Shichahai bar street's notorious reputation as a noisy and rowdy tourist destination has come to an end as a year-long, city-wide crackdown on building regulations finally touches down in Houhai.

Years of neighborhood complaints about noise have finally culminated in a city order to ban all area bars from selling alcohol outside, resulting in the total removal of all outdoor bar seating.

READ: Beijing to Penalize Excessive Honking Drivers via Automated Detectors

Beijing authorities have also cracked down on building code violators, banning local bars from conducting business on rooftops and second-stories.

Over 4,000 square meters of business space that did not comply with local regulations have been torn down. Four bars have been shuttered, including Bar 6.8 and Houhai #5.

After new regulations were unveiled last December, the popular tourist spot has been on the receiving end of 1,300 certification violations affecting some 740 businesses. The new regulations also make it difficult for any new businesses from setting up shop in the commercialized area, already home to 168 bars.

Zhang Weichang, a Beijing resident who was one of the first people to open a guitar bar in Houhai, welcomes the crackdown. "The old businesses here support the quieting down of Shichahai," said Zhang, who admits that the noise of the bar street has become too loud. "I can understand why neighboring residents complained," he said.

READ: Shuangjing Businesses Temporarily Closed in 50-Officer Police Raid 

Others are admitting Houhai has lost its way as a cultural area.

Shichahai commercial association director Duan Yunsong thinks area businesses should have longer-term goals rather than trying to make short-term gains. "Traditional culture was usurped by private businesses," he admitted. 

Nevertheless, Duan has high hopes for Houhai's future. Duan wants area businesses to "inherit wine culture with Chinese characteristics," thereby emulating traditional Chinese wine shops rather than the Western-styled bars that have opened throughout the area.

Duan also said the future of Houhai is dependent upon giving a new vitality to laozihao, a term describing century-old businesses that have carried on the city's local traditions.

However, with many laozihao businesses forced out of Houhai due to "illegal construction," Duan could instead be referring to the "image" of laozihao. In this scenario, new buildings are constructed to emulate traditional Chinese architecture, even though they may be at the expense of historical Beijing buildings.

Beijing considers the newly-refurbished Qianmen tourist destination to be a laozihao location along with other future developments.

READ： Beijing Restaurants Team Up With Local Amusement Parks to Create "Old-Style Experience Streets"

Serving as the northern terminus of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Houhai takes in some 40 million visitors a year.

We admit that it would be nice to enjoy this beautiful lakeside park without having to contend with the cacophony of music pumped out by competing bars. And yet, we're not sure if Beijing is ready to accept so-called "Chinese wine shop" when the city's most recent cultural export has been the "Beijing bikini."

Without the draw of its bar street, we wonder if Houhai can "Give Me One Reason (to Stay Here)" just as can be heard sung in every Shichahai bar by every guitar-singer combo every night.

More stories from this author here.

Twitter: @Sinopath
E-mail: charlesliu1@qq.com

Images: NetEase, Weibo, Guilin 1314

While the words “rock” and “pop” might make many of us think of thunderous rhythms and decibel-busting melodies as we crank the volume higher, the most inspiring sound from which all that glorious noise stems is one you might not expect – that of pure, complete silence. At least that’s the case for the world’s top acts, who enjoy the technical wonders of a professionally built recording studio that silences all background disruptions so that artists can have a blank sonic canvas for their work. That level of studio quality remained elusive for many Chinese musicians until the recent opening of the 55TEC facility in Beijing, which finally offers Mainland bands the chance to make world-class recordings.

Situated in a nondescript residential building near Sanlitun, the 55TEC facility has two control rooms, each neighboring tracking spaces where the musicians can play and record – one that’s snug enough for a lone singer with his guitar, and the other big enough to house a full-on band. During a recent tour, I was shocked by the degree of quiet in those live rooms where musicians perform for recording purposes – I felt a slight bit of pressure on ears after stepping inside and shutting the door, and relished a sonic stillness that I hadn’t quite experienced before, because even though 55TEC’s other rooms seemed quiet enough, air conditioning and other background noises that I had taken for granted still took up a surprising amount of auditory real estate.

My guide was Mills Xu, an avid audiophile and one of the masterminds behind the project, along with Bei Bei (Wu Yongheng, a renowned drummer who has worked with pioneering Chinese rock star Cui Jian and numerous other top Mainland acts) and Li You, a recording and mixing engineer who has won the prestigious Golden Melody Award. WSDG partner and art director Silvia Molho collaborated with 55TEC on the interior technical and non-technical area designs.

They, along with burgeoning audio executive Lizzy Zhou, teamed with Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG), a leading acoustician, studio, and systems designing firm with all but unprecedented pedigree – they’ve built everything from the Electric Lady studio where Jimi Hendrix worked, to custom studios for Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, Alicia Keys, and London's The Church Studios for Paul Epworth (the producer who has worked with such diverse acts as Adele, Paul McCartney, and Thurston Moore, among many others).

“Before, many Chinese studio operators would focus on getting as much high-end equipment as possible, which is good, but not so helpful if the studio isn’t designed properly,” Xu told me, as we stood in the recording booth at 55TEC, about the comparatively sub-par conditions at other Beijing recording studios that are state-run, located at universities, or privately owned. He then pinched his nose so that his voice became squeaky, and said: “Everything sounds a little bit like this, a bit muffled or off, in those studios that don’t have the proper design and sound reflection.”

That’s not to say the 55TEC team hasn’t sought out top-notch equipment – the bigger Control A room has an API 3208 console, Quested Q412D, QSB118 and Barefoot MM35 monitors, Burl B80 Mothership, Pro Tools HDX, along with a range of outboard gear fitted into a custom-built producers desk. The smaller Control B room, where mixing and mastering take place, also has plenty of high-tech toys like an Apogee Symphony 64, Grace Design M905, Meyer Sound HD-1, and B&W Nautilus 801 loudspeakers, as well as a high-end Jeff Rowland power amplifier. But the design takes precedence above all that, from the sections of paneling meticulously adjusted to jut out or sink into the walls and ceiling at different depths that are able to absorb, reflect and diffuse the sound optimally; to the exquisite perforated wood and slotted metal used to make those panels.

These features have lead Cui Jian – fondly known as "The Father of Chinese Rock” – to mix master his new music there. And Bruce Liang (梁博) the famed first-ever winner of The Voice of China, recorded his entire new album at 55TEC. Xu played one of the young pop star’s forthcoming songs in the Control B room, and its 80s synths, along with Liang’s melancholy crooning about a wayward evening in Los Angeles, sounded impeccably pure through the facility’s speakers.

As we walked from one control room to the other, Xu pointed out both the cutting-edge digital hardware and the vintage analog consoles, which he says will give musicians the best of both worlds in terms of detailed, warmer, and more retro sounds.

Xu has relished the chance to watch Cui Jian work with those studio dials, or sit on the other side of the glass as Liang belted out his freshest lyrics. But above all, Xu is excited for more Chinese musicians to use the studio and release more pristinely recorded music, in the hopes of reaching a wider audience abroad.

“When you see these artists on stage they seem larger than life, so I’ve enjoyed being here in the studio with them,” he says. “I’ve enjoyed seeing their human qualities up close, and feeling their passion for the music right next to me.”

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Mills Xu

There’s so much more to Mexican food than tacos and burritos, a fact that you’ll become fully aware of while tucking into Pebbles Courtyard's inventive new dishes. The long-running Wudaoying restaurant’s owner and chef, Ray Heng, returned earlier this month from studying at Kendall College Chicago, considered to be one of the top culinary schools in the world.

The year he spent training there, along with extracurricular tutelage from friend, mentor, and Frontera Grill founder Rick Bayless (arguably the Windy City’s most famous chef), has helped Heng hone his skills. That means, in the short time since he’s been back in Beijing, Heng has been able to develop a new menu of modern Mexican dishes that are not only a considerable upgrade of Pebbles’ prior offerings, but also more creative and eloquent than novices might expect.

Among those seven newly available dishes, the vegetarian enchiladas (RMB 88) are a clear standout. The flour tortillas that serve as its foundation are familiar enough for anyone expecting Mexican fare. Yet innovative flourishes like its filling – consisting of a palate-enveloping mix of cream and goat cheeses, along with an invigorating veggie combination of chewy kale, nettles, and sautéed onion – make these enchiladas unlike others. The filling also features a guajillo sauce that, unlike many conventional chili sauces, won’t burn your mouth but instead smolders comfortingly.

An even more unique sauce seals the deal, however: dried Chinese pasilla hawthorn, which is acidic enough to cut into the cheesiness of the filling and balances it all out.

While we were blown away by the tastebud-busting creativity of the enchiladas, another new meatless option also piqued our interest: the RMB 88 cauliflower steak. Consisting of grilled cauliflower seared to the point of becoming a firm patty, this meatless steak is doused in a garlic marinade, saliva-inducing sautéed bell peppers and onions, and served atop a jalapeño black bean sauce. A side of vibrant pico de gallo (also known as salsa fresca), crunchy chips, and filling butter rice aptly cap the proceedings off.

