Series: Matthew Waldman | Vol. 24 "Beijing Trip"

Vol. 24 “Beijing Trip!”

I recently visited Beijing for the second time. The photochemical smog was far worse than I had heard. That aside, Beijing is a fascinating city. From my limited experience, I’d say that Chinese people interested in culture beyond money and fashion live in Beijing, not Shanghai or Hong Kong. That alone makes it a very international city. While I don’t intend to write a mere travel guide to Beijing, I’ll touch on a few points for readers who haven’t been there yet.

Text by Matthew Waldman

Size

Beijing is big! It’s really big, or maybe it just feels that way due to traffic and urban planning…

There’s a subway, but some areas aren’t served by trains, so most foreigners get around by taxi. I rode the subway about three times, and I didn’t see a single other foreigner like myself.

Taxis are cheaper than in Japan, but be aware that they can be hard to hail late at night. The subway stops running around 10:30 PM! The city doesn’t seem particularly unsafe, so walking is an option, but the distance between traffic lights is said to be at least one kilometer…

Food

It’s almost unfair to compare it to Tokyo, but honestly, I don’t find the food in Beijing to be that delicious. Of course, if you go to a famous Peking duck restaurant, it can be quite good, but I wouldn’t expect too much from the dining scene.

Then again, when you think about it, first-time visitors to New York might also think it’s not a city with great food… Perhaps understanding a big city truly requires some time and knowledge.

Your best bet for finding delicious food is Yunnan cuisine. Just as Thai food is popular in LA and New York now, with many restaurants, what’s the equivalent trend in Beijing? It’s Yunnan cuisine. In my experience, Yunnan restaurants use fresh, delicious ingredients like vegetables! You can also find tasty ingredients in department store food halls.

Air

If you have asthma or a sensitive throat, you should absolutely not go to Beijing. During the day, you can barely see direct sunlight due to the photochemical smog and smoke. It’s not so bad that you’ll cough, but I did feel a general sense of fatigue. For a short stay, I imagine it’s perfectly fine. My New York had a similar situation when I was a child, and during the bubble era, I had bronchitis because of the photochemical smog in Tokyo, so it would be a problem if Beijing doesn’t improve soon.

798

My favorite place in Beijing is an art district called “798.”

This was a factory area jointly built by the Soviet Union and China around 1951, now revitalized as a district filled with galleries, cafes, shops, and museums. For Western food, “at cafe” is delicious, and there’s also a vegetarian restaurant called “Su Shi.” The “UCCA Ullens Center for Contemporary Art” is a good museum, featuring installations by both international and domestic artists, as well as a shop selling Chinese designer goods. And “LONG MARCH SPACE” is an excellent gallery.

Artists

My favorite Chinese artist group is “Unmask Group,” a trio. I remember being deeply impressed by their chimera-themed sculptures exhibited at “798” two years ago.

Their works are very expensive, and I couldn’t buy anything at the time, but I asked the gallery owner for their contact information, and surprisingly kindly, they gave it to me. I’ve since corresponded with them and become friends. I discovered they create not only art but also design goods, and I felt they essentially operate under the same philosophy as Nooka. So, last fall, I invited them to participate in the “NookaNooka Custom Show” in Hong Kong, where “Unmask Group x Nooka” exhibited their wonderful chimera pieces.

And this past October 2011, I finally met them in person! I had a meal with Juang Jun and PR Director Jiang Jian at the aforementioned “at cafe,” discussed the delicate balance where art, design, and business intersect, and then they drove me to their studio.

The studio is located near the river, about a 10-minute drive north of “798.” Rather than a river, the smell of sewage was distinctly Chinese… though the studio itself was fine. Instead, the air inside was filled with the scent of resin and spray paint. It was a memorable trip to Beijing, meeting the creators and seeing the works for their next exhibition.