Finding your groove as a new business in Beijing can be tricky. Double that as a new business located in the fragile hutong ecosystem. Triple that if your business is live music, something that (despite the pessimists) this city is chock-full of. So when Elie Rosenberg, show booker at Yichang Café, says they ‘have a slightly better handle on things’ after one year in operation you know he’s being modest.

Over the course of last year, the cozy café space, located in the plum hutong area of Dengshikou and nestled in the larger 27 Yuan compound, has become a beacon for folk singers, experimental artists, cinephiles, and even game board enthusiasts. They celebrate their one-year anniversary this Saturday, May 19, with a music-filled afternoon featuring an array of DJs and musicians. 

As Rosenberg explains, "The space evolved a lot from our original intent which was to be a café by day, and a place for intimate acoustic music on weekends. We've learned to be creative within constraints, so I think we're turning into a bit of a spot for a broad community of people with a general interest in arts."

While live concerts are still held every weekend in the intimate space, hosting everyone from prominent Inner Mongolian singer Tulegur to electronic producer and composer Wen Liang, Yichang has also made room for theme-based film screenings on Sunday (their current theme: ‘Don't Give It to Me Straight! Time Twisters, Shifting Points-Of-View and Other Narrative Sleights of Hand’) as well as ‘a nascent board games group’ which gathers every Wednesday night. They also hold several punctual events every month, which included last week's celebration of Tagore's birthday held in collaboration with the embassy of India, and various masterclasses with visiting artists. 

For the occasion, Rosenberg promises a "very colorful and very chill" afternoon with great music throughout the day – with ADDJ and Boss Cuts spinning some prime cuts from their extensive catalog of soul and reggae tunes from 1pm to 4pm in the middle of the yard, with plenty of stands and activities surrounding them. And then from 4pm there will be live performances from DJ Wildwata and thruoutin in the main room.

It’s this all-encompassing approach – an openness and adaptability to folks of all ilk, that has made visiting the café on any given night or afternoon a delight. A sense of discovery, a sense of community, and a sense of commonality that has propelled the space into something that stands out from the rest. And with their plan to develop even more workshops and classes run by local artists, it’s clear Yichang Café’s spirit has only deepened since last May. Shine on we say.

Yichang Café
Daily 10am-7pm (later for events). 27 Neiwubu Jie, Dongcheng District (130 5113 5589)
朝阳区内务部街27号

Images courtesy of Elie Rosenberg

Beijing has some of the worst traffic in China; and, it also happens to have some of the worst flight delays as well. As simple as these two statements are, all semblance of meaning gets lost when they are used in context with each other.

So, without exageration, here's some plain news: A flight at Beijing airport was delayed for over an hour on Wednesday morning when its flight crew got stuck in a local traffic jam.

Scheduled to depart from Beijing Capital International Airport at 9.30am, the passengers of China Eastern Airlines MU512R were told that they had to wait for the plane's crew that was "stuck in traffic,"reported the China Daily.

The crew was said to have set out from their overnight lodgings in northwestern Changping at an early time, but nonetheless managed to still get caught in a traffic jam.

If that wasn't bad enough, Wednesday's delayed flight had been rescheduled from one that had been canceled on Tuesday night. It wasn't until 10.37am when passengers finally departed for intended destination Shanghai, an hour and 17 minutes late.

READ: China Home to World's Most Delayed Air Travel

Even without having its personnel caught in traffic jams, Beijing airport continues to live up to its reputation for being one of the worst airports in Asia for service and delays. With rain activity covering much of the northeast, bad weather caused 77 flight delays on Thursday alone while other delaying factors have included flying lanterns, runway shutdowns, smuggling children, or opening of emergency doors.

And yet, as bad as its flight delays are, Beijing's traffic congestion is just as poor.

Rated the second-worst in China, Beijing drivers spend as much as two hours every day on a commute where they must avoid roads shut down by international events and sinkholes while also having to contend with license restrictions, optical illusions, and dancing children. In fact, Beijing's traffic has gotten so bad that China's richest man Wang Jianlin opted to take the subway instead of waiting in traffic.

Stuck with no good options, we are left to make sense of this news by choosing one of two comparisons: that Beijing's traffic is so bad that even pilots can't make it to their flights on time, or that flight delays have become so prevalent at Beijing airport that even a local traffic jam can cause one. Or: why not both?

Mind. Blown.

So, in keeping with Beijing air quality levels that become so poor that they can only be described as "crazy bad," maybe the only way we can come to terms with the city's terrible traffic and flight delays is to describe them as an existential crisis.

We can only hope things have improved by the time China's new, yet-to-be-named Zaha Hadid-designed airport opens in the south of the city, which it was announced this week will begin operations on Oct 1, 2019.

More stories from this author here.

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com
Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: IBTimes

A slick new, neon-lit lounge has taken over the Nali Patio rooftop formerly occupied by Migas, the first time the space has been used since the latter club was suddenly ousted this past New Year’s Eve.

Dubbed Terrazza Martini, the seventh-floor terrace lounge is currently in soft opening (every evening from 8.30pm-5am) before its grand opening bash on May 25, which is guaranteed to be packed with VIPs and KOLs (hot tip: book a table in advance by calling their reservation hotline at 8891 9909). Beneath the lounge, the sixth floor will be occupied by The Bell, a casual Western-style restaurant serving pizzas, burgers, and other such pub grub-centric fare (their dishes will also be available for the lounge attendees upstairs to order).

Here's a sneak peek of Terrazza Martini, which looks suitably swish:

Both venues are operated by the team that runs another Sanlitun rooftop venue, the veteran V Plus lounge on nearby Workers' Stadium East Road. The V Plus team tells the Beijinger that they have cooperated with Bacardi to open the spirits company’s first flagship Terrazza Martini lounge in China (the other branch is housed in Milano; the Bacardi group, owner of such spirits brands like Martini vermouth and the largest privately owned spirits company in the world, is opening a chain of bars with its namesake).

Despite its plush settings, the lounge appears to be aiming for an everyman vibe – the V Plus team tells us it will serve martini cocktails in the RMB 50-80 range, while beers will cost between RMB 30-50 and house wines will cost around RMB 60-80 per glass and RMB 380-800 per bottle. The Bell restaurant, meanwhile, will sell burgers between RMB 78-98, Neapolitan pizzas priced RMB 58-98, sandwiches between RMB 68-88 as well as with salads and snacks. Meanwhile, both venues will have DJs playing pop, dance, Latin, hip-hop, and '80s cuts, and The Bell will have a live band playing pop covers from Wed-Sat 9.30pm-12.30am.

Take a glance at The Bell's decor below:

Although a major departure from the chic Spanish vibe that built Migas its devoted following, Terazza and The Bell's addition to the steeply priced (and dwindling) Sanlitun canon holds plenty of promise. It also opens just in time to get out and enjoy what helped make this space so great in the first place: a prime location with a stunning view.