Impressive as those vegetarian options are, the meatier numbers certainly don't disappoint. Best of that bunch: the hearty carne asada steak (RMB 228), made up of a marinated USDA ribeye in red abodo (a mix of chili, paprika, salt, black pepper and other ingredients). Crisp grilled asparagus and a generous coating of black pepper puree sauce round the dish off, and its dusting of homemade queso fresco cheese (a Mexican dairy mainstay) punctuate the steak with subdued, salty tanginess.

Seafood fans will also be satisfied by the fresh and light RMB 118 carmarones con arroz (plump garlic marinated shrimps that also have queso fresco sprinkling) and the RMB 128 grilled salmon with grilled fennel and portobello mushrooms, as well as sautéed potatoes topped with mango salsa.

Anyone more partial to juicy white meat will want to try the RMB 108 grilled garlic chicken (which comes with a side of rich mashed sweet potatoes) or the RMB 108 grilled pork loin (which we sadly didn’t get to try, but will eagerly come back for considering it’s grass-fed pork loin grilled and roasted, garlic mash, grilled asparagus, ancho pina sauce, topped with grilled pineapple salsa).

Drawing on Mexico’s southern Oaxaca region as an influence – typified by grilling and a spiciness to the cuisine that is subtle and slow burning compared to other parts of the country – Heng has followed in the footsteps of his mentor Rick Bayless. The elder chef opened Frontera Grill in the late 80s to offer the dishes he had enjoyed on his travels through Mexico in Chicago. After his success there and at his other restaurants, Bayless became a celebrated cookbook author and TV personality, and fans like Heng took note and looked on with awe. Heng studied Bayless’ books hungrily, teaching himself to make simple Mexican fare and opening Pebbles in Beijing in 2010. The next year, during his first trip to Chicago, he finally had the opportunity to try Frontera for himself, sampling Bayless’ cuisine and leaving a letter for his hero with the staff.

The letter said: "I’m your biggest fan from China! I’ve read all your cookbooks and if you’re ever in Beijing I’d be happy to host you,” Heng recalls with a smile of the effort he assumed would amount to nothing. Instead, he was shocked in 2014 when Bayless’ staff emailed Heng, saying they had been invited to Beijing by the US Embassy. They met up and hit it off, with Bayless giving plenty of cursory cooking tips to Heng. After a visit in 2015 to see Bayless in action at his restaurants, Heng decided to delve deeper and enroll at Chicago’s top-notch Kendall College. Bayless even let Heng stay in one of his guest apartments (in a complex where the esteemed chef rents numerous rooms, including a garden where he grows fresh ingredients for his restaurants) to cut down on Heng’s commute so that he could focus on his studies and learn a few more tips and tricks at Frontera between classes.

Heng still can’t believe his good fortune, calling the experience “magical” and showcasing a level of professionalism and creativity now at Pebbles that clearly reflects the opportunities he’s seized. Pebbles patrons are sure to be just as impassioned about those dishes as Heng, considering their modern, upscale but affordable, and creative qualities. Those of us who can’t make the trek to Oaxaca or Frontera anytime soon will be glad to have Pebbles bringing that creative Mexican fare to Beijing.

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Kyle Mullin, courtesy of Ray Heng

While Temple’s Anniversary shows should be at the top of everyone’s must-go gig lists this weekend (coffee shot salute) as well as 69 Café’s last waltz (couch seat salute), there are plenty of other greats shows to dip into, including, ahem, Live Beijing Music’s latest seasonal showcase at DDC on Saturday.

Friday, July 28

Gum Bleed, WHAI, Outsiders at Temple
Temple continues its warpath of celebratory debauchery with a serving of explosive psycho rock featuring heavyweight acts Gum Bleed, anti-establishment punk stalwarts, and WHAI, trance electro rock staples, as they give it their all the at Gulou venue alongside up and comers Outsiders. Plus, special post-show DJ set from DJ Skinnygetlucky who keep things toasty into the early morning. Free 

Jasmine Monk, Wu Gui, Lao Mao, Nick Parsons, Zhang Yi Fan, Chali Liang at 69 Café
69 Café – the tiny little safe haven for folk artists, experimentalists, and other small scale acts in the hustle and bustle of Nanluoguxiang bids farewell as the venue closes its days this weekend. Pay your respects one of these nights as an array of folk scene regulars, who grew up on the joint pay tribute including Jasmine Monk, Wu Gui and more. 66 RMB

While She Sleeps (UK) at Yugong Yishan
One of the most buzzed about metalcore groups to emerge from the UK, mostly due to their topical post-Brexit lyrics and sober musical sensibilities, While She Sleeps, out of Sheffield, England bring their acclaimed recent release You Are We to Yugong Yishan. 260 RMB

Fan Mian Er, Zing Way, Chun, All Unknown, Goodbye Sunset, Add Fire Workers at School
Local promoters FanZui TuanHuo are back with another night of genre-jumping rock and roll including hardcore punk band FangMianEr, Harbin punk rockers ZingWay, pop rock outfit All Unknown, electronic post-hardcore group Goodbye Sunset, as well as upstarts Chun and Add Fire Workers (love that last one). 80 RMB

Giant Saint, Edge Walking, MC Dawei and Band at DDC
An eclectic evening of sounds – from big band hip-hop to indie rock fronting to folk pop swooning – join Giant Saint, MC Dawei and friends, and Edge Walking at DDC for some good-natured fun. 60 RMB

The Zhang Xiongguan Quartet featuring Xu Zhihan at Jianghu Bar
One of the most influential young jazz guitarists and composers in China, Zhang Xiongguan brings his quartet and is joined by rising jazz guitarist Xu Zhihan for some top notch awe-inspiring jazz riffage. 60 RMB

Jacques Stotzem (Belgium), Justin King (US), Agustin Amigo (ES), Masaaki Kishibe Shimabara (JP), Huang Jiawei (TW), Kang Kang at Tango
The International Finger-Style Guitar Music Festival returns to Tango with another stellar lineup of mind-blowing finger-style guitar legends from all around the world share the stage. If that’s your thing then really, there’s no better place to be. 200 RMB

Da He at Yue Space
Indie folk artist kicks off his summer tour in support of his latest EP Peaceful Loneliness– catch the highly acclaimed pristine-voiced singer-songwriting at Yue Space. 150 RMB

Danzeng Zhouga at Rockland
Tibetan singer Danzeng Zhouga performs at the distro and venue Rockland in Houhai. 120 RMB 

Joseeh Punmanlon at 13 Club
Mando-pop singer Joseeh Punmanlon aka Joseph John Pompley Lang, appears at 13 Club with his catalogue of hits including "My Skateboard Shoes," voted the ‘Biggest Earworm of 2014’. 120 RMB   

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (US) at Blue Note
Catch the genre-bending reinventors of the New Orleans brass band – the Dirty Dozen Brass Band – who embrace be-bop, funk, and rhythm-and-blues for some high-octane fun. 320 RMB

Mr. Freeman at Blue Stream Bar
Mr. Freeman – made up of three locals and a Belgian, and together since 2009 play 90’s style rock with funk-inflected hit up the cozy Blue Stream. 40 RMB
 

Saturday, July 29

Last Goodbye, Agoraphobia, Xiao Wang, Ambient Intelligence, 5th Dimension at DDC
Soak in the remnants of summer (ha!) with a whole new crop of bands looking to lay havoc to the music scene and keep the grooves dense and the atmosphere humid as Live Beijing Music and DDC team up again for their seasonal outing with 'Summer Stock'– a stuffed, rollicking package of deviant rock and roll featuring neo psychedelic shoegaze faves Last Goodbye, young indie rock scrappers Agoraphobia, modular synth duo Ambient Intelligence, sugar-coated razor sharp girl punk outfit Xiao Wang, and synth pop duo 5th Dimension. Punk, shoegaze, indie, pop, synths and more – just another summer stroll with LBM and DDC. 60 RMB

Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen, O.G.M.C at Yue Space
Veteran blues rock outfit Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen bring harmonica, acoustic guitars, and some very merry singers to Yue Space alongside outpost blues gangsters OGMC for some Chinese-grown Americana country blues. Gangsta indeed. 100 RMB

Ambulance of Love, Swinging Babarellas, The Paper Tigers, Electric Lady, The Hunters at School
Say farewell to The Paper Tigers, whose Clash meets Block Party antics came to full fruition this year with their debut release, as they call it a day. They’ll be joined by 70s street punks Ambulance of Love as well as the genre-bunny-hopping Swinging Babarellas, The Hunters, and the always reliable stoner rockers Electric Lady. 60 RMB

