Daily 10am-2pm, 5-10pm. 69 Daxing Hutong,
Jiaodaokou, Dongcheng District 东城区交道口大兴胡
同69号 (6407 1800)
Cafe Sambal (SE Asian)
When it comes to Malay-style food in a
hutong, nowhere does it better. Admittedly,
it’s something of a niche category, but then
so is the food on offer. The spicy Kapitanstyle chicken is pricey, but worth it.
// Daily 11am-midnight. 43 Doufuchi Hutong (just east of
Jiugulou Dajie), Xicheng District西城区豆腐池胡同43
号旧鼓楼大街往东走(6400 4875)
Win a voucher for
Allday’s. Email:
bjeditor@urbanatomy.com ‘Allday’s’
OPEN DOOR
Allday’s
But not all of the night
Convenient location, spacious and modern interior, relaxed and friendly
staff… Allday’s Café is a bit of a Mr. Perfect of the café world. And now
he’s upped his game a notch with a menu full of new creations. You’d
think a café’s menu would be a little on the light side for the hungry
crowds, but one read is likely to change the mind of even the fussiest
eater. The hamburger steak sandwich (RMB68) is a true homage to all
things delicious and artery-clogging, while the tuna and egg sandwich
(RMB58) and the smoked salmon sandwich (RMB62) offer up something
a little bit lighter – and fishier. All made with the freshest and finest of ingredients – as well as to order – there’s not much here that’s not to love.
// Daily 7am-11pm, Unit 1, Tongguang Plaza, 12 Nongzhanguan Nanlu, Chaoyang
朝阳区农展馆南里12号通广大厦1楼底商 (6538 9488)
Win a meal
voucher for Tim’s
Texas BBQ.
Email: prizes@
urbanatomy.com
‘Tim Texas BBQ’
Dali Courtyard (Chinese Yunnan) *
If you like authentic Yunnanese food, you’ll
have to trust the staff: there’s no menu,
it all just arrives in an intimate courtyard
setting. The price (RMB120pp) matches the
rustic ingredients.
// Daily Midday-2pm; 6-10.30pm. Gulou Dong Dajie, 67
Xiaojingchang Hutong, Dongcheng District 东城区鼓楼
东大街小经厂胡同67号 (8404 1430)
Cantina Agave (Tex-Mex)
Great selection of burritos, tacos and 80+
imported tequilas. Spice up dishes with the
walk-up salsa bar and don’t leave without a
bite of the custardy flan.
//Sun-Thurs 11am to midnight. Fri–Sat 11am to 2am, S432 South Block, Sanlitun Village, 19 Sanlitun Lu,Chaoyang
District, 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village南区
(6416 5212)
Capital M (Contemporary Western) **
The Art Deco interior, swish staff and
breathtaking views over the archery towers
from Qianmen ensures the pinnacle of
al-fresco dining, with world-class modern
European stylings and deliciously posh
afternoon tea. Our 2013 editor’s pick for
restaurant of the year.
// Daily 11.30am-10.30pm. Floor 3, 2 Qianmen Buxingjie,
Chongwen District 东城区前门步行街2号3层 (6702
2727, www.m-restaurantgroup.com/capitalm/home.html)
Cepe ¥ (Italian)
In a city inundated with Italian offerings,
Cepe manages to stand out thanks to it’s
attention to the smallest detail – everything
from the vinaigrette to the Parma ham
is import quality, and the wine is superb.
Consider it the culinary equivalent of a
finely tailored suit.
// Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm. The Ritz-Carlton
Financial Street, 1 Jinchengfang Dongjie, Jinrong Jie,
Xicheng District
西城区金城坊东街1号北京金融街丽思卡顿酒店
大堂 (6601 6666)
Chef Too ¥ (Contemporary Western)
OPEN DOOR
Tim’s Texas BBQ
Din Tai Fung ¥ (Shanghainese)
This Taipei-based franchise impressed
Ken Hom enough to call it one of the best
10 eateries in the world, back in 1993.
Famous for its dependably delicious xiaolongbao or little steam buns. Book ahead,
there’s always a long wait.
// 11.30am-2.30pm, 5-10pm Weekends 11.30am-10pm.
Yu Yang Branch (渔阳店): 24 Middle Street, Xinyuanxili,
Chaoyang District, Beijing 朝阳区新源西里中街24
号 (近渔阳饭店) (6462 4502), Shin Kong Place Branch (
新光店): 6/F, Shin Kong Place, China Center, 87 Jianguo
Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 朝阳区建国路87号
新光天地6楼D6001号 (西大望路口)(6533 1536),
Parkview Green Branch (芳草地店): LG2-20,B2 Floor,
No.9, Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang District,Beijing 朝阳
区东大桥路9号侨福芳草地大厦LG2楼 (近世贸天
阶(8562 6583), Xidan Branch (西单店): F1&B1, Grand
Pacific Mall No.133 Xidan North St.: Xicheng District,
Lone star steaks
Texas: the state that gave us Davy Crockett, George ‘dubya’ Bush, the
glorious spectacle of rodeo – and a whole lot of BBQs. Tim has done us
a big old ‘muriccan solid and bought his meat blasting smoke stack over
to Beijing, where his hearty food and southern hospitality has kept the
expats and locals herded in since 2006. Recently he’s untethered his
beast of a spring menu, which includes the chunky cobb salad with blue
cheese and avocado (RMB68), shrimp gumbo (RMB65, above) and tortilla soup (RMB40). All the usual fare that’s helped the meat-slinging Tim
make his name in the big smoke is there too, along with a solid drinks list.
// Daily 9am-midnight, Silk#2 building, 14 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang
朝阳区东大桥路14号秀水2号院 (6591 9161)
71
listings
Beijing 西城区西单北大街133号君太百货B1楼 (近
西单大悦城) (6615 9028), Modern Plaza Branch (当代
店): 7th Floor, Modern Plaza, No.40 Zhongguancun St.,
Haidian District, Beijing 海淀区中关村大街40号当代
商城7楼 (人民大学对面) (6269 6726)
Duck de Chine ¥ (Chinese, Peking duck) *
Good duck is meant to show your guests
how wonderful you are, as much as the
food. Duck De Chine does that in spades,
with fantastic presentation of its crispy,
succulent duck (RMB188).
// Daily 11.30am-2.30pm; 6-10.30pm. Courtyard 4, 1949
The Hidden City, Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区
工体北路4号院 (6501 8881): 98 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng
District 东城区金宝街98号 (6521 2221)
Ding Ding Xiang (Chinese hot pot) *
Classier than most hot-pot joints, Ding Ding
XIang features a spacious dining room of
sweaty-faced patrons enjoying high-grade
huo guo in their own individual pot. The
delicious sesame sauce (the recipe is a
closely guarded secret) is a Beijing classic.
// Daily 11am-10pm. 2/F, Yuanjia International
Apartments, Dongzhimenwai, Dongzhong Jie (opposite
East Gate Plaza), Dongcheng District 东城区东直门外
东中街东环广场对面元嘉国际公寓2层 (6417 9289,
for other locations visit www.dingdingxiang.com.cn)
Drei Kronen 1308 (German) *
Authentic (in as much as any brauhaus
with a Filipino cover band can be) displays
of armour and brewing kits draw regular
evening crowds for the superb pork
knuckle (RMB148) and heavy-duty helles
(pale lager), wheat and dark beer (brewed
on-site, RMB48-108).
// Daily 11am-2am. 1/F, Bldg 5, China View, Gongti
Donglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体东路中国红街5
号楼1层(6503 5555)
El Gran Bocado (Mexican)
This unassuming little taquiera has a colorful menu of classic Mexican and Tex Mex
dishes, and one of the best nacho plates
we’ve had in Beijing.
// Daily 11am-midnight, 1/F, Just Make Bldg, Xingfucun
Zhonglu 幸福村中路杰作大厦1层 (6416 1715)
Element Fresh (Contemporary Western)
Another import from Shanggers, this is
boutique salads-and-sandwich lunching,
with somewhat questionable price tags.
The recent revamp also affected the latter.
// Daily Mon-Fri 10am-11pm, Sat-Sun 7am-11pm. 833,
Building 8, 19 Sanlitun Village South, Sanlitun Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village
南区8号楼833 (6417 1318)
Eudora Station
No need to mind the doors – this Lido
pitstop’s longevity tells you all you need
to know. An American-style restaurant-bar,
it caters comfortably for the local scene
with a pool table, sports TV, rooftop deck,
patio – did we mention the pool? Really,
this place is solid: great beer selection and
classic pub grub. Regular live bands keep
the weekends swinging.
// Daily, 11am-2am. 6 Fangyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区芳园西路6号 (6437 8331, www.eudorastation.com)
Flamme (Contemporary Western) *
Expensive steaks are now invading Beijing.
Flamme (pronounced ‘Flom,’ apparently)
remains top value, however, especially on
2-4-1 Tuesdays, while bar staff maintain an
eclectic (and genuinely exciting) cocktail
menu.
// Daily 11am-10.30pm Sun-Thur; 11am-11pm Fri-Sat.
S4-33, Third Floor, Village South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯VILLAGE南区3
层S4-33室 (6417 8608): 269 Indigo Mall, Jixianqiao Road,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥路18号颐堤港商场
269号 ( 8420 0270)
Four Corners (SE Asian)
Chef Jun Trinh took a break from his
celebrity TV work to host this part-Vietnamese venue, serving up steaming bowls
of pho with zesty, fresh rolls, as well as a
great bar.
// Daily 11am-midnight. 27 Dashibei Hutong (near west
end of Yandai Xiejie), Xicheng District 西城区大石碑胡
72
同27号烟袋斜街西口附近)((6401 7797)
Ganges (Indian)
Conveniently located above popular
Irish sports bar Paddy O’Sheas, this solid
Indian curry house provides the perfect
post-match culinary accompaniment. Or
put another way: it’s what you’ll be craving
after eight pints of beer.
// Daily 11am to 10.30pm. 2nd Floor, 28 Dongzhimen Wai
Dajie, Chaoyang District
Dongzhimen Branch: 朝阳区东直门外大街28号2层
(6417-0900) Sanlitun Branch: 朝阳区工体北路13号世
贸百货1号楼2楼202室 (64160181)
See www.ganges-restaurant.com/en/ for more locations.
Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体东路2号
中国红街大厦4-103(8587 1255, 139 1141 5052)
Inagiku (Japanese)
This Beijing branch of one of Tokyo’s
oldest and most celebrated restaurants is
as near to perfection as you’re likely to find.
Deceptively simple yet finely crafted, the
handmade Inaniwa udon (RMB 80) is not to
be missed.
// Daily 11am-3pm, 6-10.30pm. Rm 315, 3/F, Park Life,
Yintai Centre, 2 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街2号银泰中心悦生活3层315
室 (8517 2838)
Greyhound Café (Modern Thai/Fusion)
Greyhound Café originated in Bangkok offering Thai food with a twist and served in
a fashionable surrounds. Perfect for Tai Koo
Li Sanlitun then.
// Daily 11am-11pm, S1-30B, Building 1, Sanlitun Road 19,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路19号1号楼 S1-30B
(64163439, http://www.greyhoundcafe.com.hk)
Green T (Contemporary Chinese)
Although the inspiration is ‘Tang Dynasty
bathhouse,’ the effect is more ‘Whoah.’ An
indoor tea bath occupies a slate-tiled space
scattered with artistic curios, along side
a vegetable allotment, outdoor Jacuzzi,
wooden trestle table and 1,500-sqm villa.
The space has a design award by Wallpaper* magazine and came third in the Daily
Meal’s Top 101 Asian restaurants.
// Daily 11.30am-11.30pm. 318 Hegezhuang Village,
Cuigezhuang, Chaoyang District朝阳区崔各庄乡合各
庄村318号 (8456 4922 Ext 8, 136 0113 7132, 136 0113
7232; www.green-t-house.com)
Grill 79 (Contemporary Western) *
With views this good, Grill 79 would probably make it onto the list even if the food
was terrible. It’s something of a bonus
then that the kitchen is superb, and supported by one of the most extensive wine
lists in town.
// Daily 6.30-10.30am, noon-2pm, 6-10pm. 79/F, China
World Trade Center Phase 3, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国门外大街1号国贸大酒
店79楼 (6505 2299 ext 6424)
Haidilao (Chinese hot pot)
Hot pot in China is like religion; everyone’s
got their own brand. Either way, the raw
meats and vegetables, cooked communally,
is divine, and the outstanding customer
service makes Haidilao a fitting church
// Daily, 24 hours. 2A Baijiazhuang Lu (beside No. 80
Middle School), Chaoyang District 朝阳区白家庄路甲2
号 (八十中学西侧)(6595 2982, for other locations visit
http://www.haidilaohuoguo.com)
Hatsune ¥ (Japanese)
Less a Japanese than a California roll joint,
Hatsune is now an old favorite among the
sake-swilling, sushi-swallowing set, though
less so among sashimi purists.
// Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10pm 2/F, Heqiao Bldg C,
8A Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区光华路甲
8号和乔大厦C座2层 (6581 3939)
The Horizon (Contemporary Chinese)*
Kerry Hotel’s recently rennovated Chinese
restaurant has widened its predominantly
Cantonese and Sichuan horizons to include
dim sum, double-boiled soups and Peking
Duck – and the roast bird here really is
fabulous.
// Daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm 1/F, Beijing
Kerry Hotel, 1 Guanghua Lu 光华路1号嘉里中心1
层 (8565 2188)
Home Plate BBQ (American) *
Scruffy looks and laid-back staff belie the
popularity of this entry-level brick-smoker
barbecue joint, that blossoms in the sunny
months. Pulled-pork sandwiches are the
favorites, followed by baby-back rib racks,
but lesser dishes like the rib tips, sides
and burgers are just as good. Beer and
bourbons are taken care of, too.
// Daily 11am-10pm. 35 Xiaoyun Lu courtyard (20m north
of Xiaoyun Lu intersection, first right), Chaoyang District
朝阳区霄云路35号院过霄云路路口,往北走20米,到
第一个路口右转(5128 5584)
District 东城区旧鼓楼大街141号(6401 8465)
The Local (American)
This does exactly what it says on the tin:
Some of the best Happy Hour deals and
pub grub the Sanlitun bar district has to
offer. The staff are friendly, the barstaff are
skilled at cocktails and they even have a
24-hour delivery service.
// Daily 6pm-2am. 4 Gongti Bei Lu (opposite 1949 The
Hidden City), Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体北路4号院
机电研究院内 (6591 9525)
Lost Heaven ¥ (Chinese / SE Asian)
An emphasis on Yunnan characterises this
menu’s fresh journey through the SE Asia
passage, with a grandiose yet
dark teak interior.
// Daily noon-2pm, 5pm-10.30 (bar open till 1am). Ch’ien
Men 23, 23 Qianmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng District 东
城区前门东大街23号(8516 2698)
Makye Ame (Tibetan)
Determined to prove that Tibetan cuisine
consists of more than just yak-butter tea,
the Beijing branch of this nationwide chain
serves up nomadic classics such as curried
potatoes and roast lamb. The original cosy
Xiushui location is great for winter.
// Daily 10-midnight, 11A Xiushui Nanjie, Jianguomenwai,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国门外秀水南街甲11
号, (6506 9616
Indian Kitchen (Indian)
The go to curry house among Beijing’s
homesick Indian community, this ever
popular no-nonsense restaurant has built
up a solid reputation thanks to its wide
range of quality dishes and particularly
friendly service. Looking good after a
recent rennovation.
// Daily 11am-2:30pm, 5:30-11pm, 2/F 2 Sanlitun
Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯北小街2号
2楼 (6462 7255)
Isola Bar & Grill (Italian)
Isola’s elegant design, even by Tai Koo Li
North standards, is classic Italian panache –
and so is the food. Beef carpaccio, burrata,
Strozzapreti (handed twisted pasta) are
all fantastic, but just as good is a classic
Margherita pizza.