Terrazza Martini
Daily 8pm-5am. 7/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路81号7层

The Bell
Daily 6pm-5am. 6/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路81号6层

Photos: Uni You

Sometimes we think what it's like to be a brewery; you never settle for what you have on tap at any given moment, no matter how popular you are, and you must maintain consistency and constantly innovate to surprise your devotees, pushing the boundaries of what's possible by either building on or even setting a new beer trend. The benefit? Appreciation from an entire city and, well, the benefits that come from being surrounded by fine brew.

Keeping that tradition alive is Great Leap, who expand their credentials by adding The Three Su’s Series to their preexisting Honey Ma and Homegrown Series. Named after the 11th-century Song dynasty literati Su Shi (and his father Su Xun and brother Su Zhe). This new series is made using Sichuan peppercorns and citrus fruit, representing the flavors of Meishan in Sichuan, where the Su family originated. The series debut, Blood Orange Su Pale Ale (RMB 50,5.5 percent ABV), has already hit the taps at #6 and #45, which was brewed with fresh blood orange juice, peel, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Over at NBeer, they've just put on their new Zhengdian’er Pilsner on tap, a light golden 5 percent ABV brew with malty and sweet notes courtesy of Australian Galaxy hops. They also have a range of new imports, including the New Zealand Viking Imperial Wheat Stout from Epic, with a hefty 9 percent ABV; Mango Mango Mango, an American Wild Ale from Stillwater and Dugges (only at Huguosi location); and Cocoa Cacao Imperial Chocolate Stout, also a co-brew between Stillwater and Dugges with 11 percent ABV (only available at their Wukesong location).

Jing-A, meanwhile, will launch Dongbei IPA and Tuhao Gold Pils in bottles this Saturday at their Xingfucun Brewpub. The first 25 cases of each beer will be sold at a killer price: Tuhao Gold Pils (5 percent ABV) for RMB 240 (normally RMB 368) or Dongbei IPA (7.6 percent) for RMB 360 (normally RMB 488). Take a friend given that the rule is one case per person and who would want to choose between the two? For those who can't decide, there's also a mixed four pack for RMB 98.  

Liangma River's SteamRhino just announced that they're opening a second location ... in Shangdi. Open as of today (May 18), this new two-story venue comes packed with a huge 49 drafts, possibly the most in Beijing. Nineteen come from SteamRhino themselves and the remaining 30 from domestic breweries. There are also 49 selections of food (coincidence? We think not). Stay tuned for more information or go for a visit yourself at Nongda Nanlu, Haidian District (6115 0899).

Peiping Machine has two new beers on tap at their Fangjia location from Tianjin Trueman Taphouse: Mianwu Chocolate Milk Stout (brewed with lactose and copious amounts of black chocolate) and the Three Rod Hop Saison. Hop Zombie from Epic is also on tap at both locations. And that’s not all, to usher in the summer they're now offering a daily happy hour, including 20 percent off before 8pm at their Gongti location and 20 percent off before 7pm on Fangjia. 

The Great Outdoors also has four new brews on tap, with the names that couldn’t be more summery: Wild West IPA brewed with three varieties of hops, Snorkeling Pilsner, Blackout Weekend Cider, and a Belgian Bouncing Wheat.

Also launching new brew is Transmountain, who have put on two drafts from Mahanine Brewery: Boundless American Wheat with 5.2 percent ABV and Clouding American Stout with 5 percent ABV.

Last but not least, we visited Wangjing's newest brewpub Hisewel, which has 19-20 on-site-brewed beers on tap courtesy of head brewer Gordon McMeekin. The spacious café-style venue is located at Youlehui and features a relatively mild and excellent Mosaic Gold IPA (5.1 percent ABV) brewed with single Mosaic hops (of course). It's floral, fruity, and easy-drinking with a typical combination of lovely hoppy aromas – pineapple, mango, and pine – and a lingering bitterness reflected by a moderate body and a slightly hazy, straw color. Watch this space for a full review soon.

More stories by this author here.

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

Photos courtesy of venues, Tracy Wang

Call us writers with a hutong complex, but when we heard rumors that beloved Cheniandian Hutong was soon to meet the fate of many similar Beijing alleys, it took us no time to run to the lively alleyway. For the uninitiated, Cheniandian Hutong (车辇店胡同) runs east to west between Beiluogu Xiang and Andingmen Neidajie, directly across the more picturesque Guozijian, and was designated as an official area for imperial carts to park during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Cheniandian Hutong is filled with small eateries, delis, and shops. Speaking to local residents, rumor had it that the Great Brickening would hit them at the end of April but upon our visit, it appeared that only roadworks had affected the street thusfar. Even so, the inconvenience had forced some of the businesses to close temporarily, if not forever.

Among those were the popular Lanzhou noodle restaurant Bun and Noodle (who we hear are shipping off to Shuangjing's Hopson One Mall), Right Here Hot Pot (就这儿), and Caishen Beer Bar, which might have been dead for a while and we just didn't notice. Someone somewhere will certainly be missing their RMB 50 all-you-can-drink deal.

Despite what may come, the residents of this neighborhood have long been blessed with a formidable variety of restaurants. Fans of Beijing favorite Mr. Shi’s Dumplings on the east side will be happy to hear that they should not be affected by the bricking. No news on whether the tiny family-owned dumpling joint directly across will have the same good fortune.

Also opposite Mr. Shi’s Dumplings, Zhengda Kaolengmian (郑大烤冷面), literally "grilled cold noodles," was quite busy with patrons looking to fill up on a bowl of solid and bouncy kaolengmian, griddled with a scrambled egg and a sprinkle of scallions, raw onion, cilantro, chili, cumin, and sesame. For a measly RMB 9 altogether, we highly recommend that you add duck breast. What could make for better late-night munchies?

Heading west down the hutong, another favorite is Spring Trees Restaurant. Aside from its delicious plethora of Sichuan food, it also has two sizable trees growing in the courtyard and through the roof, from which the restaurant gets its name. The pig's feet (RMB 55) here are particularly good and come with a sweet crimson glaze and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is springy, not soggy. Go all-out with a plate of roasted rabbit legs (RMB 48 for five pieces) or keep it low-key with a hearty bowl of noodles for just RMB 9. The no-fuss attitude of the staff coupled with the serene setting and jazz soundtrack makes it clear why Spring Trees is one of the most popular restaurants in the area.

Last but not least, we cried a little when we heard Chez Gerard on Jianchang Hutong had closed (and felt the collective sadness from all you Guanshuyuannites) but then were glad to see that they've found new digs at 45 Beiluogu Xiang. The new, swanky, and much larger venue (complete with a yard!) continues to import all of your favorite cheeses, wines, snacks, beers, and bread at the same reasonable prices. There's also fresh produce and the new addition of a bar and café in the back.