Scare the Children, Acid Accident, mystery band at Temple
Temple Bar saves the best for last and by best I mean the most brutal as horror metal favorites Scare The Children, infamous for their terrifying costumes and set design, bring the noise alongside up and comers Acid Accident, and a super secret mystery band. Considering the circumstances, I’m gonna say it’ll be a hell of a ringer. Free

Meng Qi, Nerve, Pink Money at Fruityspace
Kill The Rave is a series of DIY parties organized by Twenty Alpha from Hong Kong, which focuses on the mixing of extreme noise music and electronic club sound, and explores the cultural exchange network throughout the globe’s underground scene. Digging it. For their first Beijing outing, they’ve tapped the electronic wizard himself Meng Qi who’ll join Hong Kong experimentalist Nerve and multimedia duo Pink Money. 40 RMB

Li Bo at 69 Café
69 Café – the tiny little safe haven for folk artists, experimentalists, and other small-scale acts in the hustle and bustle of Nanluoguxiang bids farewell as the venue closes its days this weekend. Pay your respects this evening with indie rocker Li Bo, the former lead singer of Jacky Danny, who’ll perform. 100 RMB

Kinkorgasm, Rotating Glasshouse at Jianghu Bar
Offbeat sounds and sensibilities at Jianghu Bar as indie rock scrappers Rotating Glasshouse joins solo no wave artist Kinkorgasm. 60 RMB

Wicked Bones, Lifer, Source Code, Xue Fengche, Hard Bones at 13 Club
Join the rough and tumble of Wudaoku and fight the good fight with the university students as they head mash their way into summer without a care in the world as a slate of hard rock and metal bands take the stage. 80 RMB
 

Sunday, July 30

Swinging Barbarellas, Boss Cuts at Temple
After five nights straight of rock and roll fever dreams and mind numbing hangover Temple cuts loose for their true anniversary show – as friends and family join for a festive celebration of Temple’s righteous spot in the music scene, complete with a special rock trivia game, a ceremony, and special sets from the mischievous Swinging Barbarellas and surf rock duo Boss Cuts. Congrats Temple! Free

Juan Carmona Quartet (SP) at DDC
Nominated countless times for the ‘Best Album Flamenco’ at the Latin Grammy Awards, Juan Carmona is considered one of the best flamenco guitarists in the world. At the intersection between musical modernity and the oldest flamenco traditions of Andalusia, Juan Carmona is an innovator, one of the most valiant links of his generation. Catch him and his band this evening. 150 RMB

Backspace, Boss Cuts at 69 Café (afternoon)
69 Café – the tiny little safe haven for folk artists, experimentalists, and other small-scale acts in the hustle and bustle of Nanluoguxiang bids farewell as the venue closes its days this weekend. Pay your respects this afternoon as indie rockers Backspace and surf rock duo blast out some jams in the afternoon.

Cai Xiaolun, Zhang Guangqian, Nick Parsons at 69 Café (evening)
The bittersweet goodbyes continue into the evening as more scene regulars take turns paying their respects to 69 Café including Cai Xiaolun, Zhang Guangqian, and Nick Parsons (pretty much there every night – that’s love). 88 RMB

Leng Shan Hu at School
Straight out of Beijing's current high school system, young rockers LengShanHu are spending their summer break taking a trek around China's live houses on their first tour of China. Support the kids! 60 RMB

Phew! Still hungry for more? Check out all of our live music listings here.

Images: Live Beijing Music, courtesy of the organizers

Fangjia Hutong is like a magnet for small businesses with character. From El Nido, Fang Bar, to Ramo, from MoxiMoxi to Antlers, the Great Brickening of 2017 proved a heavy blow to these back-street establishments, but many have survived and in a show of resilience, a number of new venues have even popped up, including Great Friend Outdoors Club, opened earlier this month.   

READ: Bye Bye Business: Pictures Show Favorite Hutong Haunts Before and After Bricking

Unlike the booze-heavy west side of Fangjia (think El Nido, Cellar Door, Peiping Machine, etc.), Great Friend Outdoors Club sits on the east side, and doesn't hide its scars from the recent bricking over, but instead makes them a little easier on the eyes with splashes of color and a blackboard wall covered in chalk doodles and autographs from attendees of the bar's soft opening.

The venue is legitimately relaxing and features several stools propped up around it, 12 taps behind the bar (to be rotated periodically), and a blackboard on the right with the details of the beers. Those include local and domestic microbrews, such as Fumo IPA (RMB 48), Tengyun Wheat Ale (RMB 38) from Harvest, Film G Milk Stout (RMB 48) and Tiaodong Who IPA (RMB 45) from Wuhan No. 18, Beijing Gose (RMB 45), NB Wheat (RMB 38), Vanilla Coffee Stout (RMB 48) and Heifeweizen (RMB 38) from NBeer Pub, Osmanthus Honey Ale (RMB 38) from Shenyang Laotao, and Diaistic Cider (RMB 45). There are also a bunch of popular beers in the fridge, such as North Coast, Ballast Point, Rogue, Dogfish Head, and Brewdog.

One slightly odd aspect is that the flights here come at set rates: order either a flight of six of the odd-numbered beers for RMB 129, or an even-numbered one with six tasters for RMB 139, which also includes the cider. Ok, sure. The strange part is that if you pay for the RMB 139 flight you still can't have your pick of the beers. 

For sustenance, we tried the Weightlifting Stewed Pork Shoulder (RMB 98), which was a surprisingly good Beijing rendition of German roasted — the meat so tender, perfectly seasoned, and the skin soft and bouncy, covering the fat tucked between it and the juicy lean meat. Take your pick between the three different sauces that it's served with: a Chinese soy bean sauce with smashed garlic, a Thai sweet chili sauce, and a German mustard. It also comes with pickles and a whopping six french fries (yes, we counted), which seems more than a little stingy.

Other mains include roast chicken (RMB 98), stewed pork (RMB 35), chicken feet (RMB 38), pickles (RMB 10), as well as other assorted bar food (RMB 10-30). We recommend the in-house made spicy peanuts (RMB 10), seasoned with star anise, chili, and spices, which go particularly well with beers or just by themselves.  

To test your level of drunkenness, you can then tempt fate with a climb on the bar's miniature rock-climbing wall, which reaches all the way up to the private room on the second floor (just kidding, don’t do that). 

The 350sqm space is replete with three floors and a nice terrace, all carefully designed by two graduates from Tsinghua University. The effort shows and provides Great Friend with an atmosphere that is conducive to spending a lot of time in the bar, hanging out with old friends or making new ones. The fitness aspect of the bar will run through the team's plans to hold seminars about hiking, climbing, and tracking at the pub, which you can find out more about by joining their WeChat (ID: WeChat: y591783), used various outings with seasoned hikers.

The staff is friendly and willing to walk newbies through their concept (or order a beer) and the venue is designed in such a way that the atmosphere is immediately pleasing, giving the impression that with Great Friend we will be great friends.

Great Friend Outdoors Club
Daily 10am-11.30pm. 12 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District (6994 5950)
野友趣：东城区方家胡同12号

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure

Photos: Tracy Wang

Beijing Beats brings you the best in Beijing nightlife each weekend. Its aim: to help you soothe the woes of a long and stressful week with some out-of-body gyrating and some experiences you'd rather forget come Monday. Check the weekend's full list of nightlife events here.
 

Friday, July 28

Blackout With Elvis T.
Lantern gets techno all night long with this set by Taiwan-born, Beijing-based producer and DJ Elvis T. One of China’s top techno talents, Elvis is a genuine studio nerd who can bring down a dancefloor with the flick of a wrist - lately preferring long sets on four CDJs with his immaculate-sounding Model 1 mixer. He’s joined by Jackson Lee in Room 1 at Lantern, with Rhom Omit, Eva Xu, Hamoudeh, and Keiren in Room 2. RMB 50. 10pm. Lantern

Bermuda
Bermuda takes over Beijing's primo video game bar 8-Bit this Friday, promising to play a great selection of trap and future bass alongside their own original tracks. Free. 10pm-midnight. 8-Bit

Panda Party
Steo Le Panda appears at this weekend's Panda Party at Modernsky Lab, a rare chance to see this electronic music performer as he plays a set including his new LED light show. Support comes from DJs Bass Guo, Negative 808, and Hazy. RMB 100, RMB 80 (advance). Modernsky Lab
 

Saturday, July 29

Hidden Ocean Pool Party
Vegas not in the budget this summer? Head to the Hidden Ocean Water Party and eat, drink, and make merry in Chaoyang instead. DJs Trinidad, Electromobile, Yuan Peng, and Abby will be on hand to spin tunes while you enjoy a white sand beach and dance the night away in the pool. 8.30pm. RMB 268, RMB 158 (advance). Kuqiche Art Park

Disco Extravaganza
Queens unite on the dance floor! Disco Extravaganza is back again! Beijing’s most fabulous party brings together disco tunes, drag queens, and live performances. Open up and enjoy the extravaganza with Boflex and Nassdak on the decks! 10pm. Price TBA. Migas

Far East Lion
Dada showcases some of Beijing's finest reggae, dub, dancehall, and jungle talent this Saturday with the likes of Far East Lion, Blood Dunza, and Raddam Ras. Price TBA. 10pm. Dada

Electric Amusement Park All-Star Weekend With Jay Hardway
Head to Beijing Fun Capital Amusement Park for this weekend-long electronic music festival. Martin Garrix collaborator Jay Hardway headlines, joined by bass and dubstep DJ Pantao, internationally recognized Chinese electronic producer Unity, and special guest, rapper Al Rocco, along with many other DJs. Saturday and Sunday, 3-10pm. RMB 240-680. Beijing Fun Capital Amusement Park
 

Sunday, July 30

Vic's Barely Alive Party
Barely Alive brings you WhyBeatz, one of the rising stars of bass. Having collaborated with artists like Skrillex and DJ Snake and worked from Las Vegas to Shanghai, he now comes to Beijing with support from DJs Liz, Fader, and Chenfei. 10pm. RMB 150, RMB 130 (advance). Vics

Images courtesy of the organizers

Blame us for letting the cat out of the bag, but trying to figure out the confusion that is Beijing's air quality is like trying to get a straight answer out of a guy named Schrödinger.