// Daily, 11:30am-10:30pm, N3-47, 3/F, Building 3, Taikoo
Li North, 11 Sanlitun Street, Chaoyang District 朝阳区
三里屯路11号院太古里北区N3-37和 47商铺 (www.
gaiagroup.com.hk/isola-beijing, reservations@isolabeijing.com; 6416 3499)
Jade Garden (Chinese Shanghainese)
Southern cuisine in a sophisticated setting.
Jardin de Jade Jasmine-tea Smoked Duck
(RMB78), Xiaolongbao dumplings (RMB
22), Eight Treasure Rice (Babao Fan, RMB
22) and more. Particularly convivial on the
weekends with Cantonese families gathering for dim-sum feasts.
// Daily 11am-10.30pm Bldg 6, Jiqingli, Chaoyangmenwai
Dajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区朝外大街吉庆里6号
楼 (6552 8688, for other locations visit www.jade388.
com/su/index.aspx)
Jing Yaa Tang (Chinese, Peking Duck)
Resembling something between a nightclub and theater, the Opposite House’s
basement restaurant proves to be more
than just style over substance with their
range of classic dishes. Don’t ask about the
double A, though.
// Daily 12-10:30pm, B1/F, The Opposite House, Sanlitun
Bei Lu 三里屯路11号院1号楼瑜舍酒B1楼
La Dolce Vita (Italian)
This long-standing, quality, and refreshingly
unpretentious Italian restaurant is a popular choice for young families. Wholesome
pasta dishes, well-crafted wood-fired pizzas
and a great range of dessert options come
as standard.
// Daily 10.30am-10.30pm, 8 Bei Xindong Lu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区新东路北段8号 (6468 2894)
Hyoki ¥ (Japanese)
Hidden away in the depths of the Sofitel
Hotel, this labyrinthine Japanese restaurant
of all private dining rooms has some
stunning food, and is the only place to
sample traditional Japanese paper hot pot
in Beijing.
// 6F Sofitel Wanda Beijing 100022 93 Jianguo Road,
Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国路93号索菲特万达北京酒店6层
(6581 0072)
La Pizza (Italian)
At the higher echelon of Beijing pizzeria is
this Sanlitun goldfish bowl with a woodfired oven and Neapolitan manners. Further branch in Solana and buffet restaurant
in Sanlitun 3.3
// Sanlitun Branch: daily 10.30am-3pm, 6-11pm. 1/F, 3.3
Mall, 33 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里
屯路33号3.3服装大厦西北角底商(5136 5582) //
Solana Branch: SA-48, 1/F, Bldg 3, Solana, 6 Chaoyang
Park Road 朝阳公园西路6号,蓝色港湾3号1层, SA-48
( 5905 6106)
La Pizza Buffet: 4F, Sanlitun 3.3 Mall, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区三里屯3.3服装大厦4层 (5136 5990)
Ibn Battouta (African)
Hidden away in the depths of Gongti, this
charming little Moroccan eatery serves up
superbly authentic north Africa fare at a
modest price. Known for its excellent, attentive service, and cosy atmosphere.
// Daily 11.30am-3pm, 6-10pm. 4-103, China View, 2
Le Little Saigon (SE Asian)
Despite its odd obsession with Frenchoccupied South East Asia, this colonialthemed eatery is saved by its excellent beef
pho, select wine lists, and stunning rooftop
views. It’s a little bit good.
// Daily 11.30-midnight 141 Jiugulou Dajie, Dongcheng
Mercante ¥ (Italian) *
Old World family charm in an intimate
hutong setting. Time (and, occasionally,
service) slows with a rustic menu from Bologna offering an assortment of homemade
pastas and seasonal mains.
// Tue-Sun 6-10.30pm. 4 Fangzhuanchang Hutong,
Dongcheng District 东城区方砖厂胡同4号 (8402 5098)
Middle 8th Restaurant (Yunnan) *
Make room for the mushrooms – especially the Kungpao – at this busy chain. Hip
and slightly swanky, without being pretentious, this is a celebration of all things
‘south of the clouds’ – so try crisp-fried
worms, or “crossing-the-bridge” noodles,
beef jerky-style yak meat and fresh, wild
herbs galore.
// The Place Branch: Daily 11am-11pm, L404A, South
Tower, The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区光化路9号世贸天阶南楼L404A (6587 1431,
Sanlitun, Tai Koo Li and Indigo Mall branch details see
www.middle8th.com)
Migas ¥ (Spanish) *
The boys at Migas have turned a concept
bar into a thriving Mediterranean restaurant, bar and party venue, and one of
summer’s rooftop destinations.
// Daily 10am-3pm, 5pm- late. 6/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun
Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花
园6层 (5208 6061)
Mio (Italian) ¥¥
Glitzy Italian fare at the Four Seasons, with
a mobile Bellini cart, wheeled straight
to your table. Chef Marco Calenzo crafts
a superb squash tortellini by hand, and
pampers diners with desserts like the
deconstructed tiramisu.
//Daily, lunch 11:30am - 2:30pm, dinner 5:30pm -10:30pm
Four Seasons Hotel, 48 Liang Ma Qiao Road, Chaoyang
District, 北京四季酒店亮马桥路48号, 朝阳区
(5695 8888)
Missa (Contemporary Western) *
Whether it is the tender, imported cuts of
meat or the long list of expertly made and
creative cocktails going down your gullet,
you can’t really go wrong at this refined
relaxed lounge like restaurant. Highly
recommended
// Daily 6pm-late. 32-33, 3/F, Bldg 3, Sanlitun Village
North, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯Village北区3号
楼3层32-33 (137 1851 7917)
Modo Urban Deli
(Contemporary Western)*
Yates Wine Lodge this is not. Unconventional and great fun, this compact eatery
was designed around an ever-changing
selection of fine wines. Serves up fresh
tapas style food and original finger foods.
The luxury sandwiches are fantastic for
picnics, with the smoked salmon and the
Cuban (RMB68), complete with crispy pork
belly, is one of the best sarnies ever.
// Sun-Thu noon-10pm, Fri-Sat noon-10.30pm. 3/F,
Sanlitun Village South(close to Element Fresh), 19 Sanlitun
Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯
Village南区3楼(近新元素)
Moka Bros (Contemporary Western)
Power bowls, salads and wraps are the kind
of fare on offer at this trendy Nali Patio
space, which also has a great selection of
cakes and pastries if you’re feeling more
indulgent.
// Sun-Thu 11am-10:30pm, Fri/Sat 11am-11:30pm, B101b
Nali Patio South, 81 Sanlitun Beilu Chaoyang District 朝阳
区三里屯路81号B101b南楼 ( 5208 6079)
Morton’s of Chicago ¥¥ (American) *
Meat so tender the knife falls through it:
ritzy Morton’s deserves the worldwide
praise. Expensive, but where else are you
going to get steak this good? (Try the
RMB550 set menu if you want to save cash)
// Mon-Sat 5-11pm, Sun 5-10pm. 2/F, Regent Hotel, 99
Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng District 东城区金宝街99号丽晶
酒店二层 (6523 7777)
// Building 2, 2-105, 1st Floor Sanlitun SOHO, 8
Gongtibeilu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体北路8号三
里屯soho2号楼2-105 (5785 3538/5785 3539) Mon - Fri.
11.30am - 2pm
5.30pm - 9pm Sat - Sun 11am - 10pm Bar open. Mon to
Sun. 4pm - 12am Inside Chuangyi Yuan, 3A Shunhuang
Lu (near BD flower market ), Sunhe Township, Chaoyang
District .朝阳区孙河乡顺黄路甲3号创意园内(近北
东花卉市场)(84595868)
ton of beer selections to boot.
// Daily 11am-11pm. 107 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng
District 东城区鼓楼东大街宝钞胡同107号(6401
3318)
Mosto ¥ (Contemporary Western)
A perpetually busy lunch and evening spot,
thanks to chef Daniel Urdaneta’s skill for
modernising South American-style dishes
like ceviche and risotto in his open kitchen.
// Sun-Thu noon-2.30pm, 6-10pm; Fri-Sat noon-2.30pm,
6-10.30pm. 3/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园3层 (5208
6030)
NOLA (American)
N’Orleans finds a dark-wood home in
the leafy embassy area, with a jazz soundtrack, shrimp and grits, gumbo, fried
chicken, jambalaya and decent-enough
po’boys – yes’m. Excellent Cajun snacks,
craft beers and cocktail also make NOLA
a popular watering hole. Great service
comes as standard.
// Mon-Fri 8am-11pm, Sat-Sun 10.30am-11pm. 11A
Xiushui Nanjie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区秀水南街11
号 (8563 6215)
Niajo ¥ (Spanish)*
Order the paella (their star dish) together
with some tapas and be automatically
transported to Spain. With homely Mediterranean influences and a charming management, Niajo is a prefect option to enjoy a
pleasant meal at the heart of Sanlitun. Pro
tip: a fantastic set-lunch deal is also offered.
// Daily 12.00am - 10.30pm. 3/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun
Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园
3层 (5208 6052)
O’Steak (French)
A well-cooked steak in Beijng isn’t all that
rare anymore, and here we have affordable but quality cuts. Don’t be fooled by
the Irish sounding name, not a pint of
Guinness in sight.
// Daily midday-midnight, 55-7 Xingfucun Zhonglu,
Chaoyang District, 朝阳区幸福村中路55-7 (8488 8250)
Paulaner Brauhaus (German)
The grand old man of Beijing brauhauses,
Paulaner delivers the Teutonic goods in the
hands of lederhosen-clad staff from the
provinces. It can be pricey but is usually
worthwhile, especially during Oktoberfest.
// Daily 11am-1am. Kempinski Hotel, 50 Liangmaqiao
Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区亮马桥路50号凯宾斯
基饭店 (6465 3388 ext. 5732)
Pinotage ¥ (South African) *
A seasonal blend of Dutch, English
and regional African influences, this
contemporary and stylish eatery has an
impressive selection of fine import-quality
meats, and wines to match. The traditional
borewor ground beer-sausage (RMB100) is
tender and sweet, while the red-wine pork
tenderloin (RMB120) makes the trip out to
Shunyi worth it.
Susu (SE Asian)
The first step is finding it. Follow that up
with a dreamlike renovated courtyard, extensive wine list and a listing of top-notch
Vietnamese curries, banh mi sandwiches,
stews, soups and la Vong fish.
// Tue- Sun 11.30am-11pm. 10 Qianliang Hutong Xixiang,
Dongcheng District 东城区钱粮胡同西巷10号 (8400
2699)
Taverna ¥ ¥ (Contemporary Western)
Slick service helps this faux-rustic lunchtime
favourite into our list, with typical dishes
including salmon steak, ribs and salads. Dependable, slightly dull even, but solid fare.
// Daily noon-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm. 1949 The Hidden City,
Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu , Chaoyang District 朝阳区工
体北路4号院 (6501 8882)
Mr Shi’s Dumplings (Chinese Beijing) *
The ultimate in Beijing-style dumplings,
they really don’t come better than this. Find
it and you’ll never go elsewhere.
// 74 Baochao Hutong, Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng
District 东城区鼓楼东大街宝钞胡同74号 (8405 0399,
131 6100 3826)
Najia Xiaoguan (Chinese)
A hugely popular Manchu restaurant,
first opened by an emperor’s doctor, you
choose your dishes from a carved wooden
tray: 18-hour stewed huang tanzi, fatty
ox hoof,crispy fried shrimp, chicken with
walnut. Reservations are required to get
a place in this two-storey, quintessentially
Imperial China restaurant.
// Daily 1130am-10pm. 10 Yonganli (south of
the LG Twin Towers, west of 119 Middle School),
Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国
门外大街永安里10号(双子座大厦南侧, 119中学
西侧)(6567 3663, 6568 6553)
粮胡同西巷10号 (8400 2699)
Lido branch: 2F, No.9-3, Jiangtai Xilu, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区将台西路9-3号2层 (8420 0998)
Purple Haze
Given Beijing’s lack of white sand beaches
and ladyboy bars, Purple Haze has to make
do for the best Thai experience in town.
Has all the classics like veggie spring rolls
(RMB40), papaya salad (RMB46) and curries
(RMB44-180) – but our pick’s the seafood
pad Thai (RMB45).
// Daily 11am-11pm, 55 Xingfu Yicun, Chaoyang District
朝阳区幸福一村55号 (6413 0899)
Raj (Indian)
Tucked away in musty old building just underneath the drum tower, this curryhouse
may look Chinese but everything on the
menu is authenticI Indian, espcially the
rather fine naan.
// Daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-11pm, 31 Gulou Xidajie
Dongcheng District 东城区鼓楼西大街31号 (64011675)
Sake Manzo (Japanese) **
The barmen here are serious about their
sake. Boasting one of the best stocked drinks
cabinets in town with over 60 different sakes
on offer, this super-cool little eatery is the
perfect place to unwind after a hard day’s
toil. The sashimi is fresh to the cut, and the
beer-marinated chicken is out of this world.
One of the very best and least appreciated
restaurants in town.
// Daily 6pm-midnight. 7A Tuanjiehu Beisantiao,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区团结湖北三条甲7号(6436
1608)
Steak Exchange Restaurant+Bar¥¥ (Contemporary Western) *
The bill is hopefully on the company kuai at
this opulent eatery, where charcoal-grilled
cuts of 250-day, grain-fed Australian Angus
start from around RMB428 and merrily
spiral. But the meat is unquestionably succulent, and cooked exactly to order. Quality
seafood and gorgeous desserts, too.
// Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10.30pm. InterContinental
Beijing Financial Street, 11 Jinrong Jie, Xicheng District 西
城区金融街11号北京金融街洲际酒店 (5852 5921)
Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) ¥ ¥
(Contemporary Western) **
Setting is everything here, especially if
it’s fashioned inside a restored Buddhist
temple. The bold contemporary European
cuisine is fitting in majesty and the service
alone is worthy of worship.
// Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 6–10pm. 23 Songzhusi Temple,
Shatan Beijie, Dongcheng District 东城区沙滩北街嵩
祝寺23号 (8400 2232, www.temple-restaurant.com/)
Three Colours Lotus (Indian)
Three Colours Lotus’s team of chefs specialize in a northern Indian school of cooking,
and their menu is full of creamy curries
and succulent cuts of meat grilled in the
Tandoor oven.
// Silk Market branch: Daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-10:30pm, Xiu
Shui 2, 14 Dong Da Qiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东大桥路14号秀水2号 (6586 5096)
Yashow branch: 5F, Yashow Market, Gongti Bei Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体北路雅秀商场内5层
Starfish ¥ (Seafood) *
Beijing’s leading oyster bar, Starfish is
among the very best seafood restaurants
in town. Renowned for its friendly, warm
atmosphere, this stylish low-key restaurant
is great for late-night dates, or just hanging
out along the large wooden bar and enjoying an Irish rock with a craft beer.
// 22-1 Dongzhimen Wai, Chaoyang District 朝阳区东直
门外大街22-1号(6416 5499)
Rumi (Middle Eastern)
Worlds away from the filth of nearby dirty
Bar Street, Rumi dishes out plentiful helpings of traditional Persian stews and tasty
kebabs. Try the juicy Chicken Shish kebab,
the tastier cousin to cheap chuan’r.
// Daily 11.30am-12am, Gongti Beilu and Third Ring Road
工体北路和三环内,兆龙饭店对面 (8454 3838)
Saveurs de Coree (Korean)
This upmarket Korean bistro has undergone
several changes in recent years, not least
its move away from the hipper-than-thou
confines of Nanluguxiang. Fortunately,
the menu remains largely intact. The Shin
Ramyun is among the best in Beijing, while
the Wagyu barbecued beef is almost too
good to be true.
// Daily noon-11pm. 128-1 Xiang’er Hutong, Dongcheng
District 东城区香饵胡同128-1号(5741 5753)
Sherpa’s (Delivery)
OK. It is not technically a restaurant but
Sherpa’s is still an essential service: Your favourite restaurants delivered to you. Across
three cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou:
258 restaurants. 75,817 dishes ready to
order. Have whatever you want delivered
fast and fresh.