For now, the future of Cheniandian remains uncertain but it seems like there's still some time for one last whirlwind food tour of the hutong. After all, it's only once the piles of bricks disappear and the dust settles that we will know what remains.

More stories by this author here.

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

Photos: Tracy Wang

A minute into their new single "Freak Show (畸形秀)" and you’ll know whether or not Red Scarf is for you. It’s a deep dive into the mouth of madness as a high-pitched souna leads the charge into a fierce battle of drums and guitar, as the sound transforms into a symphony of metal-tinged breakdowns and free jazz roar before the unexpected buzz of a synthesizer drowns out the mayhem. It’s pretty bonkers. And I absolutely love it.

One of Beijing’s gnarliest avant-garde outfits, Red Scarf return this weekend to unleash their latest album They Know We Know They Are Lying on Bad Head Records, a sub-label of Modern Sky Records specifically made for its more mischievous musicians. Made of a trio of madmen who deconstruct, reassemble, and then decimate genre after genre, their sets are a tension-filled, technically awe-inspiring, and wildly fun take on rock, free jazz, and noise. I shot the band a few questions before their release show on Sunday, May 20, at Yue Space. 

There’s no easy to describe your music, but it’s clear each of you come from distinguished, technically proficient musical backgrounds. Could you describe the background of each of your members and explain how the three of you finally got together?
All three of us are from Northern China. Li Xing, the guitarist, and Deng Boyu, the drummer, are from Hohhot and Baotou in Inner Mongolia. The saxophone player Lao Dan is from Dandong, a border city between China and North Korea. Li Xing and Deng Boyu have been deeply influenced by rock music and were also classically trained in jazz. Lao Dan began learning the bamboo flute, a traditional Chinese instrument, at a very early age, and also played the saxophone. Around 2012, we all participated in the production and recording of some world music as well as a few experimental projects, but we realized soon that it was so boring and left us empty to create this kind of music. Imposing meaning, not at all what we wanted to do, and in addition was in no way related to our lives. By the end of 2014, Li Xing and Lao Dan made a noise/improvisational album together called Killing Killing Killing. It was more like performance art and it broke us out of our surrounding environment. Xiaoyu heard it and immediately connected to it. Thus, Red Scarf was born. 

What stands out most to me is the array of genres sucked into your vortex of musical mayhem. Is there a method to your madness?
Yeah, it is insane, and we want to make no secret of what we have experienced, learned, and been told – whether good or bad, we wanna truly represented them. These contradictions all come from our environment. A few days ago I thought of a word to describe it – "exam-oriented rock 应试摇滚".

The name of your upcoming album is They Know We Know They Are Lying. What or who exactly are you referring to?
It refers to all hypocritical, decadent, authoritarian, and arbitrary stuff. It’s inaccurate to think that it is specifically referring to a system because everything is related and does not belong to a single occurrence.

It sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun at shows and on record – something I wish more musicians in your scene should strive for. Could you describe your sense of humor? And what’s your stance on the avant-garde and experimental music scene in Beijing and the rest of China?
There are few opportunities for us to rehearse together. We focus on rehearsing passages with a theme. Improvisational passages will be left to the mood of everyone on the day of the performance. The same for our recordings. The album was recorded in only two days. All of the recordings were recorded as synchronous sound and no metronome was used. We think that if the overall emotion is correct then everything is fine, and we do not modify the flaws. For us, the flaws will make the recording more resistance to listening. The names of the tracks usually appear at a moment when we are arranging a certain phrase or tone, combined with some bad ideas, then the names just show up in our mind.

Does art need to ask questions constantly? Are we standing at a crossroads to make the declaration?

What can we expect at your release show this Sunday? Any special guests or surprises?
We will invite Song Yuzhe, the mastermind of ”Mutuigua” and ”Dawanggang”. We may also randomly ask people from the audience to improvise together.

Catch Red Scarf this Sunday, May 20 at Yue Space with support from Song Yuzhe. Tickets can be found here.

Images courtesy of Red Scarf

Mug it up May, mug it up. Turn that sun dial to uncomfortably humid and you’ll find me taking refuge immediately in the venues across town, whose dingey fans and blasting AC units have become essential to frequent concertgoers who still end up leaving it all (sweat, tears, and more) on the floor for their favorite bands and artists. A toast to you. Now get out there you maniacs.
 

Friday, May 18

Xie Yugang x Serge Teyssot-Gay at Yugong Yishan
Esteemed guitarists Serge Teyssot-Gay (of seminal French band Noir Désir) and Xie Yugang (of instrumental rock giants Wang Wen) join forces for A Nano World– a 'transporting, exquisite, and otherworldly’ meeting of two minds which finds invigorating ways in merging orchestral and electronic, classic and futuristic into something larger than life.’ Expect an ambient-filled wonderland at Yugong Yishan tonight. RMB 120

Hai Qing, Jajatao, Run Run Run at Yue Space
Shanghai-based Inner Mongolian artist Hai Qing, whose sprawling, avant-garde soaked Mongolian prog rock made his debut album titled The Flesh, one of my favorites of 2017, returns with his mammoth of a band deliriously evoking King Crimson prog rock, Captain Beefheart freakouts, Jethro Tull flute mania, with the more mannered folk music of the Mongolian grasslands. Joining them will be mad hat grunge revisionists Jajatao, a band who have been quietly working on their sophomore album, and Guiyang raised psychedelic groovers Run Run Run. RMB 120

City Flanker, The Dark Nights at DDC
Shaoxing shoegaze staples City Flanker continue to stretch their wings on their Ruby Eyes Records reissue Sound Without Time– a high school prom night slow dance dosed in heavy synthesizers and electronic harmonizing. With sprinkles of chillwave and neo-psychedelic, the trio creates dream pop that burns through your retinas and sweeps you off your feet as you drift carelessly through the fuzz.

