Beijing(796 views)

Release date:2010-01-18 11:49:53

Beijing is home to some of the most iconic structures in China. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, these are just a few of the sites drawing visitors from around the country and around the world. But apart from the old, the historical, and the Olympian, Beijing still has more to offer.

Since 2004, the 798 Art District (or Dashanzi) in Chaoyang District has gained considerable fame and an international profile. The site of a number of disused military factories now bustles with activity and energy created by a confluence of art galleries, cafés, design and publishing companies, as well as specialty stores. The original number 798 factory, from which the zone gets its name, is well worth a visit. Built around 50 years ago, the Bauhaus-influenced architecture is still eye-catching – with lofty space and stunning light - and looks more iconic than dated. The original communist slogans in red remain on the walls, testament to the space’s original function.

For a feel of the buzz and an insight to the signs of the times in China’s capital city, pick a weekend afternoon to visit. Weekends are busy, and the crowd is now made up in equal parts of trendy young things wanting to see and be seen, tourists, as well as art lovers. Sometimes the visitors are more interesting than the exhibitions, but that is undoubtedly part of its charm.

798 may be thriving now, but this has not always been the case. A motley crew of artists and gallerists who first set up here in at the nascence of the art zone had to live with looming demolition plans. But while that plight now seems to have been averted, other factors – such as gentrification and rising rents - collude to drive out many of the first artists who arrived. These days, it is not uncommon to see private parties, product launches and corporate events being held on the premises – one sure sign of just how far 798 have come. There is even a Nike gallery, where sports shoes have been elevated to art objects. However, many noteworthy galleries continue to hold the fort at 798, including the excellent Ullens Center for Contemporary Art.

Less well-known but also growing in profile is the Jiuchang Art Complex, so named for the site’s past life as home of the Chaoyang Brewery (‘Jiuchang’ means liquor factory), situated about 15 minutes’ drive from 798. The factories and warehouses were built in 1975, and their transformation into galleries and artists’ studios started around 2005. At the moment, the largest occupant is Korean-owned Arario, which holds regular shows that draw an informed crowd. While rabid commercialisation has yet to find its way here, it is still possible to find pleasant cafes and restaurants to while away the afternoon while on an art jaunt.

Beijing’s art hubs offers a look at a different side to the city, one that is less weighed by history and more buoyed by the vibrancy of the present and the promise of the future. Ideas come together to produce something new, even as visitors gawk and art and commerce collide.

back