// www.sherpa.com.cn
South Memory (Chinese Sichuan)
This chain restaurant redefines Hunan
cuisine, with exquisite food and an elegant
atmosphere. The trademark shilixiang
niurou (fragrant beef), duojiao shuangse
yutou (dual-colour spiced fish head) and
meltingly tender frog dishes are among the
favorites with local gourmands.
// Daily 11am-10pm. 2/F, 230-232, Fenglian Plaza, 18
Chaoyangmen Wai Dajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区朝外
大街18号丰联广场2楼230-232号 (6588 1797 for other
locations, visit www.southmemory.com)
Southern Barbarian (Chinese regional) *
Yunnan’s wide selection of savory, sour and
sweet, all in a smart hutong setting, with a
S.T.A.Y. (French)
Luxury dining with three-Michelin-starred
chef Alléno Yannick’s back-to-basics kitchen
concept, managed by the youthful team
of Maxime Gilbert as ‘Chef de Cuisine’
executing the quarterly menus, and Florian
Couteau working the ‘pastry library.’ Classic
dishes usually include dishes such as steak,
foie gras, rack of lamb, plus a spit roast and
grill for simple fine-dining.
// Daily 11:30am -2:30pm; 5:30pm-10pm; Sundays 11am4pm. Shangri La, Valley Wing, Level 1, 29 Zizhuyuan
Road, Beijing 紫竹院路29号北京香格里拉饭店
(6841 2211, Ext. 6727)
Tim’s Texas BBQ (American)
Who is Tim, you ask, and what’s his Texas
BBQ doing in Beijing? Providing all ya’ll
homesick ‘Murricans with the best damn
home-style briskets, ribs and steaks –
slow-cooked over a mesquite wood BBQ
– this side of the Rio Grande. Tex Mex and
Margherita’s recommended, partner.
// Daily 9am-midnight, Silk#2 building, 14 Dongdaqiao
Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区东大桥路14号秀水2号
院 (6591 9161)
Stuff’d (Western)
The concept of Stuff’d is to simply stuff
one kind of food in another. From sausage
calzone pizzas (RMB68) to scotch eggs – it
all works. On-site micro brewery a bonus.
// Wed-Mon, 11:30am-2:45pm, 6-10pm, 9 Jianchang
Hutong, Dongcheng District 东城区箭厂胡同9号
(6407 6308)
Tori Tei (Japanese)
Japanese izakaya-style pub and eatery
stocked with Japanese beers and sake. Its
specialty lies in grilled yakitori – chicken
skewers and other meat and veggie sticks.
Lively atmosphere and best in large groups.
//Daily 5:30pm-1am, 8 Xinyuanli Zhongjie, Chaoyang
District, 朝阳区新源里中街8号 (64614513)
Lunch Set Menu from RMB150-300
(Mini Sashimi additional RMB60)
Make reservation one day in
advance.
Tel: 8420 0998 (Lido)
2F, Jiang Tai Xi Lu No.9-3
Sushi Yotsuba (Japanese)
It doesn’t come cheap (tasting menu
RMB1,000), but what would you expect
from some of the best sushi in town?
Buttery and meaty fatty tuna sashimi is a
cut above.
// Dongcheng branch: Tue- Sun 11.30am-11pm. 10
Qianliang Hutong Xixiang, Dongcheng District 东城区钱
Traktirr Pushkin (Russian)
By no means high-end, you visit Traktirr (or
its dearer cousin round the corner) for the
boisterous nighttime atmosphere and array
of Russian peasant fare: anything crockbaked is usually good, as is sharing a range
of starters. Plus: copious cheap vodka (and
suspicious homebrew).
// 10am-midnight. 1A Xiyangguan Hutong, Beizhongjie,
Dongzhimennei Dajie, Dongcheng District 东城区东直
门内大街北中街西羊管胡同甲1号 (6403 1690)
Transit ¥¥ (Chinese Sichuan) *
Sichuan is known for its blazing spices and
its equally hot girls. While the latter are up
to you, the creative minds at Transit have
made some fiery additions to the classical,
chili-thumping canon, and they will charge
you for that knowledge. But unlike many
equally expensive joints, this is high-end
Chinese dining at its best.
// Daily 12-2.30pm, 6 -10pm. N4-36, Sanlintun Village
North, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯
路11号三里屯Village北区N4-36号 (6417 9090)
The Rug (Café)*
With ingredients supplied by local organic
farms like Dahe and De Run Wu, and an
emphasis on sustainability, this Chaoyang
Park café’s menu of locally milled bagels is
73
listings
a hit with green types, bored foreign moms
and freelance Macbook types.
// 7.30pm - 11pm Daily. Bldg 4, Lishui Jiayuan, Chaoyang
Gongyuan Nanlu (opposite Chaoyang Park South Gate),
Chaoyang District 朝阳区朝阳公园南路丽水嘉园4号
楼(朝阳公园南门对面)(8550 2722)
Tube Station
Nowhere does gigantic toppen-laden pizza
quite like Beijing, and these guys claim to be
the biggest in town.
// Sanlitun 3.3 Branch: Mon-Fri 10am-10pm, Sat/Sun
10am-11pm, delivery Mon-Thu 11:30am-10:30pm, FriSun 11:30am-11pm 3/F, 3.3 Building, No. 33 Sanlitun
Road, Chaoyang District 三里屯北街33号3.3服装大厦
3层3008号 ( 5136 5571, delivery 8989 177) Additional
branches in Gongti, Beida, Beitai, Yayancun, Solana and
Weigongcun, see
www.tubestationpizza.com.cn for details)
Union Bar and Grill (American)
The definitive US-style diner in Beijing, Union’s extensive menu – from eggs Benedict
to baby back ribs – covers all bases and
hours, served by friendly staff. The warm
atmosphere tempts many to stay all day.
// Mon-Fri 11am-11pm,Sat-Sun 11am-midnight. S6-31,
3/F, Bldg 6, Sanlitun Village South, 19 Sanlitun Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯
Village南区6号楼3层S6-31(6415 9117)
Veggie Table (Vegetarian) *
Proving that Beijing-style vegetarian cuisine
is by no means the exclusive preserve of
Buddhist monks and soppy Jack Johnson
fans, this superbly honed eatery offers some
of the very best sandwiches – vegetarian or
otherwise – found anywhere in the city.
// Daily 10.30am to 11.30pm (last order 10.30pm) 19
Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District 东城区五道营
胡同19号. (6446 2073)
Vineyard Cafe on the River (British)
New Vineyard offshoot opposite of the
Liangma River. Menu features British classics
like Fish & Chips and Bangers & Mash. The
breezy terrace is primed for a pint of the
handcraft beer or a carafe of Pimms.
//Daily Tu-Fr 1130am-3pm 6pm-12am kitchen closes
at 10pm, Sa-Su 1130am-3ppm 6pm-12am, Liangmahe
Nanlu, west side of Xindong Lu, across the street from
Yuyang Hotel, Chaoyang District, 朝阳区亮马河南路
新东路西侧渔阳饭店对面(8532 5335)
Wagas (Contemporary Western)
Quality eats with minimal pretension. This
stylish, no-fuss Shanghai rival to Element
Fresh offers some of the best and most affordable Western lunch options in town. The
zesty carrot-and-zucchini cake is a crowd
pleaser.
// Daily 8am-10pmS8-33, 3/F, 8 building, 19 South
Sanlitun Street, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯
Village南区三层 (6416-5829)
White Nights (Russian)
You certainly don’t go to White Nights for
the service. Or for the food. Or the tiny
helpings. But people do go. Oh yes – it’s for
the cheap booze.
// Daily 11am-midnight. 13A Beizhong Jie (off
Dongzhimennei Dajie), Dongcheng District 东城区东直
门内大街北中街甲13号 (8402 9595)
The Woods (American) *
New York native-owned, Manhattan-style
restaurant, tucked in amongst the skyscrapers of CBD: you can’t get more Big Apple
than that.
// Daily 12pm-10pm, Central Park Tower 1, Suite 101,
No. 6 Chaowai Dajie, 朝外大街6号新城国际1号搂
101 (6533 6380)
Wang Jia Sha (Shanghainese)
Modern Shanghai cuisine – popular with
Hong Kong celebrities – famed for its
crabmeat dumplings. Try the spiced-salt ribs
(RMB62) for a bit of Adam action.
Reservation (86 10) 6416 3469
S1-30a Taikoo Li Sanlitun(on the third floor of i.t shop)
朝阳区三里屯路19号院太古里1号楼3层S1-30a
号商铺
Wu Li Xiang (Chinese regional) *
Impressive views don’t detract from the
exquisitely presented cuisine of Chef Kam,
especially the famous dim sum. Swanky
classics from all the main culinary regions of
China, like Sichuan and Hong Kong,
including “Monk Jump Over the Wall,”
braised pork in oyster sauce.
// Daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-10pm. 2-3/F, Traders Upper East
Hotel, Beijing, 2 Dongsihuan Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东四环北路2号北京上东盛贸饭店二三
层 (5907 8406)
Xiangmanlou (Chinese regional)
Xiangmanlou is little-known among the
expat community, but many Beijingers
say it has the best duck in town. The
restaurant looks like a New York diner
from the outside, and the booth seating by
the window adds to that. However, Xiang
serves traditional duck, with all the fixings,
like pancakes (thin but with the chewy
resistance that is key) and deliciously fresh
accoutrements. At RMB118 for a whole bird
(with condiments), it’s also a steal. Large
74
portions of genuine, Shandong-style food
are also available.
// Daily 11am-4.20pm,4.50pm-10pm. Xinyuan Xili
Zhongjie (opposite Yuyang Hotel), Chaoyang District 朝
阳区新源西里中街(渔阳饭店斜对面) (6460 6711)
Daily 10am-10pm Chaoyang Park West Gate, near No.8
Hot Spring 朝阳区农展南路1号朝阳公园西门(近八
号公馆) (65950969)
Xinjiang Red Rose (Xinjiang) *
Beijing’s most famous Xinjiang restaurant
serves some of the tenderest lamb skewers
around, matched by enormous servings of
dishes like dapan ji (a chicken, potato and
pepper stew), latiaozi (noodles with a spicy
tomato sauce) and baked flatbread (nang).
Nightly performances (starting at 7.40pm)
feature live music and belly dancers with
snakes – you might find yourself dragged
on-stage to join in.
// Daily 10.30am-11pm. Inside 7 Xingfu Yicun alley,
opposite Workers’ Stadium North Gate, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区工人体育场北门对面幸福一村7巷
内 (6415 5741)
Yi House (Contemporary Western)
Nestled in the confines of the 798 Art
District, Yi’s great tasting brunch is
bettered only by their wide range of cocktail
concoctions. Sundays offer jazz brunches
with lobster and champagne. Our 2013
readers’ choice for Restaurant of the Year.
// Daily 11am-3pm, 6pm-12am. 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798
Yishu Qu, No.1 706 Houjie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒
仙桥路2号院798艺术区706后街1号 (6436 1818)
Yu Xin (Chinese Sichuan)
Open since 1993, Yu Xin has a loyal fanbase
through consistently offers authentic
Sichuan dishes. Their liangfen – a jelly-like
substance cut into chunky strips and dressed
in an addictive spicy sauce – hits the spot.
Also not to be missed are koushui ji, mouthwatering cold chicken, and shuizhu niurou,
fiery boiled beef slices. Enjoy its rustic,
intimate setting of bamboo cubicles and
swift, friendly service.
// Daily 11am-10pm. 5A Xingfu Yicun Xili, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区幸福一村西里甲5号 (6415 8168 for
other locations, visit www.yuxin1997.com)
Yun’er Small Town (Yunnanese)
Folksy Yunnanese fare on Beiluoguxiang.
Fragrant dishes including the jasmine bulbs
with scrambled eggs, lemongrass shrimp,
and banana leaf wrapped bolete mushrooms will keep us crawling back.
// Daily 10am-11pm, 84 Beiluoguxiang, Dongcheng
District, 东城区北锣鼓巷84号 (8404 2407)
Yuxiang Renjia (Chinese Sichuan)
Most branches maintain simple decorations,
with black-and-white photos of traditional
houses, river towns in the south, and strings
of dried red chilis and garlic hanging on the
wall. So, too, is their menu: old-fashion and
reliably good. The lazi ji is crispy but not
too greasy, the pepper-sauce noodle, with
spinach, is filling and refreshing. Assorted
confections are guaranteed to offer comfort
to numbed-and-burned tongues, too.
// Daily 11am-2pm, 5-9pm 5/F, Lianhe Dasha (Union
Plaza), 20 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区朝阳门外大街20号联合大厦五层 (6588 3841
for other locations visit www.yuxiangrenjia.com
it, meaning you can absolutely trust the
cocktail menu. Manager Jack Zhou and
his brother offer sterling service, while the
décor is handsome and low-key.
// Daily 4pm-late. 3/F Friendship Youth Hostel, (100m
west of Sanlitun Houjie), Chaoyang District 朝阳区北三
里屯友谊青年酒店三层(3.3大厦西侧) (6415 9954)
The Bar at Migas ¥
A place to dance and prowl, perhaps, rather
than a drinks destination, TBAM, as no one
calls it, focuses on upscale local DJs to get
the party started. Good-enough cocktails
range from RM55-70 but mostly it’s about
the music, man.
// Sunday to Wednesday 6pm-2am, Thursday to Friday
6pm-late. 6/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区三里屯路81号
Black Sun
There’s not a lot of choice for locals around
the Chaoyang Park area. With darts, pool,
food and pub quiz, Black Sun is probably
the best, though a depressing air does
occasionally pervade. A recent change of
management has helped this.
// Daily 5.30pm-3am. Chaoyang Park West Gate,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区朝阳公园西门 (6593 6909)
The Brick
A Cheers-style atmosphere ensures you’ll
find this neighbourhood drinking hole-in-the
brick-wall faux dive bar either cliquey or inclusive. The heavy-duty cocktails (including
the devastatingly boozy RMB80 Terminator) are probably needed for the bizarre
Wednesday pub quiz.
// Daily 4pm-late. Unit 2-11, Bldg 2, Tianzhi Jiaozi, 31
Guangqu Lu (northeast corner of Shuangjing Qiao),
Chaoyang District 朝阳区双井桥东北角广渠路31号
院天之骄子2号楼底商2-11 (134 2616 6677)
China Bar ¥¥
Top views from the 65th floor and flash
drinks are the attractions on offer at this
hip hotel bar.
// Sun-Thu 5pm-1am, Fri-Sat 5pm-2am. 65/F, Park Hyatt,
2 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国
门外大街2号柏悦酒店65层 (8567 1838/40)
Chocolate ¥
It’s impossible to discuss Chocolate without
mentioning gold leaf, dwarves, cabaret
dancers and oddly-friendly Russian women.
Timed right, a visit can be raucous fun, with
bottles of spirits from around RMB200,
cocktails under RMB50 (including the
absinthe-based Flaming Armageddon)
and regular floor shows. Best to avoid this
cavernous slice of underground kitsch after
midnight, though.
// Daily 7pm-6am. 19 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区日坛北路19号 (8561 3988)
About This guide represents our editors’ top
50 picks, and includes some That’s Beijing advertisers. Bars rated(*) have been personally
reviewed by our experts, and scored according to pours, experience and affordability.
8-Bit
Drinking alongside multiplayer retro gaming – why didn’t anyone do this sooner?
Megadrive, Super Nintendo, N64... some
real gems make up an ever-growing collection. Draft Kirin goes for a reasonable
RMB25 a glass.
// Daily, 1pm-2am, 49 Jiaodaokou Nandajie, Dongcheng
District 东城区交道口南大街49号 (159 1025 6538))
Cuju *
This tiny sports bar is frequently packed
with NFL fans but don’t expect rowdy jocks.
Great Moroccan food and a connoisseur’s
selection of rums and beers lure a more sophisticated set. It’s popular with the owner’s
friends but all are welcome.