According to the local Bureau of Environmental Protection, the air quality in Beijing simultaneously improved and worsened over the first six months of this year.

This paradox is made all the more perplexing when considering that Beijing has undergone a year-on-year increase of average PM2.5 levels during this same time period while simultaneously experiencing its lowest PM2.5 levels in recorded history (that is, since 2012).

Confused? So are we, so we'll admit that an analysis of the following statistics may not mitigate this unpleasant feeling.

Beijing PM2.5 levels for the first half of 2017 averaged 66 micrograms per cubic meter, constituting a 3 percent year-on-year increase from the same period last year. That's bad.

READ: Only 16 More Years Until Clean Air in China!

And yet, these levels are 36 percent better than the average levels from back in 2013 because PM2.5 levels remarkably improved by March, leading to a record-breaking drop of 25 percent. That's good.

But that's not all. Beijing only had a total of 99 days in which the city's air quality conformed with government regulations, eight days less than last year. The first half of the year saw 16 days of severe air pollution and one day of heavy ozone pollution. Again, that's bad. 

At the same time, Beijing experienced a 15 percent year-on-year drop in sulfur dioxide, a pollutant that primarily originates from vehicle exhaust. This decrease is likely thanks to the 27,500 new electric cars added to Beijing's streets, making up the nation's largest fleet of new energy vehicles, totaling 137,000.

READ: Where the Wind Blows: Beijing to Build 'Ventilation Corridors' to Blow Away Pollution

PM10 levels rose to an average of 96 micrograms per cubic meter, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent. That's bad. And while dust storms and pollen attacks are the most likely culprits, Global Times reports that the increase is mainly due to the 20 percent increase in citywide construction, taking up a massive 120 square kilometers. So ... that's good?

Things were not looking good last February or the month before when Beijingers had to suffer through seven consecutive days of air pollution rated above 200 AQI. And yet, that was also the time when the city pledged to spend RMB 18.2 billion (USD 2.6 billion) on pollution alleviation.

Are these measures working? As before, Beijing aims to reach an average PM2.5 level of 60 micrograms per cubic meter by year's end, a comforting goal if it wasn't twice the level set by the World Health Organization.

In the same way that Beijing smog affects the sensitive mucus-lining of our throats, we've been burned before. Back in the winter of 2016, we were so impressed with the city's improved air quality that we called it "Mind-blowingly, lung-cleansingly, nostril-clearingly amazing." Considering these latest conflicting results, we're hesitant to be so optimistic.

READ: Smog Makes 70 Percent of China Unhappy (the Other 30 Percent Probably Own Coal Mines)

At the end of all this, we can only suggest that you hang onto your trusty home air purifier, but also that the opportunity to open your hermetically sealed windows may have finally arrived. Take your pick.

More stories from this author here.

Twitter: @Sinopath
E-mail: charlesliu1@qq.com

Images: jj831, CNR

It's almost the end of July and summer is well and truly under way, so if you made a vow to get fit this summer, it might be time to check your progress. Luckily, there are plenty of new gyms, classes, and courses starting to get you back on track if you feel like you're lagging behind.

Popular 24-hour fitness chain B Active will open their third location in Beijing in Dongzhimen on August 1. The new location is north of Chunxiu Lu, near the Oakwood Residences and the Dongzhimen branch of Din Tai Fung (cheeky post-workout meal, anyone?). If you're closer to the Sanlitun end of town, be sure to check out the range of one-hour classes B Active have on offer at their Sanlitun location. There is something for everyone, from ab- and butt-shaping classes to relaxing morning yoga. Check the B Active WeChat for more information. 

If you struggle to find the motivation to go to the gym or attend a class, you might consider signing up for a group sport – it's harder to shrug off your workout when the fate of your team is at stake! Beijing Lacrosse is starting up their summer season and holding weekly practices at Chaoyang Park every Tuesday at 8pm. Whether you're looking to get back into lacrosse or have never played in your life, they promise to "teach you everything you need to know and get you out on the field in no time." They will even provide any gear you need. The first session is free, then RMB 60 per week after that. For more information, contact laxbeijing@gmail.com or add tflehmann on WeChat.

And now, as they say, for something completely different. On July 30, Glo Kitchen and Fitness are organizing a pretty unique event – a day of wakeboarding at Shunyi Olympic Park (pictured at top). Wakeboarding is a thrilling, high-octane activity that just so happens to also offer a total body workout, build strength in the arms and legs, and even improve flexibility in the ankles and wrists. A great way to get some exercise and fend off the summer heat in the water. For RMB 488 (plus RMB 100 equipment rental fee) you'll get picked up from Glo Guanghua Lu and taken to the Olympic Park, where you'll get in two hours of wakeboarding in the morning, followed by a healthy lunch provided by Glo (optional, RMB 88 extra). After lunch, you can continue to wakeboard to your heart's content. See here for more information and to sign up. 

More stories by this author here.

Instagram: @gongbaobeijing
Twitter: @gongbaobeijing
Weibo: @宫保北京

Photos: Pexels, Beijing Lacrosse, Glo

Most of us talk about our dreams but how many of us actually set out to realize them? Native Beijinger Shi Xin did just that when he returned from Japan and decided to set up a humble ramen restaurant in the Maizidian area of Beijing. “I knew that I could do anything, open any kind of restaurant, but I wanted to do something genuine, that spoke to who I was as a person.” 

Aptly, the name of Shi Xin’s restaurant, Yume Wo Katare, roughly translates as “talk about your dreams.” They servejiro-kei (jiro-style) ramen, the only restaurant in Beijing to do so. According to the website Ramen Tokyo, alljiro-kei ramen stores are descended from the original store in Mita, Tokyo (Mita Honten). Shi Xin, who moved to Japan for elementary school and returned to attend university, apprenticed at Yume Wo Katare, part of the second generation of jiro-keiramen shops, and got permission from the founder to bring the brand to Beijing (there are seven locations of Yume Wo Katare in Japan, as well as a popular one in Boston). 

Rather than hiring a ramen chef, Shi Xin decided that he would make everything from the noodles to the broth himself to ensure that his ramen remains true to the original. However, he does have larger-than-life Japanese chef Odajima Kazuhisa working alongside him in the kitchen, cooking up whatever specials come into his head. Odajima-san actually learned to cook Western cuisine before he learned to cooked Japanese cuisine, so you can expect some creative combinations. 

Jiro-keiramen has resonances with the more widely known tonkotsu ramen in that it begins with a broth made from slowly boiled (and we mean slowly – more than 17 hours) pork bones, but there the similarities end. The broth is more like a gravy, albeit the richest gravy you have ever tasted, replete with suspended pork fat and a savory note from added shoyu. To the broth are added thick, homemade noodles; slow-braised pork tenderloin; a heaping mound of bean sprouts and cabbage; and a spoon each of minced garlic and rendered fatback. Mixed together, the whole thing is incredibly unctuous and stridently porky, yet at the same time surprisingly balanced thanks to the abundant vegetables. 

The jiro-keiramen experience is uniquely interactive. Once you have taken your seat at the noodle bar and placed your order, the chef will ask you “ninnikuiremasuka?” or “do you want to add garlic?” You can choose to customize your ramen with extra garlic or even extra pork fat if you like to play it fast and loose with the condition of your arteries. “Some local customers complain about the bar-style layout, but you can’t servejiro-kei ramen any other way; that communication with the chef is an essential part of the experience. However, we find that once people have tried the ramen they quickly find that they can get used to the layout,” Shi Xin says, laughing modestly. 