Chaos Kills the Pain, Stabbing, Recluse Buddha, Life Awaits, Pray Unholy, The Hell Cat, Lost in Space at School
Local promoters Massive Dynamic hold their 3 year anniversary this evening with a "massive" gathering of metal, hardcore, and everything "post-core"– among those set to take the stage are Chaos Kills the Pain, Stabbing, Recluse Buddha, Life Awaits, Pray Unholy, Lost in Space, Life Awaits, and The Hell Cat. Bring your best mosh pit game and get ready to sweat. RMB 120

The Album Leaf (US) at Omni Space
San Diego based post-rock outfit The Album Leaf return for the hundredth time to Beijing to their diehard fanbase. Headed by the dynamic Jimmy LaValle, the group blends together a variety of styles in beautiful orchestral instrumentals, utilizing both electric and acoustic sounds to create euphoria soundscapes. RMB 200

The Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet at Blue Note
Recognized as one of the world’s leading drummers, admired and in demand across the spectrum from jazz to rock to electronic music for his rhythmic sophistication, creative impulse, and individual sound Mark Guiliana newest album as a leader – Jersey, released last year – features his ever-compelling Jazz Quartet, with bassist Chris Morrissey, saxophonist Jason Rigby, and pianist Fabian Almazan. Catch them this weekend at Blue Note. RMB 380

The SuperVC at Tango
Brit-rock inspired pop rock favorites The SuperVC take the big stage as they kick off a nationwide tour in support of their new album. The charismatic quartet is pretty huge so expect swarms of girls going apeshit. RMB 120

Da Hottest Talent Show Vol. 3
Soi Baochao and host L-Force presents the latest volume of Da Hottest Talent Show, giving a ragtag team of a chance to strut their stuff and prove their musical abilities, including MC J Woods, indie dream-pop outfit Pisces, MC Lioness, D-$auce, Big Fish and many more. FREE

Djang San at Temple
East-meets-West fusionist and veteran show stopper Djang San – a jack of trades include ‘zhongruan player, philosopher, poet, composer, guitar hero, DJ, one-man orchestra, and explorer of new sounds’ bring their hypnotic buck-wild tunes to the one and only Temple. Plus, DJ set from Boss Cuts and ADDJ afterward. FREE

The Twenties, Maya, Boss First, Hang Nail, Panda Eyes, Because is You at 13 Club
Wudaokou’s feeling its own heat wave with this scorcher of a lineup, featuring some kick-ass talent from Beijing and Tianjin including the return of the ever-righteous The Twenties, pop punk renegades Boss First, Britpop youngins Panda Eyes and more. RMB 90

Friendly Tips, Pipe of Spirit, Hot Youth, Buliao at Hot Cat Club
Hot Cat Club keeps the spirit of rock and roll alive for all us hutong enthusiasts with a warm-blooded lineup of feisty rock and rollers including alternative rock outfit Buliao, scrappy punk kids Friendly Tips and much more. RMB 50

Tulegur at Snail Home
Snail Hostel/Club/Home expands to Sihui next to Ciyun Temple and yeah, this is new I suppose. Tonight they host Tulegur. RMB 60

Feline, Getting Better, Sen at Blue Stream Bar
Emo, rock, and punk collide this evening at Blue Stream bar as Chengdu raised Getting Better join Feline and more for some down and dirty, though sweet natured in the end, rock and roll. RMB 50

More Feel, He Daqian at 69 Cafe
Indie synth-pop duo More Feel share as you can imagine their feelings over in Wudaokou alongside singer-songwriter He Daqian and his jazz-infused band. RMB 60

Xing Xing Star at Caravan
Xing Xing Star is a multicultural band that's been covering and composing music in and around Beijing since 2015. Their goal is to inspire hope, love, and celebration of diversity through music. Catch the dance-happy troupe this evening at Caravan. RMB 70

Gao Feng at Mogu Space
Singer Gao Feng, head of the R&B and soul-pop outfit G-Eleven brings his jazzy indie pop tunes to Xizhimen tonight. RMB 66

Dan Callaghan, Joe Longardner, Pierre Pradat, Victor Bastidas at Jianghu Bar
Bassist Dan Callaghan is joined by The Canton Project’s Joe Longardner on saxophone plus Pierre Pradat on piano and drummer Victor Bastidas. They’ll play a bebop tribute to Charlie Parker this evening. RMB 60

Moreno Donadel Trio at The Bricks
Moreno Donadel Trio who’ll play everything from up-tempo swing to dirty down-home blues swing through Sanlitun’s The Bricks. FREE
 

Saturday, May 19

Hiperson, Future Orients at Yugong Yishan
Chengdu post-punk stalwarts Hiperson are back with their latest album in tow – She Came Back From the Square– a raw, hot-blooded, existential outpour of rugged guitars, rhythmic bass, thundering drums and impassioned vocals that finds the band forging new ground and hurling into strange new territory even whilst stripping down their sound to its bare, panicky minimum. Live, these cats are working on another level so don’t miss the opportunity to miss one of China’s most exciting acts in their prime. Support from fellow indie rock punks and Maybe Mars cohorts Future Orients. Read our recent interview with Hiperson here. RMB 100

thruoutin, Wildwata, DJ Boss Cuts & ADDJ at Yichang Cafe
Over the course of last year, the cozy cafe space, located in the plum hutong area of Dengshikou, has become a beacon for folk singers, experimental artists, cinephiles, and even game board enthusiasts. They celebrate their one-year anniversary today with a music-filled afternoon featuring ADDJ and Boss Cuts spinning some prime cuts from their extensive catalog of soul and reggae tunes in the daytime before audiences are treated to live performances from DJ Wildwata and thruoutin. 1pm start. Read more about the event here. RMB 50

Uncle Bad, Boss Cuts, Holy Shit at DDC
DDC cuts loose this evening with a rollicking evening of ska punk, surf rock, and classic rock punk from a trio of infectiously pleasing and rambunctious bands including Uncle Bad, Boss Cuts, and Holy Shit. Good, dirty fun. RMB 60

Perpetual Motion Machine at Omni Space
Longstanding indie rockers with Chinese characteristics, Perpetual Motion Machine, arguably one of the scene’s most underrated acts, swing through Omni Space as part of their nationwide in support of their new lo-fi self-titled album, which finds the band stripping back their sound and delivering no-nonsense pop singles one after another. There’s a new sensibility to Motion’s sound that I can’t put my finger but there’s no doubt that they know what they’re doing. RMB 120

Nanwu at Tango
Campus rock sensations Namo, a band that has captured the hearts of '80s born young adults continue in the vein of their high-spirited, infectiously catchy melodies has moved to the big leagues in recent years without losing a bit of their charm. Singing earnestly on the minute stories and themes which make up life in a contemporary China, with a tongue-in-cheek self-awareness that’s sincere above all else, the band gives a special showcase to celebrate ten years of taking names and kicking ass. RMB 120

Grey, Rainbow Party, The Mescaline, TST, Pluto, Getting Better, The Unknown, Summer Sunshine, The White Papers, Heping North Street, Fire Monkey, Heartland, F.M.E, Fatiaokamusuo, Tangyiwawa, Yang Jiasong at Laifu Livehouse
Shuangjing looks to get in on the festival fun with a two day indoor and outdoor festival at Laifu Livehouse – music indoors, and plenty of activities indoors as well. But you’re here for the music aren’t you – and Saturday is a woozy as the space will be running to stages at once with a heck ton of bands – from Tianjin opera rockers Fatiaokamusuo to post-punk pounders The White Papers. Color me intrigued. RMB 100