// 28 Xiguan Hutong, off Dongsibeidajie
细管胡同28号东四北大街 (6407 9782)
Apothecary ¥ *
Golf ball-sized ice cubes, infusions, fussy
bar-tending and (allegedly) snooty staff have
made the Japanese-style Apothecary bar a
divisive choice to visit. See for yourself: they
also serve quality Cajun food.
// Tue-Sun 6pm-late (kitchen closes 1am). 3/F, Nali Patio,
81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园3层 (5208 6040)
d.Lounge ¥ *
The fancy spelling tells you all you need to
know about this chic cocktail lounge in a
stunning archway location. Great on school
nights, this place can become horribly busy
at weekend.
// Daily 8pm-late. Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu (opposite
the Rock and Roll Club), Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体
北路4号 (6593 7710)
Atmosphere ¥¥
Beijing’s highest bar, on the 80th floor of
the 1,082-ft China World Tower, offers 300+
swanky cocktails from RMB65 with 360-degree views of the 700AQI PM2.5.
// Mon-Fri noon-2am, Sat and Sun noon-4am. 80/F,
China World Summit Wing, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国门外大街1号北京国
贸大酒店80 (6505 2299 ext. 6433)
Dada *
It hasn’t been on the Beijing scene for
too long, but already Dada is the hippest
hangout in town. Their cosy Gulou confines
under rock house Temple offer an intimate
place to nod along to an eclectic range of
all things electro from the best names on
the underground scene.
// Daily, 9pm-late, Rm 101, Bldg B, 206 Gulou Dong
Dajie, Dongcheng District 东城区鼓楼东大街206号B
栋101室 (1108 0818)
The Bar *
This relative newcomer (sometimes known
as Third Floor) has years of savvy behind
Drum and Bell 鼓钟咖啡馆
The location of this rooftop hutong bar,
in the historic (and threatened) Gulou
neighbourhood, makes it a great place to
hang out with a cool one and watch the
day go by.
// Daily 1pm-2am. 41 Zhonglouwan Hutong, Dongcheng
District 东城区钟楼湾胡同41号 (8403 3600)
El Nido *
The first hutong hang-out to patent the
fridge-full-of-cheap-imports formula, El
Nido inspires a loyal following, particularly
in summer. The roast leg of mutton place
next door is one of the best locally.
// Daily 6pm-late, 59 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区方家胡同50号(158 1038 2089)
Enoterra
Looking for an affordable glass of wine with
that date? Look no further than Nali Patio’s
wine center. Although the food leaves a bit
to be desired, the selections are vast, and if
anything, you can enjoy a nice cheese plate
with that tart glass of vino.
// Daily 10am-2am, 4/F Sanlutun Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun
Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园
D405室 (5208 6076)
Centro ¥
Although it’s no longer quite the go-to place
for beautiful people it once was, Centro still
draws a cute crowd with its nightly jazz performaces, spacious and recently renovated
lounge areas and classic drinks like the
blue-cheese martini.
// Open 24 hours. 1/F, Kerry Hotel, 1 Guanghua Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区光华路1号北京嘉里大饭
店1层 (6561 8833)
CICADA Ultralounge ¥
The latest – and perhaps only – ultralounge
in Beijing is fast becoming one of Sanlitun’s
trendiest bars. A Shanghai style lounge bar
with mixology credentials, the Whisky Sours
and Smoky Havana’s are worth the cost.
// Mon-Sat, 6pm-late, 11 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区三里屯路11号三里屯太古里北区
N4-33 (6418 9898)
TOP 50 BARS AND CLUBS
At the opposite end of the 24-hour drinking
spectrum from Centro, The Den is a seedy
sports joint that starts off sedate and
grows steadily sadder as night turns to day.
It can get rough and ready come dawn.
Solid (cheap) menu, good location and
those opening times earn it a place.
// Open 24 hours. 4 Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区工体东路4号城市宾馆正门旁边
The Den 敦煌
Address: Gongti Dongmen 10-11, behind the
secret door inside Stadium Dog (6593 8227)
Fubar
Slightly past its prime, this basement
bar is trying to rediscover the speakeasy
pretence that made the place its name.
Live lounge music and a vast amount of
pours are starting to persuade people it’s
succeeding.
// 6pm-2am Sunday to Thursday, 6pm-4am Friday
and Saturday. 8 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District,
Workers’ Stadium East Gate 朝阳区工体北路8号工人
体育场东门内 (6593 8227)
First Floor
First Floor is like that friend who’s too
popular to properly enjoy their company.
At weekends, it gets aggressively full, with
regulars and the passing tourist trade all
baying at the bar. A good place to meet new
friends, perhaps.
// Daily, 4pm-late, Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区三里屯北小街 (6413 0587, first.
floorbeijing.com)
Glen ¥
Experiences can vary at Glen (we’ve
endured poor service and drinks that are
scandalous at the price), which is located
in a decidedly downbeat compound. But
whisky lovers have been known to swear
by its selections and dark, intimate atmosphere. See for yourself.
// 6.30pm-2am. 203, 2/F, Taiyue Suites Hotel Beijing, 16
Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区南三里屯路
16号泰悦豪庭2楼203室 (6591 1191)
Glen Classic ¥
Tucked away in the grounds of Face hotel,
Glen Classic is a Japanese-owned whisky
bar where discerning drinkers can sink
into an arm-chair, glass in hand, and while
away the hours. Huge range of whiskies
and rums are personally selected by expert
owner Daiki Kanetaka – let him recommend you something special.
// Mon-Sat, 7pm-2am, reservation required, minimum
spend RMB200, Face Hotel Courtyard, 26 Dongcaoyuan,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体南路东草园26号
(6551 6788)
Great Leap Brewery 大跃啤酒 ¥ *
The bar that began the whole Beijing
microbrewing frenzy (yes, frenzy) specializes in idiosyncratic, local-style brews
(RMB25-40) with intriguing flavors – their
Sichuan peppercorn ale was memorably
good. Reservations used to be recommended for their original hutong brewhouse, but
the opening of a wildly popular new pub
on Xinzhong Lu has shifted most drinkers
there instead.
// Gulou: 5pm-late, Tue-Fri, 2pm-late Sat-Sun 2-10pm, 6
DouJiao Hutong, Dongcheng District 东城区豆角胡同
6号 (5717 1399)
//Sanlitun: Daily 11:30am-2pm; Sun-Thu 5pm-midnight,
Fri /Sat 5pm-1am, B12 Xinzhong Street 新中街乙12号 (
6416-6887, www.greatleapbrewing.com)
Heaven Supermarket
A purgatory of bottles, bongs and bedraggled English teachers, Heaven sells the
cheapest alcoholic takeaways in town. You
can also hang around and appreciate the
afterlife (clientele) if you want. Caveat: the
food is straight from Hell’s own kitchen.
// Daily 12pm-4am. 12 Xindong Lu (next to The James
Joyce), Chaoyang District 朝阳区新东路16号 (6415
6513)
Hidden Lounge *
Although frustrating to find, Hidden
Lounge rewards the intrepid with good artwork and comfortable seating, suggesting
a Kasbah, plus well-made drinks at great
prices (wine from RMB100 a bottle, mix
drinks from RMB25). You’ll probably have
to call them to find it, though.
// Daily 6pm-1am. Room 101, Bldg 8, CBD Apartments,
Shuanghuayuan Nanli Erqu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区双
花园南里二区CBD公寓8号楼101屋 (8772 1613)
Ichikura ¥
One of the best-known ‘secrets’ in town,
this Japanese whisky bar tucked behind
a theater also offers terrific cocktails.
Although less expensive than several rivals,
you’ll want to indulge.
// Daily 7pm-2am. 2/F Chaoyang Theater, 36
Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区东三环北
路36号朝阳剧场南侧 (6507 1107)
The Irish Volunteer
Everything – from the red-faced owner to
the grub – is authentically Irish: tinged
with alcoholism, doggerel and drunken
regret. A good place to down a pint and a
pizza before heading into town, then.
// Daily 9pm-2am. 311 Jiangtai Lu (opposite Lido Hotel
East Gate), Chaoyang District 朝阳区将台路311
号 (6438 5581)
The James Joyce *
With its roaring fire and portraits of Joyce,
the ‘JJ’ is a homing beacon to anyone craving an authentic Irish pub atmosphere (i.e.
without tacky Guinness-related gimmicks).
// Daily 11am-2am14 Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳
区新东路14号 (6415 9125)
Jane’s & Hooch ¥ *
Acclaimed by some foreign press as one
of the best bars in the world (cough), this
not-so-plain Jane has been at the vanguard
of the South Sanlitun gentrification.
It serves RMB60-80 measures of your
favorite Prohibiotion-era hooches in a
fanstastic speakeasy atmosphere, with attentive staff and unimpeachable cocktails.
The drawbacks? Weekends can be horriblky
busy – and there is a frankly absurd list of
house rules marring the menu.
// Daily 8pm-2am, Courtyard 4 Gongti Beilu, 工体北路4
号院 ( 6503 2757)
Lantern *
Founded by now-defunct Acupuncture
Records, Lantern is a beacon of light in the
strip of truly ghastly nightclubs and bars
known as ‘Gongti.’ Serious about its music, it also makes good drinks and attracts
international electronica DJs.
// Thurs-Sat 9pm-6.30am. 100m north of Worker’s
Stadium West Gate, Chaoyang District 朝阳区工人体育
场西门向北100米(139 119 77989)
The Local *
Formerly Brussels, this beery bar has
come into its own, with large (yet strangely
unobtrusive) screenings of sports and political events, a pub quiz, quality fare and
a nice selection of draughts and cocktails.
Try the Bourbon Street Ice Tea – you won’t
need another.
// See Hot 100 Restaurants for details.
Lucky Man ¥ *
The cognoscenti rate this quiet Gulou
whisky bar as one of the smartest to satisfy your lust for the other ‘amber nectar.’
// Daily 7pm-1.30am. 157 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng
District 东城区鼓楼东大街157 (6405 4167)
Luga’s
The closest Beijing has to a municipal
drinking hall, the four-storey Luga’s has
it all: terrible Tex-Mex, decent Italian,
a busy pool table, loud music, smoke,
400 flatscreen TVs all showing different
sports… yet still we like it (sort of). Basement bar Taps provides a German-themed
refuge, with serve-your-own draught
Paulaner and quality food.
// Daily 11am-2am. 2/F, 7 Sanlitun Houjie, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区三里屯后街7号2层 (6416 2575)
Maggie’s ¥
A notorious sausage fest (we refer, of
course, to the hot-dog stand outside),
Maggie’s has been providing its special
comforts for so long, it’s practically a timehonored Beijing brand – although it’s also
a bastion of Mongolian culture.
// Sun-Thur 8pm-4am, Fri-Sat 8pm-5am, Ritan Park
South Gate, Chaoyang District 朝阳区日坛公园南
门 (8562 8142)
Mao Mao Chong **
The cocktails at Mao’s – such as their sublime ‘Mala’ Mule, a Sichuan peppercorninfused vodka drink that’s a long way from
Moscow – are unique infusions using local
ingredients and know-how. Grungey without
being grimey, Mao’s eschews flash while
still keeping it real. And those pizzas.
// 12 Banchang Hutong, Jiaodaokou, Dongcheng District
东城区交道口南大街板厂胡同12号 (6405 5718,
www.maomaochongbeijing.com)
Mesh ¥
Whether it’s an early evening cocktail or a
late-night infusion, Mesh’s moody interior
and underground soundtrack draws the
bright young things (and on LGBT Thursdays, quite a few old things, too).
// Daily 5pm-1am. Building 1, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区三里屯路11号院1号楼 (6417 6688)
Modernista Old Cafe and Tapas Bar ¥ *
The hipsters love this little brasseriethemed absinthe bar. Regular live shows
mean it can often get pretty crowded. That
should piss off the hipsters, yet still they
keep coming.
// Tuesday to Sunday 12pm-2am. 44 Baochao Hutong,
Dong Cheng District 东城区鼓楼东大街宝钞胡同44
号(136 9142 5744)
Paddy O’Shea’s
Owner Karl Long has airlifted an entire
Irish theme pub, including residents, from
a council estate in Limerick and gently
deposited it in central Beijing. With plenty
going on, including pub quiz and sports,
no one seems to have noticed.
// Dongzhimen: Daily 10am-late, 28 Dongzhimenwai
Dajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区东直门外大街28号
(6415 6389)
// Sanlitun: 2/F, Tongli Studio, Sanlitun Back Street 三里
屯北路43号同里二层 (6415 0299)
Q Bar ¥
Atop one of the city’s most average-looking
hotels is one of its classiest (and certainly
oldest) institutions. Be prepared to wait for
your drinks, though. The rooftop terrace
is one of the main lures, so in winter, you
may want to look elsewhere.
// Daily 5pm-2am. Top floor of Eastern Inn Hotel, 6
Baijiazhuang Lu (on the corner of Sanlitun Nanlu),
Chaoyang District 朝阳区白家庄6号朝阳门医院北门
东100米三里屯南路逸羽连锁酒店顶楼 (6595 9239,
www.qbarbeijing.com)
Revolution *
Sanlitun doesnt really do hipster bars but
if it did, this cramped ode to Maomorabilia
would be it. The East may be red but their
cocktails (RMB45) are fit for a Chairman.
// Daily, 12pm-late, west of Yashow, Gongti Bei Lu, 朝阳
区工体北路雅秀市场西侧 (6415 8776)
Salud 老伍 *
A Nanluoguxiang institution, with everything from cheap beer to (loud) live music
and low beams. The rum infusions are a
particular favorite on cold nights. Latest
branch in WDK a welcome addition to surrouding student dives.
// NLGX: Mon-Fri 3pm-late, Sat-Sun noon-late. 66
Nanluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District 东城区南锣鼓巷
66号 (6402 5086)
// Wudaokou: 2/F, Qijixin Building, Zhanchunyuan Xilu 展
春园西路奇蓟鑫大厦南侧2层
School Bar
Crap drinks and regular, unscheduled
fights: no wonder the cool kids adore this
alternative livehouse/ DJ bar, founded by
Beijing and Shanghai rock n’ rollers.
// Daily 8pm-late. 53 Wudaoying Hutong, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区五道营胡同53号 (6402 8881)
Slow Boat Brewery Taproom *
This popular microbrewery finally got its
own comfortable location in Dongcheng’s
hutong district. Quality ales (such as the
vanilla stout (RMB55) or crisp Dragon Boat
Ale (RMB25), heated floors and a kitchen
round out the deal.The burger-and-sua
// Mon Closed, Tues-Wed: 4pm-12am, Thur-Fri: 5pm-1am,
Sat: 2pm-late, Sun: 2-10pm. 56 Dongsi Batiao,Dongcheng
District 东城区东四八条56号 (6538 5537)
Smuggler’s
The high (or make that low) watermark
among the ailing dive-bar scene of Sanlitun, Smuggler’s caters to a rambunctious,
friendly crowd of scallywags, rapscallions
and ragamuffins. Don’t drink too many
of their spirits; do ask why the men’s
bathroom hasn’t been fixed in three
f*cking years.
// 8pm-late. 43 Sanlitun Houjie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区
三里屯后街43号 (138 0107 1230)
The Tree 隐蔽的树
A cozy stalwart of the Beijing bar scene,
you’ll find wood-fired comfort pizza, beer
aplenty and a hearty, mature atmosphere.
Has two neighborhood offshoots: By the
Tree (brickwork, pool, old man’s pub) and
Nearby the Tree (live music, two floors).
// Daily noon-2am. 100m west of Sanlitun Bar Street,
Youyi Youth Hostel, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯
酒吧街往西100米友谊旅馆后面三里屯医院东
面 (6415 1954)
Twilight ¥ *
A downtown version of Sanlitun mainstay
Apothecary, complete with mood jazz and
those premium cocktails, this Japanese
whisky bar makes you feel as far away
from the busy boulevards whizzing below
as you’d want.