Yume Wo Katare’s ramen can be ordered in five different sizes: mini (RMB 38), small (RMB 50), standard (RMB 50), medium (RMB 55), and large (RMB 60). If you are a first-time diner, we suggest ordering the small size, to avoid over-facing yourself (you can add extra vegetables for free or an extra portion of pork for RMB 18). Alongside the ramen, they serve a short menu of Japanese-style Chinese dishes (think Japanese takes on mapo tofu and dandan noodles) and the aforementioned regular specials. 

“People tell me that with our big portions and unique experience our ramen could become one of those dishes that attracts a lot of attention online but that’s not my goal. I want to stay true to the identity of the dish and make sure that every bowl we serve tastes just as good as the last one, and isn’t just something to take a picture of.”

Yume Wo Katare

Daily noon-11.30pm (call ahead to confirm current opening hours). 2/F, Ichiban Street, 15 Zaoying Beili, Chaoyang District (6773 0650)

朝阳区枣营北里15号一番街2层

This post is paid for by Yume Wo Katare. 

Photos: Uni You

The ongoing campaign to make food and dining safe in China has revealed a number of famous Beijing restaurants have supplied their customers with dirty tableware contaminated with coliform bacteria.

The Beijing office of food and drug supervision recently reported that 18 of 253 tableware samples taken from a number of local eateries tested positive for coliform bacteria, indicating that nine individual restaurants were in violation of local health codes.

The offenders include such well-known establishments as the Greenery Cafe (北京绿茵阁), one of China's largest Western-style restaurant chains, as well as a cafeteria operated as part of the Hanguang department store (汉光百货) in Xidan's shopping area. 

READ: Top 10 Food Myths in China That You Should Know (Part 1)

Another offender is the Qing Feng Baozi Shop (庆丰包子铺) located south of Zhongguancun, a veritable Beijing brand that dates back to 1948, but that has run into food safety issues before, primarily in 2015. 

Of special interest to Sanlitun residents is the Mount E'mei restaurant (峨嵋酒家) located just to the west of Tuanjiehu Station, right at the bottom tip of Chaoyang Park. A laozihao restaurant that specializes in Sichuan cuisine, this restaurant is so old that it takes its name from a Chinese "pop" song that dates back to the 50s.

Testing positive for coliform bacteria is not necessarily life-threatening, but this contamination may show the presence of other pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, Shigella, and pathogenic E. coli.

READ: Is Your Rice Cooker Poisoning You?

Coliforms are bacteria that naturally occur in the digestive tracts of animals, and is also found in plants and soil. However, its presence in food and water supplies usually signifies something is not clean.

The report does not clarify who is specifically responsible for the contaminated tableware. A common practice for Chinese restaurants and eateries is to give their customers free tableware provided by a third-party supplier in which bowls and plates have been sealed in plastic as proof of their cleanliness. And yet, previous reports have shown some of these shrink-wrapped eating utensils to be supplied by fly-by-night enterprises in less-than-hygienic conditions.

But it's not just tableware in restaurants you should be wary of. Plastic tableware sold in Beijing supermarkets have been reported to be "contaminated with urea-formaldehyde resin, a substance that could produce carcinogenic chemicals when heated."

Of course, apart from being cautious of what you're putting into your body, it's difficult to determine whether your tableware is contaminated. To that end, we suggest sticking to restaurants that you trust and try and do research on cleanliness on new restaurants before you visit.

More stories from this author here.

Twitter: @Sinopath
E-mail: charlesliu1@qq.com

Images: Dianping, jdth, Yaolan, hfkangyuan, 99149

Beijing has been kind to us this week, with cool breezes, an AQI lower than 25, and temperatures below 30. And the good vibes look to continue into the weekend, with plenty of sunshine before the unbearable heat returns. Get 'em while it's not hot: this week's list heavily features summery sour beers, perfect to sip on your favorite patio under (relatively) blue skies.

Out of Step launches three fruity sour beers limited to this summer, all from Canada. The Hearthstone Wyld Lychee Berliner Weiss and Wyld Raspberry Berliner Weiss both sport a mild 3.2 percent ABV, the latter being on the list of buy two, get one free beers on Wednesday. The Rei Boysenberry Sour, an American wild ale with 6.5 percent ABV from Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks in Richmond, is a limited brew for the 2017 Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria.

Jing-A has two tart and hoppy varieties on tap. The Suan Ge Pi, a dry-hopped sour ale with 5.6 percent ABV, floral and fruity notes and a tart finish, won a Gold Medal at the 2017 Asia Beer Cup in the New Generation Beer category. The Zeffer Hopped Infused Cider has a refreshing character from freshly crushed green apples, a floral hoppy nose, and a tropical fruit flavor.

Great Leap Brewing is bringing the seasonal favorite Pale Ale #45 back on tap at all three locations. Named after their #45 location, this Kiwi-style beer is brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops and New Zealand malts, instead of the local Qingdao flowers. It has tropical fruit notes, a malty sweetness, and a bold flavor.

Great Leap will also release another beer in the Honey Ma series, the Imperial Honey Ma, which is the imperial version of the first-ever and flagship brew Honey Ma Gold. This new beer shares the same ingredients as the latter – such as Sichuan peppercorns and local honey from an apiary near the Great Wall – but the peppercorns are infused longer and the quantity of honey is doubled. The aromas are more intense and complex with a much higher alcohol content at 8.1 percent. Wrap your work week up with this hefty beer at all three locations today (Jul 28).

Arrow Factory has a buy one, get one free deal on The Bitter End Rye P.A. all day Saturday at their Liangma River location. This beer has 6.1 percent ABV, a red and smooth body, and fruity notes from the Amarillo, Hallertau Blanc, and Palisade hops. They also have a new guest cider on tap, the iBrew Bad Apple Cider, with 6 percent ABV.

Did we mention that you can get their Seeing Double IPA and Guanxi Pale Ale at Sanlitun's Me Café now?

As we mentioned in early July, Australian craft brewery Little Creatures launch party was postponed, but they're now happy to announce that it will finally take place on August 6 (Saturday, 11.30am-6pm) at Chengxindong Art Space, in the 798 Art District. There will be a pop-up Aussie barbecue, and of course, their signature beers – think pale ale, amber ale, pilsner, bright ale, IPA, and Dog Days summer session IPA. Contact littlecreatures@rivieraevents.com to RSVP. If you happen to visit Hong Kong in the near future, stop by their shop at Kennedy Town, where there will be more experimental beers on tap. 

Aside from the draught rendition, NBeer is releasing a canned version of Pheromonal Oyster Stout. This Irish dry stout is brewed with Aigue-Marine oysters; it has notes of coffee, roasted barley and sweetness, with 5 percent ABV. There will be an oyster competition on August 4 (7pm) at their Huguosi location.

What is an oyster competition, you ask? Well, to be specific, it's an oyster eating contest. Three teams of two (one male, one female) will compete, with the male teammate shucking the oyster, and the female eating it with “poise and elegance” (f that, get it down!). The first couple to complete the task and chug a glass of oyster stout "with arms linked” will be awarded another pint of the stout and four more oysters. There will also be a deal for spectators of this bizarre match throughout the night: RMB 138 for a pint of the stout and four oysters.

We extend our congratulations to homebrewers Jeff Leclerc and Jon Parry, who have launched JJ Crafters and will hold their draft cranberry cider’s debut at 4corners this Saturday (11am-11pm). RMB 80 will get you a pint of cider with a sausage or sliders. This cider is brewed with organic apples from Shanxi province and cranberry juice, without adding sugar or chemicals. 

This tart and fizzy sip, with 7 percent ABV, might be just the solution for the summer heat. If you can't make it on Saturday, the duo also sell their beer, cider, and mead through their WeChat shop (check here) or at the Farm to Neighbours market in the basement of the Grand Summit on weekends.

And finally, Great Friend Outdoors Club, the newest contender at 12 Fangjia Hutong, has a weekly happy hour on Wednesday, 7-10pm, in which every pint of NBeer Wheat bought gets you a free bottle of Reberg IPA from Shanghai. Once you're suitably confident, have a go on their climbing wall.

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure

Photos courtesy of venues, Tobal Loyola, Tracy Wang

The hutongs have never been just alleys and courtyards. They've also served as stone to be chiseled, clay to be molded, canvases to be splattered with colorful ideas and creations by Beijing's most creative entrepreneurs, artists, and event organizers. Now, as part of a new project called Eye-Dotting the Dragon, a half-dozen restaurants will take that bohemian spirit one step further, offering up their facades for prospective designers to scrawl their vibrant ideas upon.

To be clear: participants will draw their decorative designs on pictures of the restaurants first, then submit them for consideration, with only one winner's etchings be selected for real-life use. Ramo, Antlers, and others are among the initial entrants to partake in the project (a full list is here).