Yan Yulong, gogoj, Madmanskin at Mogu Space
Things get experimental over in Xizhimen as Chui Wan’s Yan Yulong wields his violin alongside cellist Sheng Jie aka gogoj and the new experimental electronic one-man project Madmanskin. RMB 60

Purgatory, Laisee, Summon Soul, Requiem, Zi Ming at 13 Club
Wudaokou’s 13 Club gets back to basics – black haired, blood-curdling metal and hardcore music to cleanse your soul. Keep the aerodynamic Laisee, death metal harborers Summon Soul and more this evening. RMB 100

Army of Jade Kirin at I Can Livehouse
Everyone’s favorite goth industrial metal bands, A.J.K, known for their charismatic, Rob Zombie-esque metal fun play a special show at the Hongchangbang Sports Park (they do sweet go-carts out there). A bit of a trek but I can imagine the space and area have a certain rustic charm to it. Great acoustics I bet. And … FREE

Zhang Guonian at Yue Space
Zhang Guonian is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. He appears with his latest ‘musical experience,’ Solaris, inspired by the Gobi Desert and life’s simple moments. Catch the multi-media showcase at Yue Space. RMB 100

Dessa (US), Aby Wolf (US), Matthew Santos (US) at Jianghu Bar
Dessa is a singer, writer, and public speaker whose extraordinary career spans many genres – she has performed at festivals, sung with a 100-voice choir, and co-written classical works for orchestra. She has toured North America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa, both as a solo artist and as a proud member of the Doomtree collective from Minneapolis (um awesome). Dessa will travel with long-time collaborator Aby Wolf and Grammy-nominated Matthew Santos for a special showcase at Jianghu Bar. RMB 60

The Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet at Blue Note
Recognized as one of the world’s leading drummers, admired and in demand across the spectrum from jazz to rock to electronic music for his rhythmic sophistication, creative impulse, and individual sound Mark Guiliana newest album as a leader – Jersey, released last year – features his ever-compelling Jazz Quartet, with bassist Chris Morrissey, saxophonist Jason Rigby, and pianist Fabian Almazan. Catch them this weekend. RMB 380

Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies at Temple
The ever-expanding (19 members deep at the moment) jazz-pop trope Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies bring their vintage approach to contemporary music to Temple for some good times as they celebrate three years of making Beijing dance. FREE

Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine at DDC
Audience favorites, Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine bring their impressive repertoire of classic soul, RnB, 3-piece horn section, rock and roll fun to Modernista. Hopefully, The Mac Daddies and The Solid Gold Dream Machine face off in an alleyway afterwards West Side Story style. FREE

Dangih Nurlan, Jurat TT at Caravan
Caravan throws a ‘Sonic Yin Yang’ experience fusing two musicians from Xinjiang with completely different sounds. The yin of Jurat and his progressive depressed rock, the yang of Dangih with his tender Kazakh folk. RMB 60

John Carroll (Ireland) at DDC
From Limerick, Ireland and now based in Hangzhou, acoustic/indie/folk singer-songwriter John Carroll has performed all across China. He has released three solo albums and previous other records with his past bands, The Phoenix Prestige, Middle-class Housewives and Medic. 3pm start. RMB 60

Wu Wenfang (TW) at DDC
The digital platform sensation! Catch the Taiwanese singer whose songs have appeared everywhere – from Chinese soap operas to campuses across Taipei. She’s the real deal and was even nominated for Best Newcomer at the Best Global Music Festival. 7pm start. RMB 120

Bai Brothers at La Plantation
From the Ancient Yunnan-Tibetan Tea Horse Road comes the melodious music and string instruments that touch the community of the Bai people in Dali, Yunnan. Catch a special performance from the Bai Brothers this evening. RMB 200

Leng Jing at Snail Club
Established in 2015 in Chengdu the urban folk duo Leng Jing have been catching a lot of press for their just-released album See You By Chance, a collection tender and upbeat folk-pop tunes. RMB 100

Namelos, Kinp Floyd, Acridid Season and 0% Alcoho at 69 Café
69 Café loses its shit with a crazy looking lineup featuring two-year-old hard rock act Namelos, metal and metalcore band Acridid Season, hard rock group 0% Alcohol and (another!) Pink Floyd tribute group Kinp Floyd. RMB 60

Hz, Buliao, Strong Shell, Da Jiao Kong at Chen Livehouse
Pop-punk is the name of the game at the 798 livehouse – though you’ll certainly find shades of grunge, punk, and of course good old-fashioned rock and roll. RMB 100

Xi Er and Fasolla at BSP Livehouse
Soul singer Xi Er who impressed the hell out of a lot of people on The Song of China, brings his newly formed band Fasolla to BSP Livehouse for an evening of soul, funk, and pop hits. RMB 100

Pitchfork, Flower Wall, Bai Jianqing, Yu Xin, Zhang Ziwei at Mao Livehouse
Catch the wave of new singer-songwriters and rockers this evening in Wukesong with this young and eager bunch of musicians looking to make their mark on the big stage including Zhang Ziwei, Flower Wall and more. RMB 80

Sunday, May 20

Red Scarf, Song Yuzhe at Yue Space
One of Beijing’s gnarliest avant-garde outfits Red Scarf, made of a trio of madmen that deconstructs, reassembles, and then decimates genre bring their tensioned filled, technically awe-inspiring, and wildly fun take on rock, jazz, and noise as they release their latest album They Know We Know They Are Lying out of Bad Head Records. Support from fellow mastermind improvisational artist and folk legend Song Yuzhe. Read our recent interview with Red Scarf here. RMB 80

Matzka (TW) at Omni Space
One of Taiwan’s most famous rock bands, Matzka, will be getting down at Omni Space to show us what the fuss is all about – a mix of reggae, blues, R&B, rap, and of course rock n’ roll – their sound is all over the place, but word is they tear it up on stage. RMB 200

Shochu Legion, Early Bus, The Last Resort, The Tek Dead, Labor Glory at School
Lay it all down this muggy Sunday evening with this chaos filled punk lineup featuring old-school punks with Chinese characteristics Shochu Legion, reggae ska punks Early Bus, hardcore dudes The Last Resort, progressive deathcore group The Tek Dead, and ultra-punk band Labor Glory. Best call in sick Monday morning. RMB 100

Wonder Sea, Acid Accident, Later Island, Interesting Book, Jeaqi, Da Jiao Kong at Laifu Livehouse
Shuangjing looks to get in on the festival fun with a two day indoor and outdoor festival at Laifu Livehouse – music indoors, and plenty of activities indoors as well. But you’re here for the music aren’t you – and Sunday packs a hell of a wallop as Wonder Sea, Acid Accident, Later Island, Interesting Book, Jeaqi, and Da Jiao Kong. RMB 60