// Daily 6pm-2am. 3/F, villa 5 east Jianwai SOHO,
Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区东三
环中路39号建外SOHO东区5号别墅3层 (5900 5376)
XIU ¥¥
While Thursday’s Ladies Nights attracts
the sort we’d sooner avoid, XIU is beloved
among aspirational white-collar Chinese,
wooed by its sprawling chic-ness and playboy clientele. A lively house band keeps
you indoors, but a superb terrace backons
you otherwise: a fantastic midweek drinking venue in the summer.
// Daily 6pm-2am. 3/F, villa 5 east Jianwai SOHO,
Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区东三
环中路39号建外SOHO东区5号别墅3层 (5900 5376)
10 Best Livehouses
2 Kolegas 两个好朋友酒吧 *
Call it what you will: Dos Kolegas. Fire
trap. That place by the drive-through. But
there’s no denying that this artsy alternative venue has its fingers on an eclectic
musical pulse. In summer, it really comes
alive with barbecue pits, all-day parties
and a whole lotta love.
// Daily 8pm-2am. 21 Liangmaqiao Lu (inside the drive-in
movie theater park), Chaoyang District 朝阳区亮马桥路
21号 (6436 8998,www.2kolegas.com)
Hot Cat Club 热力猫
A true stalwart of the Beijing scene, Hot
Cat is the type of hard-working venue that
helps cement a city’s music scene. From
Afro Funk to Math Rock to painful openmic nights, this everyman’s club breeds
good vibes. Decent drinks, lots of loungy
seats and plenty of space.
// Daily 10am-late, 46 Fangjia Hutong (just south of
Guozijian Jie), Dongcheng District 东城区方家胡同46
号(6400 7868).
Jianghu 江湖酒吧
This former Qing Dynasty courtyard home
is exactly where you’d take that friend from
out of town to prove you’re cool. Its cozy
atmosphere is also its downfall – any show
with under 40 people and you’re stuck
looking through the windows. Hip and
casually familiar, the jazz and folk bookings keep things low-key enough for the
get-home-for-the-babysitter crowd.
// 7 Dongmianhua Hutong, Jiaodaokou Nan Dajie,
Dongcheng District 东城区交道口南大街东棉花
胡同7号 (6401 5269, site.douban.com/jianghujiubar,
jincanzh@gmail.com)
Mako Live 麻雀瓦舍
Nestled in the old Beijing Jeep plant, this
former warehouse plays host to a Silk
Road smorgasbord of musical encounters
from western China and the ‘Stans. Forget
the overpriced bar and come for the killer
sound, comfortable wraparound balcony
and five-meter replica of Optimus Prime,
followed by a hearty meal at the Xinjiang
restaurant upstairs.
// Hongdian Art Factory, 36 Guangqu Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区广渠路36号红点艺术工厂院内(5205 1113,
www.mako001.com)
Mao Livehouse
From the denim-jacketed doorman to the
well-grafittied walls, Mao leans on every
Hollywood rock club cliché without feeling
scripted. Besides boasting the worst bar
in town, Mao delivers with great sound
and the best billings of heavy metal, punk
hitting this side of the Drum Tower.
// 111 Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District 东城区鼓
楼东大街111号(6402 5080, www.maolive.com)
The Post Mountain 后山
Built into a man-made hill in the center of
the MOMA Complex, this new addition to
Beijing’s growing livehouse empire is The
Hobbit meets Manhattan. With as much
vibe as a sterile modern-art gallery. Its
imported sound system and ramped floor
makes for decent sound and sightlines.
Almost exclusively featuring Chinese rock,
folk and electronic artists you’ve never
heard of (but should).
// Bldg T8, MOMA, 1 Xiangheyuan Lu, Dongzhimenwai,
Dongcheng District (next to MOMA Cinemateque) 东城
区东直门外香河园路1号当代MOMA园区T8楼北百
老汇电影中心北侧 (8400 4774)
Temple *
Probably the manliest venue in town, this
dimly lit and unventilated space is owned
by rockers (Gao Xu, Gao Jian and Clement
Burger) and known for late sets of hard
rock, punk and ska, with weekend gigs
and DJ sets every fortnight. It offers a long
drinks menu, with plenty of cheap pastis
and shooters, but you’ll probably stick to
the RMB15 draught. When the smoking
gets fierce, head to the spacious terrace
for a big drag of bad air.
// Daily, 7pm-late. Bldg B, 206 Gulou Dong Dajie,
Dongcheng District 坛东城区鼓楼东大街206号B楼
202 (131 6107 0713)
XP 小萍
From the ashes of Beijing’s now-legendary
D-22, rises the brave new experimental
club XP. Operated and owned by former
D-22 main man (and noted economist)
Michael Pettis, XP is more avant-garde
than its previous incarnation. Expect sonic
projections, drone-core jazz and the latest
in cutting-edge Beijing sound.
// 1pm-late, closed Monday, 2 Silouxiang (just south of
Gulou Xidajie, Xicheng District. 西城区地安门内大街
四楼巷 (6406 9947)
Yugong Yishan 愚公移山
We’ve lost more body weight than we’d
care to remember in YY’s mosh pit.
Fortunately, almost all the acts – usually
hip-hop DJs, emo rocks and obscure indie
outfits from across the globe – were worth
it. The upstairs bar area is a refuge from
the sweat glands below.
// Daily 7pm-late. 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu (100m west of
Zhangzizhong Lu subway station), Dongcheng District 东
城区张自忠路3-2号(6404 2711)
Zajia Lab 杂家
A Daoist Temple is exactly where you’d
expect an Italian Sinologist to open a
venue – big on film screenings, A/V projects, avant-garde puppetry and choice but
obscure live music for the adventurous.
// Hong En Daoist Temple, Doufuchi Hutong, Dongcheng
District 东城区旧鼓楼大街豆腐池胡同宏恩观前殿
(156 0112 2252, 8404 9141, www.zajia.cc)
GALLERIES
798 Art District Picks
Galleria Continua *
In the often-insular 798, Galleria Continua
is the international gallery. Their warehouse space is a forum for high-caliber artists from nearly every continent, including
several of China’s artistic nobility.
// Free. Tues-Sun 11am-6pm. 798 Art District, 2
Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥路2号
798大山子艺术区 (5978 9505, www.galleriacontinua.
com)
Pace Beijing
With locations in New York, London and
Beijing hosting the likes of Zhang Xiaogang, Yue Minjun, Robert Rauschenberg,
Mark Rothko, Kiki Smith and Sol LeWitt,
Pace inhabits Bauhaus-style buildings 798
is idealized for. Go there!
// Free. Tues-Sun 10am-6pm.798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao
Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥路2号大山子艺
术区 (5978 9781, www.pacegallery.com)
Space Station
Not often shown in 789’s sea of elites,
Space Station presents a younger generation of domestic artists. Exhibitions tend
to have a good curatorial understanding of
space and high-quality 2D work.
// Free, Tues-Sun 10am-6pm. 4 Jiuxianqiao Rd798 Art
District, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥路4号798艺
术区中一街 (5978 9671)
Tang Contemporary Art
Stressing cutting-edge exhibition installation and curatorial theory. With locations
in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Beijing, Tang
focuses on promoting artistic exchange
throughout East Asia.
// Free. Tues-Sun 10.30am-6pm. 798 Factory, 2 Jiuxianqiao
Road, Chaoyang District 朝阳区大山子酒仙桥路798
工厂2号入口前行300米 (5978 9610, www.atngcontemporary.com)
Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
Filling the largest factory space in 798 with
Chinese and international art, the UCCA
has the curatorial power and financial
backing to put together some of Beijing’s
most impressive exhibitions.
// RMB10, free Thursdays. Tues-Sun 10am-7pm. 798 Art
District, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙
桥路4号798艺术区 (5780 0200, www.ucca.org.cn)
Caochangdi Art Village
With its compeer gallery in New York,
Chambers is a matriarch with extensive
roots in the local-studio scene that allows
Big Apple headhunters to cull next genera-
75
listings
tion avant-garde and provide a stepping
stone to international recognition.
// Free. Tues-Sun 10am-6pm. Red No.1-D, Caochangdi,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区草场地红一号D座 (5127
3298, www.chambersfineart.com)
Galerie Urs Meile
Recently upgrading to one of the courtyards designed by artist-architect Ai
Weiwei, this Swiss-owned gallery has two
intimate spaces, allowing pairs of solo
exhibitions from leading contemporary
Chinese artists.
// Free. Tues-Sun 11am-6.30pm. 104 Caochangdi, Cui
Gezhuang Xiang, Chaoyang District 朝阳区崔各庄草
场地村104号(近电影博物馆路)(6433 3393, www.
galerieursmeile.com)
White Space Beijing
There are no restricting on the art this
gallery supports, leading to some of the
area’s more perplexing exhibitions. Always
fun and on the pulse of vitality, though
empirical value is pushed to an extreme.
// Free. Tues-Sun 10am-6pm. 255 Caochangdi, Airport
Service Road, Chaoyang District 朝阳区机场辅路草场
地255号(8456 2054, www.whitespace-beijing.com)
Citywide Picks
Arrow Factory
This space is one of a kind in Beijing, an
independently run alternative space in the
hutong of Beijing’s center. Showing young,
experimental artists, Arrow only takes up
about 15sqm and is viewable 24/7. As
a backlash against artists being pushed
outside the city limits, this space tries to
reinstall art inside an urban setting so
everyday experience and creativity remain
intertwined.
// Free. Everyday 24hours. 38 Jianchang Hutong,
Dongcheng District 东城区箭厂胡同38号 (www.arrowfactory.org.cn)
CAFA Museum
Attached to the northeast corner of the
Central Academy of Fine Art, architect
Arata Isozaki built a slate-rock shell to
house the museum’s 13,000+ collection
of modern to contemporary art. Opened in
2008, exhibitions range from Chinese Modern masterworks to current avant-garde
experimental.
// RMB10. Tues-Sun 9am-5.30pm. No. 8 Huajiadi Nan Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区花家地南街8号中央美术学
院美术馆 (6528 2022, www.cafamuseum.org)
Today Art Museum *
As China’s first non-profit, non-governmental art museum, this institution embodies
the country’s 20th-century leap to develop
academic and progressive exhibitions.
Opened in 2002, Chinese superstars and
university prospects all get wall space
here.
// RMB10. Tues-Sun 10am-6pm. Building 4, Pingod
Community, No.32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区百子湾路32号苹果社区4号楼今日美术馆
(5876 0600, www.todayartmuseum.com)
Independent cinemas
Broadway Cinematheque MOMA *
Opened in 2009, this arthouse film venue
boasts the largest screens for independent
cinema in Beijing. It has three theaters
with a total of 400 seats and a 300-sqm
cafe-bookstore, aptly named Kubrick.
// RMB30-120. Mon-Sun 11am-10pm. F3, Building T4,
The North Area, MOMA, 1 Xiangheyuan Lu, Dongcheng
District 东城区东直门香河园路1号当代Moma北区
T4座 (8438 8258 ext. 8008, www.bc-cinema.cn)
Instituto Cervantes
Showing popular independent films from
Latin American Directors monthly, the
Instituto Cervantes is a forum of Spanishspeaking culture that also hosts public art
exhibitions and lectures. They even have a
video library!
// Prices vary. Daily 7am-10pm.1A Gongti Nanlu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体南路甲1号 (5879 9666,
www.pekin.cervantes.es)
Bookstores
The Bookworm *
This glass cube looks over Sanlitun Village,
providing a cozy atmosphere for browsing bibliophiles. The Western bookstore,
library, film house, bar, bistro-cafe and
event space always has a cultured evening
on its shelves for both adults and kids.
// Daily 9am-2am. Building 4, Nan Sanlitun Road,
Chaoyang District, Beijing 三里屯南街4号楼 (6586
9507, www.beijingbookworm.com)
Page One
The go-to shop for new releases and special requests. With sister venues in Hong
Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, and two
locations in Beijing, its network allows for
fresh authors whilst upholding an extensive
76
Plaza, 68 Anli Lu(east of Sunshine Plaza)
亚运村安立路 68 号（阳光广场东侧）.
Tel: 6497-2173,6498-2173**Mon-Sun
10am-19pm.Shunyi>LB07-08, No.99
Euro Plaza, YuXiang Road. 北京顺义区
天竺镇裕翔路 99 号欧陆广场 LB07-08
号 .Tel: 8046-6084**Mon-Fri 9am-8pm.
Sanyuanqiao>FC222, 21st Century Hotel,
40 Liang Maqiao Lu 亮马桥 40 号 21 世纪饭
店 2 层 Tel: 6466-4814, 6461-2745**Mon-Fri
9am-8pm.Haidian>4076B, 4/F, New Yansha
Mall, Yuanda Lu 远大路金源燕莎购物中心
Mall4 层 4076B Tel:8859-6912/13**MonSun, 10am-7pm Guomao>Rm 5, 3/F, North
Tower, China Overseas Plaza, 8 Guanghua
Dongli. 北京朝阳区光华东里 8 号中海广场北
楼 3 层 05 号 .Tel: 5977-2488
collection of titles.
// Daily 10am-9pm. Shop 3B 201, Zone 3 China World
Mall, No.1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue, Chaoyang District
朝阳区国贸商城三期地下二层3B201 (8535 1055,
www.pageonegroup.com)
Page One Indigo. Shop LG50, INDIGO, 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥路18号颐堤港商业
中心B1楼50号(8426 0408, www.pageonegroup.com)
BEAUTY & FITNESS
Alona Pilates Studio
Pairing up traditional Pilates with an innovative, full-body workout, Alona Pilates
offers classes designed to tone and whip
you into shape fast. It also provides a personalized experience for all its students,
regardless of fitness, strength and
flexibility levels.
// Daily, 7.30, late. 5/F at Heavenly Spa by Westin, 1
Xinyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新源南路1号威斯汀酒店五层 ( 139 1029
0260, www.alonapilates.com)
Broadwell International Tennis Academy
Located inside Chaoyang Park’s Tennis
Center, this indoor club boasts a complete
state-of-the-art air-supported structure
for all-weather year-round indoor tennis,
with an advanced lighting system and
controlled climate. Ideal for peeps looking
to perfect their service and batting a few
balls.
// Nongzhan Nanlu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区农南路1
号朝阳公园网球中心(4006406800/ 65958885,www.
broadwell.cn1)
DNA Fitness Studio
Catering for both athletes and normal
folks, DNA Fitness Studio specializes in
one-on-one personal training, weight loss,
spine care, body building and more, with
personalized classes and training systems.
// Mon-Fri, 10am-9pm.Unit 1135, 3F, Bldg 11, Jianwai
SOHO, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳
区东三环中路建外SOHO西区11楼3层 (5869 1607)
Fine Yoga
This airy studio offers a diverse range of
style and classes, including Ashtanga,
Hatha, Anusara, soft Yin and Hot yoga.
Teachers are top notch and international,
and classrooms spacious and bright, with
stylish, clean changing-rooms. Classes
taught in both Chinese and English.
// Mon-Fri 7am-9:30pm, Sat- Sun. 10am-6pm.
16/F, Tower 2, Blue Castle International Centre, 3 Xi
Dawang Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区西大望路3号蓝
堡国际中心2号楼16层 (85999566/ 85997702)
Heyrobics
“Sweat like a Swede!” they say with annoyingly smug grin and toned abs. The only
fitness craze worth following in Beijing,
Heyrobics is all about a punishing full-body
workout set to pumping beats – not forgetting the fluorescent spandex. Differing
classes for all abilities, check online for the
full schedule.
// www.heyrobics.com, info@heyrobics.com
Luxura Tanning Center
This tanning salon has some of the city’s
best state-of-the-art tanning beds, all
imported from Europe. For the sexiest tan
possible, get custom-made tanning tips
from the well-trained staff.
// Daily, 10am-10pm. 1) Rm 307, Bldg 4, Jianwai Soho 39
Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District朝阳区东三环
中路建外SOHO西区4楼307室(5900 0427, www.luxura.
net) 2) 5005, 5/F, 3.3 Sanlitun, Chaoyang District朝阳区
三里屯3.3大厦5层5005号 (5136 5186, www.luxura.net)
Lily Nails
A long-time favorite among locals and expats alike, Lily Nails is much more than a
nail spa; they have a variety of pampering
treatments and waxing services too.