The project is being coordinated by Nicole Chen, owner and operator of the artsy NC Space in the No. 46 Fangjia Courtyard. Chen dubbed the undertaking "Eye-Dotting the Dragon" in reference to an old Chinese fable about an artist who painted dragons on walls only to watch those creatures come to life and fly away whenever he made the crucial finishing touch: painting their eyes. A statement about the project explains that this time-honored parable is "used to describe how, when painting, writing or speaking, the addition of just one or two key brushstrokes, sentences, words or phrases can enhance the content."

Many trendy Beijingers have been dismayed to see lively hutongs like Fangjia threatened to the point of becoming a bygone legend just like the dragons in that parable. As a celebration of the alleyway businesses that have recently been bricked up and shut down, not to mention the venues that have been fortunate and resilient enough to survive, the Eye-Dotting the Dragon project is meant to help artists and admirers pay colorful tribute to the spirit of the hutongs.

The Eye-Dotting the Dragon project kicked off on July 22 with a hutong-themed photo exhibit at NC Space along with a guided tour of nearby alleys. A second guided tour will be held on July 29. And from now until July 31, applicants can submit their designs for one of the six participating hutong venues. From there, the received artworks will be posted on NC Space's WeChat account (ID: ncspace) for voting before the winner for each venue is decided.

Founder Nicole Chen says projects like this are crucial after all the tumult that hutong regulars have experienced as of late. Now, just like the spindly and arching back of a serpentine dragon taking flight, those long twisting alleyways will hopefully endure.

Chen says, "There has been a lot of uncertainty among all shop owners and customers in the hutongs after the city started its major renovation act [this year]," adding, "The unfinished facade of all the newly piled up brick walls shows people are still not sure about what will happen next ... So I thought we should try to give hutongs a modern look that meets the government requirements but also keeps the spirit of the old Beijing culture."

She adds that she is happy to see so many colorful applications thus far, and she is eagerly awaiting the final tallies and fully finished designs. "I'm glad I am receiving so much support now, and being the organizer of this project, I hope this won't be just 'one' project. I hope the concepts will evolve and let the hutong spirit move on with time. Long live the dragon!"

For more information about how to apply, click here and scan the QR code (the post is in Chinese), or email martin@ituojiang.com. Applications will be accepted until July 31. You can add NC Space's WeChat via ID: ncspace.

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Nicole Chen

The options aren't exactly abundant at Lush Whisky & Cocktail, but the bartenders certainly know how to make up for it.

This newly opened Sanlitun North establishment joins the throngs of Beijing cocktail spots that have opened in unconventional spots. The setting this time is the first floor of a nondescript apartment on one of the earliest strips to succumb to the "2017 Brickening" of the capital. But unlike many of its cocktail contemporaries, Lush has only half a dozen cocktail options, three of which are signatures.

And yet, what the bar lacks in breadth, it makes up for in depth. Its signature Peking Autumn Fog (RMB 70) is as fine a cocktail as any we've tried in Beijing. It's not overly flashy but has just enough flourishes to make it memorable, and its offbeat combination somehow works despite our skepticism. Yes that mix of torched cinnamon (to give a smokey aroma akin to the pollution from which the cocktail takes its name), Canadian maple syrup (hey, why not?), a whisked egg white, some lemon juice, a few drops of Bulleit rye for added complexity and, most importantly, a generous splash of Laphroaig 10-year scotch, with a smokey, full-bodied flavor making it a more than suitable base for the drink's overall theme. The sugary syrup and tart warmth of the whisky, not to mention the scent of the flambéed cinnamon all keep each other in check without pushing the proceedings into any indulgent extremes, keeping the flavor in a uniquely exciting spot that will appeal to a wide array of patrons. 

We loved that cocktail through and through, save for one gripe: it's perfectly suited for fall (if that wasn't obvious from its name), making it an odd choice to kick off your newly opened bar in the thick of muggy old July. We strongly recommend it regardless.

However, but the RMB 70 Wangjing might appeal to more seasonally inclined customers, because of its refreshing mix of gin, lemon juice, passion fruit, elder flower syrup, and passion purée. Lush's other original cocktail is the RMB 70 Sidecarb, made with VSOP Cognac, lime juice, and coriander. And of course, there are the usual options like a Negroni or an old fashioned (also RMB 70).

The Peking Autumn Fog's theme also, to an extent, extends to the entire bar, which relies heavily on dark tones, slices of white light and an oddly placed metal elk mount that all but screams "winter is coming," a phrase that you'll know by now even if you don't watch a certain TV show.

So while quirks abound at this bar, they remain curiously amusing. The below-average pricing for their higher-than-average cocktails also doesn't hurt. It's by no means luscious or luxurious, and yet Lush proves to be a mid-tier cocktail joint with higher ambitions and potential.

Lush Whisky & Cocktail
Daily, 7.30pm-2am. Room 101, Unit 4, Bldg 29, Sanlitun North Road (across the road from the United Nation's Children's Fund building; go around the back of the apartment building and you'll see the bar's logo) (6461 9572)
 路徒酒吧：三里屯 酒吧三里屯路三里屯北社区29号楼4单元1楼(联合国儿童基金会对面

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Kyle Mullin

With hosting duties for the Winter Olympics looming over the city, Beijing has kicked efforts to complete its subway system into high gear, resulting in the highest number of subway lines and the longest mileage of track ever worked on at one time in the city's history.

By year's end, construction is expected to be simultaneously performed on 20 different subway lines, measuring a total distance of 354.8 kilometers.

Most of the construction will be extensions added to existing subway lines, but ground will be broken on new subway lines as well.

READ: Beijing Subway Line 12 to Open in 2020, Promises Transfers of Under 100 Meters

A plan, currently under proposal and expected to begin work before 2018, is the new subway line that will serve the Central Business District (CBD). Serving just eight stations and running a total length of 6.5 kilometers, the crooked route will begin at Line 7 to the southeast, run northwest under Beijing East Railway Station and CBD before terminating at Dongdaqiao Station on Line 6.

Even though the new Beijing Airport to the south is not expected to open until 2019, the Beijing Metro is planning to allow commuters to get there through a variety of routes.

In addition to an express light transit connection departing from Beijing West Railway Station, subway commuters will be able to reach the Beijing Daxing International Airport on the future Line 19. Though this year will only see phase 1 of its construction, Line 19 is planned to depart from Mudanyuan Station on Line 10 to the north and wind its way southward past Jishuitan Station on Line 2 and Ping'anli Station on Lines 4 and 6 before crossing the ringed Line 10 (again) at Caoqiao Station before ultimately reaching the new airport (and beyond).

What's more, the new Beijing Airport is planned to be a transportation hub that will not just be connected to the subway and express trains, but a high-speed railway stop as well.

READ: New Beijing Airport Construction Well Under Way; Light Transit Planned from West Railway Station

What's more, the airport express serving Beijing Capital International Airport will be extended westward to Line 5, connecting at Beixingqiao Station.

Also looking far-off into the future is Line 7, which will be extended all the way to the future Universal Studios theme park, as will future plans for the Batong Line.

This year has also seen construction begin on the first stage of the mysterious Line 3. The east-west line is expected to make a stop in Sanlitun at the Workers' Stadium Station.

As with the CBD Line, the Yanfang Line is undergoing final confirmation. The new 6.1-kilometer-long subway line, which is designed to be completely driverless, will serve the southwestern suburb of Zhoukoudian with three stations, connecting it with the current Fangshan Line, a subway line with plans to be extended northwards to meet up with Line 16.

READ: Ride the Beijing Metro by Swiping Your Phone ... As Long as It's Not an iPhone

Beijing's underdeveloped west suburban public transportation infrastructure will be bolstered by the Xijiao streetcar line as well as the S1 Line. This new line will extend westward from Pingguoyuan, the terminal station for both Line 1 and Line 6, once it is connected by this year's expansion. At the same time, construction work will extend Line 16 by curving it southward to Xiyuan Station.

Meanwhile, other subway construction projects include phase 3 and 4 of Line 8 that will curve the Olympic Park-serving subway to circumvent the Forbidden City and extend it southward past Lines 2, 7, 14, and ultimately Line 10. Additionally, work will begin on Line 17, a subway line expected to also have a stop in Sanlitun.

The Beijing Metro is currently comprised of 19 subway lines and 345 stations. After this year's massive expansion, it won't be long before Beijing's incredible subway expansion gets the attention it deserves.

Here's how the Beijing Metro is expected to look in 2021 (map already out of date):

More stories from this author here.

Twitter: @Sinopath
E-mail: charlesliu1@qq.com

Images: Weibo, People

By nearly any standard, Choo Waihong appeared to be a successful, modern young woman. She had a prestigious degree. She worked in corporate law in Singapore. And she usually logged 15-hour days in a highly demanding and competitive environment. And yet she had to travel to a rustic Chinese locale and become acquainted with one of the world’s most isolated civilizations to experience a level of female empowerment beyond any she could ever imagine.