Residence A, Diving Elephant, Dream Garden, The Diagon Alley at Yugong Yishan
The indie pop scene’s finest contenders bring the goods to Yugong Yishan including the always-reliable Residence A, who will be joined by Dream Garden, The Diagon Alley, and Diving Elephant (formerly Locomotive Gentlemen). RMB 100

Nightingale, Strong Shell, Scary Honey, Mix Theory, North Down Gate, Diablo at Mao Livehouse
Get heated with this red-hot lover’s day lineup in Wukesong featuring pop punks Strong Shell, melodic metal band Nightingale, J-rock girl outfit Scary Honey and more. RMB 100

Daniel Beaussier & Manu Pékar (FR) at DDC
Daniel Beaussier and Manu Pékar have formed a multi-thematic ensemble which brings together their artistic project under the label dbMP(x). Repertoire is made of personal compositions and arrangements of music Masters, from traditional and modern jazz to chamber music including African rhythms, French songs and rock. 3pm start. RMB 60

Alessio Menconi Trio (IT) at DDC
Alessio Menconi is an Italian guitarist born in Genoa. He approached guitar when he was 10 as self- taught. Considered a prodigy, he started his professional career in 1986 with the best Italian musicians. With a host of awards under his belt he’ll join Xiao Dou on drums and Massimiliano Rolff on double bass for some jazzy fun. 7pm start. RMB 60

Bemet (Israel) at DDC
Bemet, an Israeli electronic music artist, keytarist and keyboardist. His primary genre can be characterized as electronic hip-hop but includes influences and specific songs from EDM, electropop, trap, Baile funk, reggaeton, drum and bass, jazz, and rock. His primary following is, in addition to Israel, Brazil, and India. RMB 120

The Krusty Kat, Mitch Band, Nocation at 69 Café
Catch three-piece The Krusty Kat drawing from rock, funk, jam, psychedelic and everything in between – as well as freestyle musicians Nocation and the folk rockers the Mitch Band this evening. RMB 66

Chen Fei, Pupu at Snail Hostel
Independent musician and producer Chen Fei, founder of Pine Cone Music Studio, joins fellow music producer and singer Phillip Halloun, from Denmark, for a collaborative evening of music. RMB 200

Ma Xiao, Zhang Ziwei, Fei Yichen at Jianghu Bar
An array of the folk-pop scene’s hottest talent gathers for an intimate, acoustic-led evening of soulful folk tunes. 5pm start. RMB 80

Pather Panchali – The Legend of the Trail at La Plantation
Catch this unique musical interpretation of Pather Panchali – the famous movie from Indian director Satyajit Ray as three diverse musicians perform from classical to contemporary. 4pm start. RMB 200

Terry Heish Quartet at Modernista
High-quality jazz by some of the best musicians in the city – Terence Hsieh on trombone, Liu Xiaoguang on tenor saxophone, Antonio Fusco on drums and Ivan Xing on bass – a straight-ahead chordless, swinging quartet, that brings a creative and fresh approach to improvisation. FREE

Panda 4et at Blue Note
Panda 4et is a project founded by the Italian drummer Antonio Fusco together with three excellent musicians of the Beijing Jazz scene including: Zhang Jing on guitar, Letian on alto sax and ZhangKe on double bass. From reworkings of jazz classics to original songs with a mix of groove, interplay and open spaces, they’re one of a kind. 12.30pm start. RMB 328

From home delivery services to urban families, electric bicycles have become an essential form of transportation around China. However, this will all likely change when China implements new national safety guidelines on electric bicycles next year.

As of last month, all newly manufactured electric bicycles will be restricted to maximum speeds of just 25 kilometers per hour as well as be limited to a maximum weight of 55 kilograms.

As mandated by the State Standardization Administration Committee and the State Administration of Supervision and Administration, the new rules will make future electric bikes much less powerful than those currently on the market, estimated to top out at 40 kilometers per hour and reach weights of up to 70 kilograms.

READ: Didi Continues Pivot Into Two Wheeled Mobility With Beta Test of Electric Bike Rental

Although technological advancements have improved battery performance, motor power on the new bikes will be limited to 400 watts while voltages will exceed no more than 48 volts.

And to ensure their resemblance to bicycles isn't just cosmetic, all new Chinese e-bikes will be required by law to be equipped with foot pedals so that they can be used under manual power. 

At the same time as the new national rules will see a rise in electric bikes safety standards, local authorities have decided to set-up special e-bike charging zones and ban unsafe bikes by 2021. 

READ: Beijing to Ban Electric Bikes on 10 Major Streets, Including Chang'an Jie

Last April, four people died when a fire broke out at a Beijing e-bike store.

Electric bicycles are an indispensable form of transportation around China. With car ownership becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, some urban families depend on e-bikes to transport multiple children while others use it to transport oversized packages. 

Even if you don't personally drive an e-bike, the new rules will still likely have an effect upon a majority of Chinese residents. China's booming home delivery (kuaidi) service exclusively depend upon electric bicycles as a cheap, fast mode of transportation to make their deliveries.

More stories from this author here.

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com
Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: Weibo, dzwww, toutiao

As the co-founder of techNOrules, Beijing based Russian DJ Aida Minibaeva has helped to build a unique platform for her fellow female record spinners. With the project, she puts together predominantly female DJ lineups at venues like Lantern and Zarah, to help showcase local talent and to attract visiting DJs from locales like Shanghai.

Ahead of the next techNOrules party on May 19 at Lantern, Aida tells us more about infusing Beijing's techno scene with some much-needed girl power. Aida is part of the lineup along with Shanghai DJ MIIIA as the headliner.

Usually, people say that my sets and my performances are very energetic. I’m trying to express my inner state through music, so my sound can vary from time to time. But in general the tracks I choose are groovy and a bit dark, with a strong beat.

I came to Beijing in 2009 and I was amazed by Beijing's underground music scene. It felt very true and raw, and my favorite collective back then was Acupuncture. I had a lot of friends who were DJs and producers, so it was only natural that I would eventually start playing myself.

After gaining some experience and skills, I decided to leave Beijing in search for inspiration and met a lot of cool people in the music industry all around Asia – Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and China, also in Russia, that influenced and inspired me.

I think the most common challenge we all face is to be recognized and to be taken seriously, especially as female DJ's. The only way to overcome this is to believe in what you do and keep doing it no matter what.

Beijing is a unique city and I fell in love with it once again when I discovered the hutongs. They have the energy of a huge metropolis combined with the homelike feeling of a historical city. There is nothing like it. You can often find me on a cozy rooftop of a hutong café getting ready for an upcoming party.

We often get together with our friends from different local crews to do 10-hour-long sessions just for the fun of it and love for music. Everyone in the scene is putting in a lot of hard work to make it happen here and I’m glad to see that the underground music scene thrives in Beijing.

techNOrules project was created when I returned to Beijing last year. Me and my best friend Xenia, who is a DJ as well, noticed the difference between female and male names in the lineups at different clubs, and we realized sometimes we would be the only girls on the list out of eight DJs. So we decided to start the [Girls can’t what?] party series that promotes exclusively female talents.