// Daily, 10am-10pm. 1) 2 Ginza Mall, 48 Dongzhimenwai
Dajie (southeast of Dongzhimen Bridge), Dongcheng
District东城区东直门外大街48号东方银座2楼(东
直门桥东南侧) (8447 7178); 2) Shop 2049, 2/F, 3.3
Shopping Center, 33 Sanlitun Beijie, Chaoyang District朝
阳区三里屯北街33号3.3大厦2层2049号 ( 5136 5829,
136 8148 3308)
Yoga Yard
Whether you’re looking to develop your
spiritual wellbeing, body toning or just
socialize with the hip young crowd, Yoga
Yard will have the right class for you.
// Daily, 7am-9.30pm. Yoga Yard, 6/F , 17 Gongti Bei Lu,
Chaoyang District朝阳区工体北路17号6层 (6413 0774,
www.yogayard.com)
Yihe 42° Hot Yoga
Counting on certified Bikram yoga teachers, Yihe 42° Hot Yoga provides three
locations with a calm, relaxing and clean
environment for people from all walks of
lives to learn and grow through the regular
practice of Hot Yoga. This is a place where
you can dedicate time for yourself, relax
your mind and restore your strength.
// Daily, 10am-8pm. 1) 3/F, No. 2 South Building, Blue
Castle, Dawang Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区大望路蓝
堡国际中心南写2座3层 (8599 7395/96, www.yh42.
com); 2) 3/F, Bldg. 14, Solana, No. 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan
Xilu Chaoyang District朝阳区朝阳公园西路6号,蓝色
港湾14号,三层 (5905 6067/77, www.yh42.com) ; 3) 3/FA
Shimao Plaza 13 Gongti Beilu Chaoyang District朝阳工
体北路新中西里13号巨石大厦3FA
YogiYoga
True boutique-style yoga, YogiYoga has a
mostly Chinese clientele and classes average about eight people. Their instructors
come from all over the world, and teach a
wide range of classes.
// Daily, 10am-8pm. 1) Chaoyang Park Tennis Center,
Chaoyang Park, 1 Chaoyang Gongyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区朝阳公园南路1号朝阳公园网球中
心 6592 2791/92 ; 2) North Gate, Ritan Park Chaoyang
District 朝阳区日坛公园北门 (8561 5506/5507); 3)
5/F, Oriental Plaza, 218-2 Wangfujing Dajie Dongcheng
District东城区王府井大街218-2东方广场西配楼五
层 (6513-2188, 6522-7168); 4) 8/F, Zhongxin Shuma Plaza,
52 Beisihuan Xilu Haidian District海淀区北四环西路52
号中芯数码大厦8层 6269-2352
SPORTS
California Fitness Beijing Club
California Fitness Beijing’s Group X program is among the best in the region, and
with membership you have access to over
150 weekly Group X classes and a team
of professional personal trainers in Asia.
Your membership also includes free towel
usage and a fitness assessment.
//South Tower, L4, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District
4008-100-988 www,californiafitness.com
Cycle China Inc.
北京非常之旅
Cycle China provides organized cycling and
hiking tours in and aroundBeijing as well
as longer tours throughout China. Some
of their more popular tours take cyclists
through the Olympic Green, Tian’anmen
Square, and Beijing’s traditional hutongs.
//12 Jingshan East Street, Dongcheng District 东城区
景山东街12号 (6402 5653 Mobile: 13911886524, reserve@cyclechina.com or cyclechina@hotmail.com)
DENTAL
Arrail Dental
Affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, Arrail Dental has access to top-class
equipment. Its well-trained staff, multiple
locations across town and excellent
facilities make it one of the best dental
providers in Beijing. English-speaking staff.
Dental services including examinations,
whitening, root-canal treatment, orthodontics and implants.
// 1) Rm 201, the Exchange-Beijing, 118B Jianguo Lu,
Chaoyang District朝阳区建国路乙118号国贸桥东
南角京汇大厦201室 (6567 5670); 2) Rm 208, Tower
A, CITIC Building, 19 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang
District朝阳区建国门外大街19号国际大厦A座208
室 (6500 6473); 3) Rm 308, Tower A, Raycom Info Tech
Park 2 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Haidian District海淀区中关村
科学院南路2号融科资讯中心A座308室 (8286 1956);
4) Rm 101, Bldg 16, China Central Place, 89 Jianguo Lu,
Chaoyang District朝阳区建国路89号华贸中心公寓16
号楼101室 (8588 8550/60/70); 5) 1/F, Somerset Fortune
Garden, 46 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区亮
马桥路46号燕莎东侧盛捷福景苑1层 (8440 1926)
SDM Dental固瑞齿科
The full spectrum of dentistry.
Services include teeth cleaning, rootcanal treatment, porcelain crowns, dental
implants, orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry,
fillings, pediatric dentistry, extraction,
teeth-whitening and veneers. Credit cards
accepted. www.sdmdental.com**Mon-Fri
9am-8pm. CBD/Guomao>2/F,NB210, China
World Shopping Mall, 1 Jianguomenwai
Dajie 建外大街 1 号国贸商城地下 2 层
Tel:6505-9439/31/93**Mon-Fri 9am8pm.Olympic Area>F-0186B Sunshine
United Family Shunyi Dental Clinic
The Beijing United Family Dental Clinic in
Shunyi is a satellite of the main hospital
in Lido (which has its own dental clinic
onsite). A comprehensive range of services
are at hand, including restorative dentistry
and cosmetic dentistry. Call ahead for all
appointments.
// 818 Pinnacle Plaza, Tianzhu Real Estate Development
Zone, Shunyi District北京和睦家医院牙科诊所, 顺义区
天竺开发区荣祥广场818 (8046 1102)
HAIR SALONS
Eric Paris Hair Salon
With several well-located Beijing branches,
this salon is still most expats’ default
hairdresser. It targets high-end consumers
seeking luxury and beauty services, including tanning, waxing and manicures.
// Daily, 10am-8pm. 1) 43 South Sanlitun Beijie, Chaoyang
District朝阳区三里屯北街南43号 (135 0137 2971;
www.ericparis.com ); 2) 1/F, Jiali Center, 1 Guanghua Lu朝
阳区光华路1号嘉里中心1楼 (139 1179 8376;)
Franck Provost Paris
A chic and stylish import from France,
Frank Provost is one of Beijing’s most
high-profile and hip salons, offering
cutting-edge cuts for the city’s elite. The
staff consists of international and internationally trained stylists and technicians,
and stocks an imported range of products
and accessories.
// Daily, 10am-8pm.1) Shop D2001-1, 2/F, Shin Kong Place
87 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区建国路87号
新光天地二层D2001-1店铺 (6530 7669); 2) Parkson
Shopping Center Fuxingmen 37 Jinrong Jie, Xicheng
District西城区金融大街37号百盛购物中心二期夹
层 (6653 5248)
Tony & Guy
A favorite of many Beijing expats, the
trendy British chain features international products, knowledgeable (generally
somewhat English-speaking) staff, and a
never-ending stream of well-heeled hip
clientele. Cuts run the gamut from basic to
haute coiffure, depending on which grade
of stylish you select.
// Daily, 10am-9pm. LG 41, INDIGO, 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu,
Chaoyang District朝阳区酒仙桥路18号颐堤港地铁
层41号 (8426 0688, for other branches see)
Tic Tac Hair Salon
Trendy, artsy and welcoming, Tic Tac is
one of Beijing’s best-kept secrets and a
real beauty gem. Staff are friendly and
multilingual (we counted five last time).
A shampoo, cut and blow-dry starts at
RMB200 and goes to RMB780.
// Daily, 10am-9pm. Suite 2-06, Tower AB, The Office Park,
10 Jintong Xilu, Chaoyang district朝阳区金桐西路10
号远洋光华国际AB座2层06单元 (8590 6899, www.
tictac-hair.com)
HEALTH SERVICES
Amcare Women’s & Children’s Hospital
With a zero waiting-time policy, top-quality
inpatient facilities, home visits, night
services and transportation assistance,
Amcare provides a trustworthy experience.
English-speaking services include pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics.
// 9 Fangyuan XiLu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区芳园西
路9号 (6434 2399, 24hr hotline 800 610 6200, www.
amcare.com.cn)
Beijing HarMoniCare Women and Children’s Hospital
北京和美妇儿医院
Wi-Fi available. Chaoyang: 2 Xiaoguan Beili, Beiyuan Lu北
苑路小关北里甲2号. Tel: 6499-0000. contact@hmcare.
org, en.hmcare.net
Beijing International Medical Center (IMC)
Established in 1993, the International
Medical Center-Beijing counts on an expert
team of foreign doctors, offering a wide
range of medical services, including family
medicine, psychological services, dental,
ob/gyn, pediatrics and TCM. Drop-in services for travelers; x-rays and ultrasounds
are also available. English, Farsi, Japanese,
Chinese, Arabic and Russian spoken.
// 24hours. Room S106/111 Lufthansa Center, 50
Liangmahe Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区亮马桥路50
号燕莎中心写字楼1层S106 (6465 1561/2/3, 6465
1384/28, www.imclinics.com)
Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics
北京和睦家医院
Wi-fi internet. Lido, Emergency Room is
open 24/7/365, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm.>
2 Jiangtai Road, Chaoyang District, 朝
阳区将台路 2 号 . Tel: (10) 5927 7000 /
5927 7120(Emergency Hotline). United
Family CBD Clinic 和睦家朝外诊所 , Mon-Sat,
9:30am-6:30pm.> Suite 3017, Building AB,
Vantone Center, 6 Chaowai Street, Chaoyang District, 朝阳区朝阳门外大街 6 号万通中
心 AB 座 2 层 3017 室 . Tel: (10) 5907 1266.
Jianguomen Health and Wellness Center 和
睦家建国门保健中心 , Wi-fi internet, MonSun 8:30am-5pm>21 Jianguomen Dajie, B1,
The St. Regis Residence, St. Regis Hotel 朝阳
区建国门外大街 21 号北京国际俱乐部饭店 .
Tel: (10) 8532 1221 / 8532 1678 (Immigration Clinic ). Shunyi Clinic 和睦家顺义诊所
Wi-fi internet, Mon-Fri, 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat
and Sun, 9:30am-4:30pm.> Pinnacle Plaza,
Unit 806, Tian Zhu Real Estate Development
Zone, Shunyi District, 顺义区天竺开发区荣
祥广场 806 号 ,Tel: (10) 8046 5432. Shunyi
Dental Clinic 顺义牙科诊所 , Wi-fi internet,
Mon-Sat, 9:30am-7:30pm> Pinnacle Plaza,
Unit 818, Tian Zhu Real Estate Development
Zone, Shunyi District 顺义区天竺开发区荣祥
广场 818 号 . Tel: (10) 8046 1102. Liangma
Clinic 亮马诊所 Wi-fi internet, Mon-Fri,
8:30am-5pm>2nd Floor Grand Summit, 19
Dongfang East Road 朝阳区东方东路 19 号 1
号楼会所 27 号（外交人员公寓 B 区官舍 16
号）. Tel: (10) 5927 7005
www.ufh.com.cn, patientservices@ufh.com.
cn
Hongkong International Medical Clinic,
Beijing 北京港澳国际医务诊所
Dongsishitiao: 9/F, Office Tower, Hongkong Macau CenterSwiss Hotel, 2 Chaoyangmen Bei Dajie朝阳门北大街2
号港澳中心瑞士酒店办公楼9层; 6553-9752, 65532288/2345/6/7; service@hkclinic.com; www.hkclinic.com
International SOS
Since 1989, International SOS has been
run by globally trained medical professionals and provides medical, security
and travel advice, as well as emergency
help 24/7. Its alarm centers operate
house calls, ambulance and evacuation
services, and standard health treatments.
Languages spoken include English,
German, French, Mandarin, Spanish,
Japanese, Italian and Cantonese.
// Suite 105, Wing 1, Kunsha Building, No.16
Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District朝阳区新源里16号琨莎
中心1座105
室(6462 9112/ 6462 9100, www.internationalsos.com)
ParkwayHealth Vantone Medical and
Rehabilitation Center
Mon-Sat, 10am-7pm. CBD>1-2/F, Vantone Center, 6
Chaowai Street朝阳门外大街甲六号万通中心AB座
一二层; (4000-662-882(24hrs); enquiry@parkwayhealth.
cn; www.parkwayhealth.cn
Vista Medical Center 维世达诊所
24hours. Wi-Fi internet. 3/F Kerry Center. 1 Guanghua Lu
光华路1号嘉里中心商场3层 Tel: 8529-6618. Email:
vista@vista-china.net. Website: www.vista-china.net
OASIS International Hospital
OASIS International Hospital specializes in
serving the expatriate community with the
latest world-class technology and a broad
range of services, all in a pristine facility
designed to provide patients with the
utmost comfort, care and privacy.
// Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.30pm; Sat-Sun, 8.30am-12.30pm; 24
Hour Emergency Bldg C1, 9 Jiuxianqiao Beilu Chaoyang
District朝阳区酒仙桥北路9号C1栋 (400 876 2747,
5985-0333, www.oasishealth.cn)
SPA&MASSAGE
Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat
Created as a contemporary urban retreat,
Dragonfly is an oasis of peace and tranquility in the midst of the hectic city.
// Daily, 10am-late. 1)60 Donghuamen Dajie (near The
Peninsula Hotel and Oriental Plaza) Dongcheng District
东城区东华门大街60号(近王府饭店和东方广场)
(6527 9368, www.dragonfly.net.cn); 2) 1/F Eastern Inn,
Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区南三里屯
路逸羽酒店一层 (6593 6066); 3) Grand Summit Plaza,
19 Dongfang Donglu (100m north of Lufthansa Center),
Chaoyang District朝阳区燕莎桥东方东路19号外交
会所1层(燕莎中心路北100米) (8532 3122)
Ispa
A comprehensive range of both traditional
spa rituals and modern foot reflexology
awaits you at Ispa. This ultra-Zen oasis has
treatments that beautifully blend Eastern
and Western healing ideologies, for an ultrarelaxing experience.
// Daily 10am-10pm. 5/F, Tower 2, Taiyue Suites, 16 Nan
Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区南三里屯路16号
泰悦豪庭2座5层 (6507 1517)
Angel Hands
Choose from a variety of treatments by
professional masseuses in relaxing, minimalist surroundings.
// Daily, 24 hours. Rm 1801, Bldg 2, Jianwai SOHO, 39
Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District朝阳区东三环
中路39号建外SOHO2号楼 (8631 0801)
The Wellness Spa by Hummingbird
A favorite among locals and expats alike
for its professional pampering know-how
and services, the Wellness Spa by Hummingbird is a slick and serious urban
retreat in the heart of Central Park.
// Daily 10am-10pm. Tower 26, Central Park,
Chaoyangmen Wai Chaoyang District朝阳区朝阳门外
新城国际26号楼 (6533 6922)
Oriental Taipan Massage & Spa
Since 2002, Oriental Taipan has been pampering Beijing’s finest in their small chain
of contemporary spas. Calming flower
aromas, Zen music, and trickling feng shui
fountains create a soothing atmosphere in
each of their locations, while a long list of
treatments from around the world cater to
all pampering needs.