Indeed, her visit to the Mosuo community in Yunnan – as part of a trip to help Choo become more familiar with her Chinese heritage – lead her to become transfixed with those traditional villagers’ matriarchal lifestyle. Shockingly enough, Choo went on to spend six years there, become the godmother of a Mosuo girl, and incorporate that community’s multi-millennia of traditions into her life. That’s because the Mosuo, according to an official statement from Choo, “worship the female spirit, celebrate every aspect of womanhood and structure their social hierarchy according to maternal bloodlines” all of which “was a stark contrast to the male-dominated world of corporate law through which [I] had navigated for decades.”

Choo wrote a book about the experience, deriving its title from the moniker that many have given the Mosuo community. Indeed, The Kingdom of Women is an apt title for that memoir, which serves as the first such in-depth account of life in this one-of-a-kind Chinese matriarchal society. What’s more: Choo will visit The Bookworm on August 3 for a talk about her journey and the book that was borne from her experience there.      

Upon its publication this past spring, The Kingdom of Women was covered by outlets like The Guardian which called it “an accessible and sympathetic” account of a once richly traditional culture that is, sadly, transforming into a “tourist trap” as outsiders come to snap photos, pay to watch the locals to perform ritualistic dances and even greater, more tragic infringements on the Mosuo way of life.

“I believe the Mosuo women are strong enough to say, 'I demand the same thing of you that you demand of me,’” Choo said in a Q&A with The Straights Times about the unique matriarchs she met on her journey. Attendees of her Bookworm talk are sure to hear even more inspiring quotes from Choo as she recounts her experiences with these resilient female leaders in a remote corner besieged by encroaching, meddling tourists.

Choo will give a talk at The Bookworm on August 3 at 7.30pm. Tickets are RMB 50. For more information, click here. 

Photos: The Straights Times

Gin is the name of the place, and the name of the man behind the bar. But it likely won't be what's in your glass whenever you stop by this oddly monikered Dongzhimen haunt. Yes, Gin House's shelves are stacked with bottles of 12-year-old Yamasaki (RMB 100 per glass), 10-year-old Glenorah (also RMB 100 per glass), and higher grade whiskies like 40-year-old Glen Ord.

Granted there are bottles of gin on hand, along with vodkas and other spirits. Whatever. Owner 张迎松 – his English nickname being Gin – is primarily a whisky man, and stocks his shelves as such. Aside from choosing from those dozens of bottles, you can also have him mix up a pretty mean cocktail. As is the flavor de jour, Gin has decided not to make any specific cocktail menu but instead ready a drink for you after you let him know your preference for a glass of something sweet or bitter, stiff or light and breezy, and so on.

He started by shaking a Talisker Storm Scotch based drink that featured fresh lemon juice, some syrups and a bit of hay straw for aesthetic purposes (the latter of which really only succeeded in making it look weird). Looks aside, it was a piercingly tart cocktail that'd easily please anyone averse to sugary beverages.

To show off his range, Gin then made us a Tanqueray gin (finally!) based cocktail with lime juice and cucumber that he crushed and sieved in front of us. Though we're more partial to strong stiff drinks, this smoothly sweet cocktail was simply irresistible, boasting a refreshing crispness that made it ideal for knocking back on a hot day. Upon opening a year ago, the bar was situated directly across the street, but a few months ago they moved and the bigger patio certainly made that worthwhile.

All that, and the rugged man cave-ish vibe of the interior, along with a patio big enough to seat a dozen patrons, make Gin House a fun whisky and cocktail destination. Better still: there's hardly anything else in spitting distance, so anyone living nearby or passing by on their commute home will certainly be grateful to have a solid bar in their neighborhood. Sadly there's not enough on offer here to draw folks from further away. No matter; Gin seems more than content to regale regulars with bottles of malty goodness and cocktail mixed to suit their individual tastes.

Gin House
Daily 2pm-2am. 18 Xinyuan Xili Middle Street (15001290752)
新源西里中街18号（渔阳饭店西北角)

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Kyle Mullin

This post comes courtesy of our content partners at China Film Insider.

By the end of the 1960s, Hong Kong’s film industry was booming. It had become world-renowned for the brashness of its action pictures, created with such exuberance and crafted precision. The stunts in those movies have become legendary. In addition, there was a true proliferation of films of all sorts, including comedies and romances and dramas.

Starting in the 1980s, the Hong Kong cinema helped to reestablish many genres, such as gangster films, crime dramas, and kung fu comedies, which would have an impact worldwide. Yet the freedom which Hong Kong cinema experienced was constrained by the contours of unrestricted commercialism.

In the summer of 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong was set to undergo a change, when the island and the New Territories would go from being part of the British empire to being claimed as a region of the People’s Republic of China.

The ramifications of the changeover were, at the time, incalculable; it was not known what effects on the economic, political, and social life of Hong Kong this changeover of government would have, since the changeover seemed to represent a total break with traditions of over a century. Hong Kong’s position as one of the remnants of British colonialism in Asia now would be adjudicated as an annexation of Chinese rule.

Thinking back to that period, there was a sense of panic, as many Hong Kong residents tried to find a place to move within the British Commonwealth. There were quotas set up, as many Commonwealth countries feared a mass exodus to their shores; in particular, Australia and Canada were countries that seemed to be very wary of the presumed influx of Hong Kong residents. This political panic exposed a lot of the inherent prejudices of the British Commonwealth, prejudices which continue to roil the politics of Great Britain to this day.

But the film industry in Hong Kong was in a state of suspension. Many talents had come to Hollywood, starting with John Woo in 1986. Chow Yun-Fat, one of the biggest stars in Hong Kong, was negotiating to do films in the US; Peace Hotel in 1995 would be his last Hong Kong production for several years, as he negotiated to make films outside Hong Kong. However, no one had any idea exactly what changes would occur, and that unease caused a great deal of anxiety.

The producer and director Johnnie To has been an astute analyst of the situation of the Hong Kong film industry. As he has noted, Hong Kong itself never was a democracy. It was a colony, and the government was controlled by people who had been appointed by Great Britain.

Because of the lack of direct contact, that governmental control was never too rigid, with the illusion of great freedom which was more the result of benign indifference than political intention. But would Chinese rule bring about fundamental changes to Hong Kong? The Chinese government had been notorious for its autocratic control over all aspects of Chinese culture, and the fear was that this control would diminish the creative impulses of the film industry. That would not be the case.

For one thing, the People’s Republic of China was undergoing its own changes, as rapid industrialization was causing societal upheavals. The desire on the part of the Chinese government to encourage economic growth meant that the commercial success of the Hong Kong film industry was something to emulate rather than something to curtail. And so the Hong Kong film industry found itself continuing in its productivity, though faced with difficulties caused by the rapid technological changes in which the model of theatrical distribution has been challenged, a challenge faced by motion picture industries around the world.

For all that, to try to extrapolate political meanings behind much of the Hong Kong cinema after 1997 is rather tricky, because the meanings behind so much of Hong Kong cinema prior to 1997 were never explicitly political; to read into these films with the the imposition of a political agenda can lead the viewer to a diminished sense of the qualities of these films, which rely on skillful craftsmanship to provide kinesthetic entertainment.

A case in point might be Infernal Affairs (2002, pictured above), certainly one of the most famous of Hong Kong thrillers, directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. The intricate machinations of the plot involved the slow revelation of conspiratorial impostors; as the opposing teams representing law enforcement and the criminal underworld are shown to have agency in terms of undercover representatives, the sense of a nocturnal society layered in corruption becomes inescapable.

Immediately upon its release, it was obvious that Infernal Affairs was exceptionally well executed, with a relentless pace which allowed the most outlandish revelations to seem inevitable. The fame of Infernal Affairs was only enhanced when Martin Scorsese decided to craft an American remake, The Departed (2006), which would become one of his most celebrated movies.

But the differences between the two movies are instructive. Scorsese’s version tries to ground the plot in a carefully constructed social setting, taking care to develop a realistic picture of Boston’s ethnic enclaves. By contrast, Infernal Affairs seems to take place in a fantastical city of gleaming surfaces, and the actual workings of the police and the triads are abstracted, so that the similarities of the operations become obvious, and the question of moral equivalence is emphasized.

From Infernal Affairs, what can be made in terms of the question of the political position of Hong Kong society? On the most basic level, there is the inference that all political systems are similarly tainted, open to corruption and conspiracy.

Fruit Chan‘s Made In Hong Kong (1997) was a film made at the time of the changeover in Hong Kong; the depiction of low-level triads attempting to carry out various small scale activities could be seen as a portrait of the ways in which so many business ventures tried to continue under the radar of governmental oversight which was expected to overtake Hong Kong. Yet the escalating explosions of violence provide the kind of visceral excitement which was a hallmark of Hong Kong cinema. Were we to make a symbolic connection to the suppressed emotions waiting to explode?

