Below-the-radar Beijing: places to see, eat and drink that most tourists don’t get to
An alternative to 798 Art District, a place to satisfy your Cantonese food cravings, a rooftop restaurant you can actually get a table at, some obscure bars - try something new on your next trip to China’s capital
The rivalry between Beijing and Shanghai dates back decades – competition for the title of China’s most cosmopolitan city, however, remains to be settled.
Ask anyone who has visited Shanghai, and they’re likely to talk about art, fashion and food that can match Hong Kong, Tokyo or London. But many Beijingers say life in Shanghai is hedonistic, and point out that the Chinese capital is a confluence of history and modern culture – you can marvel at the colossal architecture of the Ming and Qing dynasties by daytime, indulge in fine dining at a centuries-old temple-turned-restaurant and stumble the night away at hole-in-the-wall bars in the city’s traditional hutong neighbourhoods.
Art mart
From Ai Weiwei to Yoko Ono, Beijing’s 798 Art District has been the place to see contemporary art in Beijing in recent years. The former industrial complex, now dotted with galleries, high-end stores and cafes, is the product of the area’s gentrification, and listed on every tourist map. Less well known is the Today Art Museum in the Pingod Community complex in Shuangjing, an up-and-coming residential area in between Guomao in the central business district and the Panjiayuan flea market on subway Line 10.
The museum is one of the few privately owned establishments in the city exhibiting contemporary Chinese art. The area is also home to smaller art galleries and a cluster of boutique stores selling anything from vintage outfits to wedding gowns and exclusive eyewear.