// Daily, 12am-midnight. Sunjoy Mansion, 6 Ritan Lu,
Chaoyang District朝阳区日坛路6号 (400 001 0202,
www.taipan.com.cn)
EDUCATIONS
MBA & EMBA SCHOOLS
BBA at BFSU-SolBridge
北京外国语大学国际商学院
// 19 Xisanhuan Beilu, Haidian District, 海淀区西三
环北路19号 (solbridge.bfsu.edu.cn, 8881 6563/8881
6763/8881 8537)
Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business
// Tower E3, 3/F, Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchang’an Jie,
Dongcheng District
东城区东长安街号东方广场东3座3层 (8518 1050)
Rutgers International Executive MBA
// 5/F China Life Tower, 16 Chaowai Dajie Chaoyang
District 朝阳区朝阳门外大街16号中国人寿大厦
(5877 1706, www.rutgersinasia.com)
Tsinghua University
// Chengfu Lu, Haidian District 海淀区成府路 (6278
9437/8286 3785)
University of Maryland
//www.umd.edu
MANDARIN SCHOOLS
Beijing Juncheng Language School
北京君诚语言学校
// 1) Room 208, 1 Panjiapo Hutong, Chaoyangmenwai,
Dongcheng District 东城区朝阳门外潘家坡胡同1
号东城区职工大学208办室 (6525 9932/6526 7539)
2) Gucheng Village, 15 Huosha Lu, Houshayu Town,
Shunyi District 顺义区后沙峪镇火沙路古城段15
号 (8049 0307)
The Bridge School
北京桥汉语言学校
// (The Bridge School Head office)Room 503, 5/F,
Guangming Hotel, 42 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区亮马桥路42号光明饭店5层503室
(15321793321 Grettchin)
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
Beijing BISS International School
北京BISS国际学校
// Building 17, Area 4, Anzhen Xili Chaoyang District 朝阳
区安贞西里4区17楼 (6443 3151
www.biss.com.cn)
Beijing City International School
北京乐成国际学校
Located in Beijing’s Central Business
District, Beijing City International School
(BCIS) lives by its motto: “Empowering
and Inspiring through Challenge and
Compassion.” This non-profit, independ-
ent co-educational day school offers an
international curriculum under the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School
system and is authorized to teach all three
IB programs (Primary Years, Middle Years,
and Diploma Programme). BCIS is planning on a second campus, a state-of-theart Early Childhood Center (ECC) campus.
Located only 1km from the main campus,
the ECC is the first pre-school building
in Beijing to be LEED-certified to Gold
standard. BCIS is one of the few schools
in Beijing licensed and accredited to offer
a rigorous and well-respected international
curriculum to both foreign and Chinese
national students.
// 77 Baiziwan Nan’er Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区百子湾南二路77号 (8771 7171
www.bcis.cn)
Beijing Rego British School
北京瑞金英国学校
//15 Liyuan Jie, Tianzhu Town, Shunyi District
顺义区天竺镇丽苑街15号 (8416 7718
www.bjrego.org)
The British School of Beijing
Lower School北京英国学校
// 5 Xiliujie, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯西六街5号 (8532 3088
www.britishschool.org.cn)
Upper School
// South Side, 9 Anhua Lu, Shunyi District
顺义区安华路9号南院 (8047 3588)
Canadian International School of Beijing
北京加拿大国际学校
// 38 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区亮马桥路38号 (6465 7788
www.cisb.com.cn)
Dulwich College Beijing
北京德威英国国际学校
1) Legend Garden Campus
// 89 Jichang Lu, Shunyi District
首都机场路89号丽京花园 (6454 9000;
www.dulwich-beijing.cn)
2) Beijing Riviera Campus
// 1 Xiangjiang Beilu, Jingshun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳
区京顺路香江北路1号香江花园 (8450 7676)
3) River Garden Campus
// River Garden Villas, Houshayu Baixinzhuang, Shunyi
District 顺义区后沙峪白辛庄裕京花园别墅 8046
5132
Harrow International School Beijing
北京哈罗英国学校
www.harrowbeijing.cn
Lower School
// Grassetown, Gequ Village, Songzhuang Tongzhou
District 通州区徐新庄镇葛渠村格拉斯小镇 (8951
6680)
Upper School
// 5, 4th Block, Anzhen Xili Chaoyang District 朝阳区安
贞西里4区5号 (6444 8900)
International School of Beijing
北京顺义国际学校
// www.isb.bj.edu.cn
10 Anhua Lu, Shunyi District
顺义区安华路10号 (8149 2345)
SIBS Springboard International Blingual
School 君城国际双语学院
Springboard International Bilingual
School is a place where children, staff and
parents work in partnership to enable all
their students to realize their full potential.
They are offering a stimulating and full
international curriculum as well as an
exciting after school program, which will
include Kung Fu, calligraphy, health and
fitness and football.
// 15 Gucheng Duan, Huosha Lu, Houshayu Town, Shunyi
District 顺义区后沙峪镇火沙路古城段15号 (www.
sibs.com.cn, office@sibs.com.cn; 8049 2450)
Western Academy of Beijing
京西国际学校
// 10 Laiguangying Donglu
Chaoyang District
朝阳区来广营东路10号 (5986 5588 www.wab.edu)
Yew Chung International School
耀中国际学校
// Honglingjin Park, 5 Houbalizhuang, Chaoyang District
朝阳区后八里庄5号红领巾公园 (8583 3731
www.ycis-bj.com)
KINDERGARTENS
Beanstalk International Bilingual School
青苗国际双语学校
Kindergarten
// 1/F, Tower B, 40 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District 朝
阳区亮马桥路40号B座一层 (6466 9255)
Primary School
// Block 2, Upper East Side, 6 Dongsihuan Beilu, Chaoyang
District 朝阳区东四环北路6号阳光上东二区 (5130
7951)
Middle & High School
// 38 Nan Shiliju, Chaoyang District 朝阳区南十里居38
号 (8456 6019)
EtonKids International Kindergarten
伊顿国际幼儿园
1) Lido – 6436 7368
www.etonkids.com
// Room C103 Lido Country Club, Lido Place Jichang Lu,
Chaoyang District 朝阳区蒋台路机场路丽都广场
2) 6506 4805
3/F, Block D Global Trade Mansion
Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区光华路世贸国际公寓D座3层
3) 8437 1006
Southwest corner of Beichen Xilu and Kehui Lu, Chaoyang
District
朝阳区北辰西路与科荟路交汇处西南角
4) 8480 5538
Kehui Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing
朝阳区科荟路大屯里社区
5) 6533 6995
Bldg 19, Central Park, 6 Chaowai Dajie Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝外大街6号新城国际19号楼
6) 6539 8967
Palm Springs International Apartments
8 Chaoyang Park Nanlu
Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳公园南路8号棕榈泉国际公寓
7) 6749 5008
Bldg 21, Guangqu Jiayuan, Guangqumen- wai, Dongcheng
District
东城区广渠门外广渠家园21号楼
8) 8478 0578
Baoxing International Phase 2, Wangjing
Chaoyang District
朝阳区望京宝星园国际社区2期
9) 8047 2983
Block 1, Arcadia Villas, Houshayu
Shunyi District
顺义区后沙峪罗马环岛北侧天北路阿凯笛亚
庄园1座
10) 5870 6779
20A Xidawang Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区西大望路甲20号首府社区内
International Montessori School of Beijing
北京蒙台梭利国际学校
6432 8228
www.msb.edu.cn
18 Maquanying, Xiangjiang Beilu
Chaoyang District
朝阳区香江北路马泉营18号
Ivy Schools
艾毅幼儿园
www.ivyschools.com
East Lake Campus
8451 1380/1
C-101, East Lake Villas, 35 Dongzhimenwai Main Street,
Dongcheng District
东城区东直门外大街35号东湖别墅C座101室
Ivy Bilingual School
艾毅双语幼儿园
Ocean Express Campus
8446 7286/7
Building E, Ocean Express, 2 Dongsanhuan Beilu,
Chaoyang District
朝阳区东三环北路2号远洋新干线E座
Orchid Garden Campus
8439 7080
Orchid Garden, 18 Xinjin Lu, Cuige Xiang, Chaoyang
District
朝阳区崔各乡新锦路18号卓锦万代
Wangjing Campus
5738 9166/1332 110 6167
Kylin Zone, Bldg 11, Fuan Xilu, Wangjing, Chaoyang
District
朝阳区望京阜安西路11号楼合生麒麟社内
Muffy’s Education
儿童英语之家
www.muffys.cn
1) Shijicheng8843 0104/8843 0373
5/F West of Huibo Building, Opposite to The elementary
school affliated to Renmin University Landianchang Lu,
Haidian District
海淀区蓝靛厂路人大附小对面汇博大厦西侧5层
2) Wangjing
5734 7085/400 6633 282
Beixiiaohe Park East Gate, Wanjing Xilu, ChaoYang District
朝阳区望京北小河公园东门
3) Wanliu
8257 2550/400 6633 282
Yangchunguanghuafengshuyuan North Club, Haidian
District
海淀区万柳东路阳春光华枫树园北会所
3e International
北京3e国际学校
6437 3344
www.3eik.com
9-1 Jiangtai Xilu
Chaoyang District
朝阳区将台西路9-1号(四德公园旁)
77
CLASSIFIEDS
Accommodation
Ascott China
Enjoy our hot offer this summer with
20% savings on Best Available Rates in
Ascott Beijing, Ascott Raffles City Beijing,
Somerset ZhongGuanCun Beijing from
now to 30 September 2013. Take your
pick from these wonderful destinations
and let us provide you and your loved
ones with a warm welcome in Beijing this
summer. Now is the time to choose your
favorite service apartments, open your
summer tour!
www.ascottchina.com
Ascott Beijing
No.108B Jian Guo Road, Chaoyang District
Tel: 6567 8100
Ascott Raffles City Beijing
Located in Dongzhimen, one of the most
vibrant areas, Ascott Raffles City is near
the second embassy district, which is
rich in cultural heritage and is only a 15
minute drive to The Forbidden City.
Other nearby leisure attractions include
Food Street (Gui Jie) and Sanlitun
nightlife district.
No.1-2 Dongzhimen South Street
Dongcheng District
Tel: 8405 3888
Somerset Grand Fortune Garden Beijing
Enjoy gracious living at Somerset Grand
Fortune Garden in the prime Chaoyang
District, where the business district,
embassies and international schools are
within close proximity.
Unwind with a medley of recreational
facilities and the convenience of a retail
mall at your doorstep.
No.46 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang
District
Tel: 8451 8888
FraserResidence CBD East Beijing
Our location on the Fringe of the
CBD with excellent connections to the
subway line 1 (Sihui station), BRT Lines
(Ciyunsi) and public bus system mean
that wherever your intern needs to be
in the city, getting there is relatively fuss
free!
One bedroom deluxe: RMB16,000 /month
Two bedroom Executive: RMB26,000 /
month
Three bedroom Deluxe: RMB33,000 /
month
Email: sales.frbeijing@frasershospitality.
com
Website: http://beijing-east.frasershospitality.com
Tel: 010-58709188 / 400-881-6988
FraserSuite CBD Beijing
The ultimate luxury in apartment living,
Fraser Suites CBD Beijing epitomizes style
and comfort, that surpasses the service
level of many Beijing hotels. The 357
Gold-Standard Beijing apartment features
contemporary concepts designed for
luxury living.
12 Jintong Xilu Chaoyang District Beijing
Tel: 5908 6000
GTC RESIDENCE BEIJING
One of the top residences in Beijing, GTC
Residence is located beside the third ring
road with 5 minutes’ walk to subway line
5 , 10 minutes’ drive to Hou Hai . It is
also within easily reach of CBD, embassy
area, Financial Street and other urban
commercial,shopping and recreation
areas. Fully equipped apartments with
impeccable quality offer you a cozy
living system and will meet all of your
requirements for room decoration,
furniture, electric appliances etc..
Unique sky garden with golf practice field
and barbecue area is another symbol of
GTC Residence.
E-mail: sales@gtcresidence.com
website: www.gtcresidence.com
Tel:56756666
78
Lanson Place
Lanson Place Central Park Serviced
Residences, located in the Central
Business District of Chaoyang, offers
spacious apartments in two, three and
four bedroom configurations as well
as penthouses overlooking a charming
landscaped garden. The interiors are
contemporary and restful while marbleclad bathrooms and kitchens are fully
equipped.
Website: www.lansonplace.com
Lanson Place Central Park Residences
Tower 23, Central Park, No.6 Chaoyangmenwai Avenue,Chaoyang District, Beijing
Tel: 8588 9588 Fax: 8588 9549
Marriott Executive Apartments
Ideally located in the center of
Wangfujing area where the prestigious
business, commercial, entertainment, and
shopping center of Beijing. The Imperial
Mansion, Beijing – Marriott Executive
Apartments reflects an exceptional level
of luxury.
Gate, No. 1 Xiagongfu Street, Dongcheng
District
Tel: 6564 9999
The Millennium Residences of the
Beijing Fortune Plaza
The Millennium Residences of the Beijing
Fortune Plaza is located in the heart of
the Beijing CBD which bears the most
momentously potential of development
and value elevation. While 25 minutes
away from the Beijing International
Airport, the Millennium Residences is
walking distance from nearly all Embassies.
7 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu Chaoyang
District.
Tel: 8588 2888
Oakwood Residence Beijing
Oakwood Residence Beijing offers 406
fully equipped luxury apartments ranging
from studios to four bedroom penthouse
and terrace apartments, all exquisitely
furnished in elegant and stylish decor.
Each apartment is fitted with a stateof-the-art air purification and air
conditioning system which ensures 99.9%
pure, triple filtered air, so you can trust in
Oakwood and breathe easy.
No. 8 Dongzhimenwai Xiejie, Chaoyang
District, Beijing 100027, China
reschaoyang@oakwoodasia.com
Website: www.oakwoodasia.com/
resbeijing
Tel: 5995 2888 Fax: 5995 2999
THE WESTIN EXECUTIVE RESIDENCES
The Westin Executive Residences at The
Beijing Financial Street offer an array of
world-class cuisine options and Westin’s
signature amenities designed to elicit
personal renewal. Just 40 minutes from
the airport, the Westin Executive Residences provides direct access to Beijing’s
business, entertainment and shopping
district and close proximity to cultural
landmarks such as The Forbidden City
and Tiananmen Square. Each apartment
is also fitted with contemporary furnishings, fully equipped kitchens, state-ofthe-art appliances, home entertainment
system and LCD flat screen televisions.
Email: reservation.beijing@westin.com
Website: www.westin.com/beijingfinancial
Tel: 6606 8866
Beauty Services
Black Golden Tanning Salon Sanlitun
Branch Grand Opening
Black Golden Tanning Salon is the only
five-star China flagship store by Ergoline.
As the 2011 model of Ergoline Esprit
770’s, to bring a continuous tanning
effect 25% above standard machines with
unique aquacool and aroma functions,
we provide customers with the safest and
most comfortable tanning space.
Open time:11:00-21:00
Sanlitun SOHO Branch
C
Add: 2rd Floor Building 3, Sanlitun
SOHO,Chaoyang District
M
Tel: 57853711
Wangjing Branch
Y
Add: Room T5 3rd Floor, BOTAI International Building, No. 36 North Guangshun
CM
Street, Wangjing, Chaoyang District
Website: www.bjtanning.com
MY
Tel: 84722855
CY
Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat
Created as a contemporary urban
CMY
retreat, Dragonfly is an oasis of peace
and tranquility in the midst of the
hectic city.
K
// Daily, 10am-late. 1)60 Donghuamen Dajie (near
The Peninsula Hotel and Oriental Plaza) Dongcheng
District东城区东华门大街60号(近王府饭店和东
方广场) (6527 9368, www.dragonfly.net.cn); 2) 1/F
Eastern Inn, Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区
南三里屯路逸羽酒店一层 (6593 6066); 3) Grand
Summit Plaza, 19 Dongfang Donglu (100m north of
Lufthansa Center), Chaoyang District朝阳区燕莎桥
东方东路19号外交会所1层(燕莎中心路北100
米) (8532 3122)
Ispa
A comprehensive range of both traditional
spa rituals and modern foot reflexology
awaits you at Ispa. This ultra-Zen oasis
has treatments that beautifully blend
Eastern and Western healing ideologies,
for an ultra-relaxing experience.
// Daily 10am-10pm. 5/F, Tower 2, Taiyue Suites, 16 Nan
Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区南三里屯路16
号泰悦豪庭2座5层 (6507 1517)
Angel Hands
Choose from a variety of treatments
by professional masseuses in relaxing,
minimalist surroundings.