That is the problem with trying to discern symbolic meanings behind commercial entertainment. This becomes clear when contrasted with an overt piece of agitprop, Ann Hui‘s Ordinary Heroes (1999), which attempts to give a panoramic view of political protests in Hong Kong, dating from the 1970s. Weaving together documentary footage with reenactments, this passionate assemblage is an eclectic mix, with wildly disparate segments, so that there is no sense of an even flow, but there are hectic moments of sharp insight.

Ann Hui, of course, has been noted for her blunt style, which was featured prominently in her early films, such as God of Killers (1981) and Love in a Fallen City (1984); perhaps the most famous example of her political style was found in Boat People (1982), which at the time seemed an almost hysterical cataloguing of the many injustices that surrounded Vietnam at the end of the war with America.

There is always a fervor to her concerns, and this was particularly the case with Ordinary Heroes. The reason it’s important to point out the overt political message of the film is that to suggest that the only way for filmmakers to try to get out a political message is through symbolic intervention within genre formulae does a disservice to the possibilities within the Hong Kong film industry.

An artist like Ann Hui, who continues to work with political content, has continued to work in Hong Kong. A recent film, A Simple Life (2011), is a touching comedy-drama that addresses issues of aging and class in Hong Kong life. Her attempt at a very broad overview of political protests in Hong Kong in Ordinary Heroes remains a commendable achievement, and it should not be minimized because of the uneven quality of the film.

Daryl Chin is a co-founder of the Asian-American International Film Festival. He is a multimedia artist, critic, and curator. He was Associate Editor of PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art from 1989 to 2005. He was on the Board of Directors of NewFest (The New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival) and Apparatus Productions. With Larry Qualls, he created over 30 theater/performance pieces from 1975 to 1985.

Image: QQ

Getting bored on the treadmill? Tired of dodging pedestrians and other obstacles on your neighborhood jogging route? Craving an invigorating, fresh new challenge? Then we have just the thing (and then some). Scaling 2041 steps over 82 stories for an elevation of 330 meters, the Beijing Vertical Run (Aug 26) is literally of the highest order, taking place at the China World Summit Wing Hotel, Beijing’s tallest building.

Tough as that challenge may seem, the China World Summit Wing’s challenge is by no means the highest on the official Vertical World Circuit. While we (thankfully) have bitter rival Shanghai’s 260-meter IFC building beat when it comes to elevation, along with Osaka’s 300 meters and Dubai’s 311 meters, Hong Kong’s International Commerce Center and New York City’s 1 World Trade Center reach past us Beijing runners at 484 meters and a whopping 541 meters, respectively.
So, if that leaves you feeling like you fell short, consider the China World Summit Wing’s upward race a very challenging warmup before you venture to those other locales for even loftier runs.

China World Summit Wing’s Beijing Vertical Run will be held August 26. To register, and for more information, click here.

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
WeChat: 13263495040

Images courtesy of China World Summit Wing

Should we kiss our usage of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other blocked sites and apps goodbye? Many tech experts dismissed the idea of such widespread Internet inhibition when reports of a pending ban on VPNs made the round earlier this month. However, some of those skeptics are now feeling less assured, after major VPN apps were removed from the Chinese App Store this weekend.

Apps for popular VPNs – which allow users to circumvent China's "Great Firewall" and access blocked sites, apps, and platforms – like ExpressVPN and Golden Frog VyprVPN were no longer available for download at press time. A new article on TechPapa quotes a statement on ExpressVPN's website that says: "We received notification from Apple today, July 29, 2017, at roughly 04:00 GMT, that the ExpressVPN iOS app was removed from the China App Store. Our preliminary research indicates that all major VPN apps for iOS have been removed."

Meanwhile, Astrill, one of the most popular VPNs, was still available in the store but was strangely missing its usual silver star logo, leaving some to wonder if it was a knockoff (spokespeople for Astrill did not respond to our requests for comment before press time). Other available apps appear to be made by Chinese developers.

A spokesperson and investor at a proxy provider (the same source who spoke to the Beijinger anonymously when chatter about VPNs hit its peak in early July) has a blunt assessment of the situation: "Apple is kissing ass, so that they can protect their revenue stream in China," before adding, "Apple removed pretty much all apps with some form of VPN tech from the app store on behalf of the government." Spokespeople for Apple did not respond to our requests for comment before press time.

Granted, most savvy Internet users on the mainland already have VPNs installed on their devices, meaning the crackdown on the app store amount to too little too late. And anyone without a VPN can still find ways around this predicament – from using Andriod (because this crackdown extends to Apple's iOS store only), or using a new Apple ID to access a different country on the App Store. 

A more pressing issue, however, might lie with the matter of updates. There is concern in the tech community that users who acquired their VPNs via the Chinese app store will likely no longer be able to get bug fixes and upgrades thanks to the App Store's purge. However, many users should be able to get around this issue by deleting the app and then using a different country's App Store (as described above).

Aside from these usage issues, many mainland techies are all the more worried about the precedent set by these latest developments, and how it bodes for future Internet freedom.

"People who had the app before or people with the ability to switch and download from non-Chinese app store are not affected," the anonymous proxy source says, before elaborating on a far more grave aspect: "Switching is a pain and only possible with foreign credit cards, which most Chinese won't have. I mean, it is possible to change stores without a credit card, but that only goes for free apps. The apps that support our proxy are not free."  

Noted tech commentator Matthew Brennan went on to cite even broader concerns. While he has spoken to many experts who insist a complete block of VPNs is impossible – because plenty of talented programmers will always find ways to circumvent such hurdles – the authorities' greater aggression can't be dismissed outright.

"Their goal is to make it so it's impossible to use non-government authorized VPNs," Brennan says. "On a technical level, several people have told me that's impossible. But I see it as this: All they really need to achieve is making it very troublesome for normal, non-technical people to use VPN services and they will effectively achieve their goal."

Our anonymous proxy source said that he was all the more troubled by chatter about a VPN user in Shenzhen who was apparently ordered by the police to admit to wrongdoing and sign several documents promising he would comply with China's online rules and regulations. He admits this story is unverifiable, saying: "I read about it on underground message boards, it might just be rumors spread by the government." Nevertheless, it's the first time he's heard of extreme circumstances in all the time that he has worked in this field. "This is something more than normal, where they just step up filtering in the GFW and slow down all VPNs," which leads him to think that "something is brewing."

Additional reporting by Andy Peñafuerte

Images: Golden Frog, Apple Store

Few artists have explored as varied an array of terrains as Elysia Crampton.

From queer identity to South American spirituality, to the intersection between Latin metal, the blues and electronica, this burgeoning musician is giving voice to many unique societal niches through her songs.

Crampton's 2016 album Demon City is in part a concept album about an indigenous Aymara revolutionary in Bolivia in 1776 who became a folk hero, a heartened nod to her family heritage. Then there’s her 2015 LP American Drift, which features the spirited vocals of Money Allah, a self-described “transevangelist” known for art that explores spirituality and gender identity in equal measure.

Aside from her fringe-pushing music, Crampton proves to be an equally dynamic figure in conversation. In an interview for Flagpole she recalled her days working as an escort and even likened herself to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, and a writer at Spin talked to Crampton about the time she spent living in a small town in Mexico that has since been consumed by cartel violence. 

Critics have likened Crampton’s work to that of other “defiantly heterogeneous genderqueer” avant-garde artists like Arca, Rabit, and Lotic, who together are at the forefront of an exciting new genre that is “increasingly borderless, intelligent, and expansive sound that is hard to describe but radically visceral in effect,” a feeling that hasn't gone unnoticed given that she has even been invited to speak and perform at Yale. But don’t dismiss her as a snooty or inaccessible – she got her start remixing hits by the likes Justin Bieber into irresistible new forms that both music snobs and casual listeners can enjoy equally.

Despite such positive reception from fans online and in the press, Crampton is at times frustrated by how she is pegged. In a statement to Split Works, the promoter that is bringing her to China, she wrote:

"The tendency has been to label me things like 'Latina, Latinx, Bolivian, Bolivian-American, etc.'– this is what appears on Discogs, Wikipedia, and countless older texts, for example. However, the concealed reality is that I do not have Spanish blood or Bolivian citizenship. None of my family are Spanish or Latino – I am Native American of Aymara descent – these are the correct terms one should use to identify me: Aymara or Native American. I am fully Aymara, not just my family or relatives.

So, regarding whatever gets written about me and my work (they can write whatever they like, that part I don't care about) – I politely ask that I am identified as 'Aymara' and nothing else."

Suffice to say that Beijingers who like to have their notions challenged and thoughts provoked while they dance, rather than seeking escapism in the club, will certainly revel in Crampton's distinctive performance.

Crampton’s performance will be part of Split Works' Wooozy Offline party at Dada on August 10 at 10pm, alongside several other still to be confirmed DJs. We’ll update this article with ticket prices once more information is available.

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
WeChat: 13263495040

Photos: Vice, The Quietus, Julia Grossi