I was pleasantly surprised by the reception that the techNOrules project and the [Girls can’t what?] party series got. I was also surprised by how much support we were getting from the entire underground community and fellow female DJs, as well as the venues who welcomed us warmly.

I think it’s very important to provide an opportunity for female DJs and producers to be heard and noticed, so we work both with experienced DJs and promote those who are only starting their career.

Right now, all my energy and time are given to techNOrules, and we have a lot of plans for the project. Recently we organized a [techNOrules] + friends event that brought together like-minded people and it was a great success. This project will remain our main focus but we have a few surprises up our sleeves and many exciting projects and new collaborations are planned, so stay tuned and see you at Lantern on Saturday!

MIIIA, Aida, and other female DJs will perform at Lantern on Saturday, May 19, as part of the techNOrules party series. For more information, click here.

Photos courtesy of Wasabi Sound, Aida, Lantern

A dead dog might seem an unpromising topic for a play. But for 15-year-old Christopher, who sees the world differently, the mystery of who killed his neighbor’s dog leads to revelations which turn his life upside down.

Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was an international bestseller, and the theater adaptation has won numerous awards and is the longest-running play on Broadway. Now it’s coming to Beijing for the first time.

Although Christopher’s condition is never specified, he has an autistic person’s literalism and obsession with detail. The pages of the book are numbered only with prime numbers, and he struggles to understand the messy emotions and unpredictable behavior of the people around him. The play draws us into his world through the use of video projections, sound, lighting, and physical theater. There's also a model railway which Christopher constructs throughout the performance, until it dominates the stage and becomes the set.

The unusual title comes from a Sherlock Holmes story. When Holmes comments on “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time,” the police inspector says that the dog did nothing in the night-time.

“That," Holmes replies, "was the curious incident.”

There’s a clue there to the solution of Christopher’s mystery too, but the revelations are brilliantly paced and constantly surprising, and the production, by the director of the National Theatre’s celebrated War Horse, sweeps the audience along on a moving, funny, and unforgettable journey.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time plays at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center from May 24-27. Tickets cost RMB 480 to RMB 880 and are available from Damai here.

Photos: Brinkhoff/Moegenburg, courtesy of Tianqiao Performing Arts Center

It wasn't supposed to happen, but it did: a 21-year-old stewardess was raped and murdered by her Didi Hitch driver on May 6, prompting a massive manhunt that ended when the assailant was finally found dead in a river.

But even as Didi Chuxing publicly apologized and vowed to add safety features while getting rid of social functions during its one-week suspension of the inter-city car-pooling app, there's is no turning back. Whether or not Didi Chuxing can rehabilitate its image, the Chinese public has become so enraged by the murder women's public safety has become a top concern throughout the country.

READ: Hidden Camera in Chaoyang Office Restroom Explained Away as "Fengshui"

And, with no murderer to catch nor any available service to criticize, China's outrage towards wayward taxi and car sharing drivers has shown zero tolerance for improper behavior as seen by numerous news stories from the past week.

Didi Chuxing has fired one of its employees after he discovered to be surreptitiously following one of his female passengers after dropping her off at her Beijing home last Thursday (shown above; video here). The woman, named Liu, said the man explained he was only looking for his next fare when she confronted him in a phone call, only to find out from Didi Chuxing that the opposite was true. Police are said to be investigating.

Sichuan police have taken in a taxi driver for questioning after he was recorded on camera last Tuesday attempting to look down the blouse of his female passenger as she was busying retrieving her money (shown above; video here). Even before that, the Sichuan taxi driver was said to have "picked a hair" off his female passenger's bare shoulder.

And while he isn't a driver of a taxi or car share, Friday saw Guizhou police jail a driving instructor who was caught on camera inappropriately touching the thighs of one of his students while in a car (video here). The victim said the driver teacher had been groping her for three days before she used her cell phone to catch him in the act, resulting in an administrative detention punishment lasting eight days.

Besides all having been caught on video, the stories have angered Chinese netizens who want justice. Amid numerous cries of "pervert," some people say the eight-day-long punishment – the only one to involve jail time – is not enough.

"It is too light, and will not act as a deterrent,"said one commenter.

This week's backlash comes amid a growing tendency for women to take a stand and fight back against gropers and voyeurs on China's public transportation systems.

A Beijing woman was hailed a "hero" for publicly confronting a subway groper last month when national reports show her gripping her groper by the lapel and loudly condemning him. As well, this past week has seen a voyeur plead for forgiveness on his knees after he was shamefully caught trying to peek under a woman's dress with his phone.

Hearing their customers concerns, taxi companies around China are trying to regain public trust. Shanghai just announced a "red ribbon" campaign in which passengers can knowingly flag down a female taxi driver during late hours.

The Didi Hitch murder was surprising for the fact that the perpetrator was able to bypass numerous safeguards such as a facial recognition registry, using someone else's account, and having already been the subject of a previous sexual harassment complaint. But now, with zero tolerance for having to suffer crimes of any kind, it seems like Chinese women are taking their safety into their own hands.

More stories from this author here.

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com
Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: Miaopai, Miaopai, Miaopai 

If you haven’t traveled much in China then you could be forgiven for thinking that the best of spicy food begins and ends with Sichuan Province. However, there is much more to spicy food in China, and even in Sichuan itself, than bright red chili oil and mounds of mouth-numbing Sichuan pepper. Chilies have conquered the palates of most of China in one way or another but each province has its own way of applying them and other spices based on the local climate and produce.

Hunan
Hunan food is close to Sichuan food in terms of spice level but there are a few key differences. Firstly, most dishes eschew Sichuan pepper, allowing the flavor of the chilies (used liberally, both fresh and dried) to shine through. Secondly, Hunan cuisine makes much greater use of dried, preserved meats, giving many dishes a smoky, savory edge. Those aforementioned fresh chilies are also a major feature of Hunan cuisine, for example, in the homestyle dish xiaochao pork, pork stir-fried with red and green chilies. All of this contributes to a more on-the-nose piquancy than the mouth-coating spiciness of Sichuan cuisine.

Where to eat it: Karaiya Spice House is a great choice for those making their first in-roads into spicy food as the spice level of each dish is clearly marked. On the other side of town, trendy restaurant Southern Fish proves that hearty flavors and modern, minimalist design can be a perfect pairing. Try the eye-wateringly spicy crushed green chilies with preserved eggs.