// Daily, 24 hours. Rm 1801, Bldg 2, Jianwai SOHO, 39
Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District朝阳区东三
环中路39号建外SOHO2号楼 (8631 0801)
Oriental Taipan Massage & Spa
Since 2002, Oriental Taipan has been
pampering Beijing’s finest in their
small chain of contemporary spas.
Calming flower aromas, Zen music,
and trickling feng shui fountains create
a soothing atmosphere in each of their
locations, while a long list of treatments from around the world cater to
all pampering needs.
// Daily, 12am-midnight. Sunjoy Mansion, 6 Ritan Lu,
Chaoyang District朝阳区日坛路6号 (400 001 0202,
www.taipan.com.cn)
LA BELLEZA
La Belleza means Beauty and Aesthetics
in Spanish. Professional hair-designers
from Hong Kong ,Korea and China gather
here. LA BELLEZA is the hairdressing salon
for you with its pleasant atmosphere,
excellent service, and finest products.
New haircut! Good mood! Excellent life!
Add: F4 No.408, Jinbao Place .Jinbao
Street No88,Dongcheng District, Beijing,
china.
Website: www.labelleza.com.cn
Tel: 010 8522 1626
MegaSun Tanning Salon
As the only flagship store for this popular
German tanning salon, megaSun Tanning
will provide for each client the finest sun
tanning experience.
Our center has prepared the newest
functional 7900 alpha and pureEnergy chamber systems, combined with
easyCare optical testers. At megaSun,
enjoy our professional UV and tanning
services.
Add: #8 Dongdaqiao Road, Shangdu
SOHO North Tower, Rm. 2302
Chaoyang District, Beijing
Website: www.imegasun.com
e-mail: 1019771453@qq.com
Sina Weibo: @ 麦肤堂
Tel: 5900-2236/2238
BUSINESS CENTER
Regus Serviced Office
• FLEXIBLE OFFICE LEASES FROM 1 DAY
TO 1 YEAR
• QUICK AND EASY TO SET UP FOR 1-200
PEOPLE
• PRICES FROM RMB 180 PER MONTH
• FIND MORE ON REGUS.CN
REGUS BEIJING (14 LOCATIONS)
Regus Beijing Taikang Financial Tower
泰康金融大厦 [NEW]
23/F, No.38 East Third Ring Road,
Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing China Life Tower
中国人寿大厦中心
5/F, No. 16, Chaoyangmenwai Ave.,
Chaoyang Distric
Regus Beijing China World Tower 3
国贸三期
15/F, No.1 Jianguomenwai Avenue,
Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing Financial Street Excel
Centre 金融街卓著中心
12/F, No.6 Wudinghou Street, Xicheng
District
Regus Beijing IFC 财源国际中心
10/F IFC East Tower, No.8 Jianguomenwai
Avenue, Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing Kerry Centre 嘉里中心
11/F, Beijing Kerry Centre North Tower,
No.1Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing Lufthansa Center 燕莎中心
C203, No.50 Liangmaqiao Road,
Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing NCI Centre 新华保险大厦中
心
15/F, No.12A Jianguomenwai Ave.,
Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing Pacific Century Place
盈科中心
14/F, No.2A Workers Stadium Road North,
Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing Prosper Center
世纪财富中心
6/F Tower 2, No.5 Guanghua Road,
Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing Zhongguancun Metropolis
Tower 中关村欧美汇大厦
7/F, No.2 Dongsan Street Zhongguancun
Xi Zone, Haidian District
Regus Beijing China Central Place
华贸中心
9/F Tower 2, No.79 Jianguo Road,
Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing Parkview Green
侨福芳草地中心
15/F Office Building A, No.9 Dongdaqiao
Road, Chaoyang District
Regus Beijing China Life – West
国人寿大厦 - 西
West, 5/F, No.16 Chao Wai Street,
Chaoyang District
CSO (Singapore) Beijing Business Center
We have 10 years experience in
managing serviced offices in the Asia
and Pacific region, and our headquarters
is in Singapore. CSO Beijing is our first
business center in China . We are mainly
providing fully renovated and equipped
offices to clients for immediate use, and
all the serviced offices can be used as
incorporation purpose, and we offer
maximum flexibility and complete smart
office system to help our clients save cost.
We also provide virtual offices, meeting
room and conference room, video
conferencing, incorporation services and
many other services.
Add.: Level 6, Sun Palace Building,
Taiyanggong, Beijing
Ms. Stephanie Yan, Mobile: 18210080591
Email: sales.beijing@corporateso.com
Website: www.csochina.cn
Tel: 86 10 64697000
CABLE SERVICES
CONSULTING SERVICE
Harris Corporate Services Ltd
Beijing | Shanghai | Guangzhou | Hong
Kong
Established since 1972
WFOE & Rep. Office Set Up
Accounting & Tax Compliance
Payroll, HR & Visa Solutions
Hong Kong & Offshore Company Registration
Hong Kong & China Bank Account
Opening
Serving all your business needs for
investing in China. Call us for a free
consultation.
Tel: (86)10-6591 8087
Mobile: 186-019-43718
Email: info.bj@harrissec.com.cn
Beijing:
Room 2302, E-Tower, No.12 Guanghua
Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, PRC.
北京市朝阳区光华路 12 号数码 01 大厦
2302 室
Shanghai:
Suite 904, OOCL Plaza, 841 Yan An Zhong
Road, Jing-An District, Shanghai, PRC.
上海市静安区延安中路 841 号东方海外大
厦 904 室
Guangzhou:
Room D-E, 11/F., Yueyun Building, 3
Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, PRC.
广州市中山二路 3 号 ( 东山口 ) 粤运大厦
11 楼 D-E 室
Super IPTV
Super IPTV offers 90+ international
channels in HD quality, delivered to
your television through a set top box via
a broadband connection. Just like cable
back home, pick up the remote control
and start watching. Includes HBOHD,
Fox Movies HD, Star Movies, CNN, BBC,
CNBC, Star World,
AXN, Discovery, Disney Junior, Cartoon,
Fox Sports, EPL, ESPN, Star sports,
SETANTA Sports, F1 and much more.
// (www.superiptv.com, superiptv@superiptv.com; 133
716 00100/139 1188 5499)
CAR RENTAL SERVICE
Beijing TOP-A Vehicle Service Co., Ltd
Beijing TOP-A Vehicle Service Co., Ltd
was set up specifically to cater for the
needs of the expatriate communities, we
provide: English -speaking driver, Longshort term leasing, Airport-Pick up/ Drop
off, Sedan, Van and Bus.
Email: service@expatslife.com
Website: www.expatslife.com
Tel: 64381634 Mobile: 13501237292
Catering Services
Aurora Catering
An 100% authentic Italian experience
whether tasting a mouthful Lasagna or a
juicy Carpaccio. Our international team
brings to you the authentic freshness
and tidbit of an Italian Espresso or a
homemade tastiness of a Mozzarella.
We offer a full range of catering and
event planning services for all types of
business and personal functions that are
tailored for you. The best service, at your
service.
Contact Jacopo Tomé at 137 1794 0458
jacopo.tome@gptinternational.com
Zone de Comfort
With our professional service, you can
focus 100% on your event at Zone de
Comfort, every single assignment is
unique for us. Our experience helps
us understand your objectives with
thorough planning, and of course,
exquisite food with elegant presentation.
In the past 5 years, we have handled
numerous catering projects covering
diplomatic/business functions for
embassies, high-end cocktail receptions
for luxuries brands, automobiles and
month-long hospitality center services.
Find out more from our Website: www.
zdc-catering.com
Hong Kong:
7/F., Hong Kong Trade Centre, 161-167
Des
Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong.
香港德辅道中 161-167 号香港贸易中心 7
楼
Beijing Office-TMF Group
In order to enable clients benefit from
the increasing globalization of the
worlds economy, TMF Group offers
a comprehensive range of corporate
administrative outsourcing services in
67 counties across the globe. With a
genuine global network and qualified
staff, TMF group provides an array of
accounting, corporate secretarial and HR
administrative outsourcing services.
Colin.Zhang@TMF-group.com
Website: http://www.tmf-group.com
CCTV Tower and Kerry Centre
Suite 3107, Tower A Beijing Fortune
Plaza,7 Dongsanhuan Zhong Road,
Chaoyang District
Tel: 65330533-860
EDUCATIONAL SERVICE
Ivy Bilingual School
Ivy Bilingual School offers a curriculum
based on the Multiple Intelligences
theory and provides an immersive bilingual program, where both Chinese and
Western teachers interact with children
throughout the day. There are two Ivy
Bilingual Schools in Beijing.
Address:Building E, Ocean Express, No.
2 East Third Ring North Road, Chaoyang
District, Beijing 100027
Website: www.ivyschools.com
Email: Info-OE@ivyschools.com
010 8446 7287
LEMBA
The Leadership EMBA from the University
of Maryland
Robert H. Smith School of Business is a
unique learning experience in Beijing.
The program offers world class executive
and leadership education from some
of the best professors the world has to
offer. Every month one of the professors
from the University of Maryland comes
to Beijing to instruct the class for 4
consecutive days (Thurs – Sun). The
program lasts 18 months; the impact lasts
a lifetime.
Email: beijing@rhsmith.umd.edu
Tel: 8526 2528/29
FURNITURE
Crossover
Crossover Center Flagship Store, is mainly
marketing international super home
furnishing brand products.
Our agent brands include Poltrona Frau,
Cassina, Fritz Hansen, Moroso, Cappellini,
Timothy Oulton, Tom Dixon etc, over
20 international super home furnishing
brands.
Our products are covered with all of
fields in daily-life home furnishing,
including furniture, furnishing, lighting,
dinning, and office supplies etc.
Website: www.crossovercenter.com
NO.81 North Road San-Li-Tun Bar St.
Chao-Yang District.Beijing.100027,P.R.C.
Tel: 5208 6112/6113 Fax: 8610-5208 6123
HOUSEKEEPING
JNY Home Service
JNY Home Service was established in
2007, supplying foreign families with
English speaking/non-English Speaking
nannies(maids), either daily or live-in.
As a part of our service,we make sure all
references and ID cards are thoroughly
checked to guarantee the safety and
health of your family.
Email : jieniyou@hotmail.com
Mobile: 13426362833(24h)
Beijing EX-PATS Service
Healty, reliable, experienced, Englishspeaking housemaid/ nanny. Free agency
and 24- hour English service. Medical
and Accident insurrance covered. EXPATS
Life Group also serves with Mandarin, car
leasing, English-speaking driver, Chinese
driving license, vehicle registration.
service@expatslife.com
Website: www.expatslife.com
Tel: 64381634
Mobile: 13501237292
MOVING & SHIPPING
Seven Seas Worldwide
Save up to 50%! We’re the first choice
when it comes to moving baggage
internationally from one box up to 2M3.
We offer a global, door-to-door service
with prices starting from RMB 999 by sea
and RMB 1580 by air.
Call 400 181 6698 now for an instant
quote or book online at www.sevenseasworldwide.com
RECRUITMENTS
The Pearl Golf Club
The Pearl Golf Club, an American owned
and operated company is the largest
luxury golf simulation club in Beijing.
The Pearl Golf Club is an exclusive,
members-only club designed to serve
the unique needs of Beijing’s elite. We
are looking for an energetic, vibrant
and responsible Sales Associate with
outstanding sales and communication
skills who can work under pressure.
The responsibilities for this position will
include developing and maintaining a
client pipeline and planning and hosting
luxury events.
If you are interested this opportunity and
meet our requirements please send your
CV to mia@pearlgolfclub.com
Storage
China Self Storage Co. Ltd
As a member of SSA and SSAUK,
China Self Storage Co. Ltd. introduces
an international industry standard to
professionally developed Self Storage
for private, family and business. Safe,
clean, air-conditioned, 24h access,
flexible size. To learn more, visit www.
selfstorageinchina.com. To make a
reservation, contact 400-600-6378 info@
selfstorageinchina.com.
Jin’an Building, Tianzhu Garden West Rd.,
Shunyi District, Beijing.
TRAVEL SERVICES
Silk Road Travel Management Ltd.
Silk Road Travel is a pioneer in organizing
Silk Road tours and other classic routes
through China. Founded in 1997, we are
specialized in tailor made travel packages
that allow travelers to truly experience
local cultures and explore China’s
amazing cultural heritage. Whether you
are a small group of 2-9 persons or a
corporate group, our professional staff
will design a tour program based on your
needs. Email: travel@the-silk-road.com
www.the-silk-road.com
Tel: (+852) 2736 8828
Fax: (+852) 2736 8000
TUI China
An affiliate of World of TUI, the world’s
leading tourism group, TUI China was
established in late 2003 as the first joint
venture with foreign majority share in the
Chinese tourism industry. Its headquarters are in Beijing whilst its operations
reach deep into the far corners of China.
World of TUI generated approx.50,000
predominantly western tourists to China
yearly and provides M.I.C.E services for
renowned companies worldwide. Add: Bright China Chang An Building,
Tower 2, Unit 921-926, 7 Jianguomen Nei
Avenue (Fax: +86 (0)10 6517 1371; Email:
sales@tui.cn; Website: www.tui.cn; Tel:
8519 8800
Real Estate Agents
JOANNA REAL ESTATE RELOCATION
SERVICE
We are one of China’s leading real estate
agencies boasting an extensive database
of high-end properties for rent. We
have helped thousands of expatriates
find their homes as well as hundreds of
companies re-locate their employees.
Once we have found you your ideal home
we will be on hand to deal with any post
move issues and our dedicated after sales
team will be contactable 7 days a week
to help you with any queries you have
throughout your stay in our country.
For more information please contact us:
Email: paulquin@joannarealestate.com.
cn
Website: http://beijing.joannarealestate.
com.cn/ (Tel: 84585667 ; 13501358971)
“One of a Kind”
—173m² duplex apt. in Park Avenue,wellmanaged and good security
compound,near Chaoyang Park,2 beds
and 2 baths,master-room with walk-in
closet,delightful furnishing,come with
80m² private GARDEN,¥20800/m
—122m² duplex apt. in Central Park at
CBD,2 beds and 2 baths,very cosy,high
floor,¥19500/m
—110m² “King-Size” one bed apt. in
Central Park,delicate furniture,large living
and dining area ¥15500/m
for viewing please call frankie at 1085325104 or 13911091759 PROPERTY
ONE
Replus-Benchmark
“Replus-Benchmark” is one of the leading
real estate agencies and relocation
service provider for expatriates in
Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu
and Shenzhen.
• Residential Home Search Service
• Visa Application
• Commercial Office Space Search Service
• Buying and Selling Property Service
E-mail: marketing@replus-benchmark.
com
Website: www.replus-benchmark.com
A-1509,Xiaoyun Center, No.15 of Xiaoyun
Road, Chaoyang District Beijing
Tel: 84467119 Fax: 84467577
79
cryptic pictures
WIN TICKETS FOR THE CAPITAL
LITERARY FESTIVAL
Up for grabs this month we’ve got a pair of all-access passes for the Capital Literary Festival, Beijing, as featured in our
cover story (p42-51). Simply solve our cryptic book picture puzzles and send the answers to bjeditor@urbanatomy.com
with the subject ‘e-books Ruined My Library’ by March 30 for a chance to win.
How it works: Each picture represents a word or syllable. Spoken out loud the below combinations will create the name
of a famous literary work.
1
2
3
4
5
6
February issue answers: 1. Rocks Off 2. Miss You 3. Midnight Rambler 4. Street Fighting Man 5. Start me up 6. Jumping Jack Flash 7. Wild Horses 8. Paint it Black
80
1
2
5
3
4
7
6
February issue answers: 1. Rocks Off 2. Miss You 3. Midnight Rambler 4. Street Fighting Man 5. Start me up 6. Jumping Jack Flash 7. Wild Horses 8. Paint it Black

thE caPitaL LitErary FEStivaL, bEijing

Transcription

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