Guizhou
The cuisine of Guizhou is known for its sour-spicy flavors. Unlike some other cuisines, such as that of Shaanxi Province, this sourness comes from fermentation rather than the use of vinegar and many dishes feature pickled vegetables or chilies. One dish that encapsulates these flavors is the Miao-influenced dish sour fish soup, a steaming stew of tomatoes, cabbage, pickled chilies, and river fish. The relatively minimal approach to ingredients in Guizhou dishes means that the food can actually be extremely spicy. To give you an idea of just how spicy the food is, turn to the popular saying, “Sichuan people don’t fear spicy, Hunan people can eat anything not matter how spicy, Guizhou people fear their food won’t be spicy enough.”

Where to eat it: We’re still mourning the loss of hutong Guizhou restaurant Da Gui but there are plenty of other options in Beijing. Just Fun in Shuangjing offers homestyle Guizhou cuisine in a tchotchke-filled setting while Private Kitchen 44 (see p.30) does a definitive sour fish soup.

Yunnan
As the Chinese province home to the largest number of ethnic minorities (more than 20), it is hard to make generalizations about Yunnan Cuisine. The cuisine of the Bai minority is probably the most widely known outside of Yunnan, thanks to mass tourism in the area around Dali. The cuisine here isn’t defined by spice but chilies crop up in various forms; chili oil in a beef soup, say, or mixed with ground Sichuan pepper to season a crispy potato pancake. Traveling further south into the region on the border with Laos and Myanmar, dried chilies are replaced with fresh and lime juice makes an appearance in cold dishes and salads – think Thai cuisine without the sweet-sour-salty balance.

Where to eat it: For Yunnan cuisine in Beijing, our heart belongs to Little Yunnan. Try the beef and mint salad, which has a good chili kick. Elsewhere, the shredded chicken salad at Yun’er Xiaozhen is a good example of the cuisines use of both lime and chili.

Xinjiang
The cuisine of Xinjiang, influenced by Uighur, Hui, Central Asian, and other predominantly Muslim culinary traditions, couldn’t be further from the pork and soy sauce flavors of eastern China. For many, the defining flavor of this region is the chili-cumin mix that gets sprinkled on grilled lamb kebabs. In an area that mostly cooks with lamb and beef, cumin is the perfect complementary spice. Xinjiang isn’t the only cuisine to use cumin, however; it crops up in Hunan cuisine, too, and other areas with a largely Hui Muslim population. Like many areas of China, Xinjiang has not escaped the inexorable spread of the Sichuan peppercorn, which pops up in the popular dish “big plate chicken” (da pan ji), a stew of chicken, peppers, and potatoes.

Where to eat it: You will find chuan’r being grilled on street corners across Beijing come summer but for a sit-down experience, it doesn’t get much better than Baron Rozi at Dongsishitiao. Also, venerable restaurant Crescent Moon has remained popular for so long for a reason; the lamb kebabs are of particularly good quality here.

Photos: Wikimedia, Baidu Baike, Pxhere

Chinese media is raising the alarm over one of the year's most popular toys for being a safety risk to children, a warning that comes years after previous warnings had already been made.

Last week, an 11-year-old Qinghuangdao boy was the latest child to fall victim to magnetic beads, small balls with magnetic properties that can be arranged to build intricate designs and models, or even jewelry and sculptures. The boy had 21 magnetic beads surgically removed from his intestines after the individual magnets bonded into a single, looping mass.

On its own, a magnetic bead won't do much internal damage upon being swallowed. However, when swallowed in multiple quantities, the mutual attraction of magnetic beads is strong enough to perforate intestinal walls and cause serious medical problems.

Now recovered, the unidentified boy had been vomiting and suffering from a high fever for four to five days before he was finally brought to Beijing Children's Hospital for surgery, the only possible method for extracting magnetic beads from inside a body.

And, as it were, the Hebei boy is only the latest of many victims in this ongoing trend.

According to Beijing Children's Hospital emergency room surgeon Liu Tingting, her hospital has treated one or two patients every month so far this year for swallowing bubble magnets, a trend that coincides with the toys growing popularity among Chinese parents.

As the Beijing Morning Postreports, magnetic beads have become such a hot-selling toy this season that stores are having trouble keeping up with demand. However, despite being a safety hazard for young children, magnetic beads have come to be known as a "children's developmental toy" that is sold in stores in areas around Chinese schools and kindergartens.

If that wasn't enough, retailers aren't keeping up with safety regulations. Even though different store employees have told the Beijing Morning Post different answer that range between eight and fourteen as being the youngest suitable age, child care specialists say magnetic beads are not suitable for children under the age of six.

Besides last week's case, other recent bubble magnetic victims include a two-year-old Jiangxi boy who thought the six magnetic beads he swallowed to be "candy" as well as an 11-year-old Nanjing boy who shoved 12 bubble magnets up his urethra because he was "curious."

And yet, despite the threat they pose towards children, magnetic beads have caused problems as far back as 2015 when a four-year-old Zhenjiang girl named Xiaomiao became dangerously ill after swallowing ten bubble magnets. A report from that time warned parents to be mindful of the toys they select for their children, ensuring that they don't give them anything that is smaller than the opening of their mouths.

Developmental toys are part of a trend among middle-class Chinese parents to prepare pre-school children with tools that may give them a winning edge in an education system where competition begins at kindergarten and lasts until the gaokao university entrance exam. When not reciting or studying, Chinese children are given toys like Rubik's Cubes in order to stimulate their minds.

Made from rare earth elements, magnetic beads may be better known by commercial names that include Buckyballs, Zen Magnets, and Neoballs. Magnetic beads were banned in the USA in 2014 after two-year-old Annaka Chaffin died from swallowing seven magnet balls but had its ban lifted two years later.

As hysterias go, magnetic balls are not the first toys to grip Chinese parents in fear. Previously raised media outcries included warnings against stink bombs and miniature crossbows that could fire toothpicks.

More stories from this author here.

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com
Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: cszTV, Weibo, aihami, lolWut, buckyballscube

The interplay and production between ideas taken from audio and visual elements are at the high tide, where music videos become cinematic masterpieces and realizing songs. Hailing from otherwise sunny San Francisco, The Bilinda Butchers have a knack for swooning, tragedy-infused tracks with an inflection of maudlin synths straight from Twin Peaks'Roadhouse.

Attracted to romance and the inherent sadness that sits in direct opposition to love, The Bilinda Butchers craft music suitable for both watching sunsets on the beach and heartbroken nights alone. The band is led by singer and guitarist Michal Kepsky, who we speak to below ahead of their May 21 Omni Space gig, with accompaniment from Lukas Untersteiner on bass and Adam Honingford on drums.

The Beijinger: We assume there is a story or a reason behind the name?
Michal Kepsky: We love My Bloody Valentine and love Bilinda Butcher so we wanted to honor them. 

Your music is peppered with swaying instrumentals and faded vocals that can feel like closed-eye, love-filled dreams. Where do you look for inspiration? Is it music, books, places you travel to?
Film mostly. Wong Kar Wai is a big influence, his cinematic style and storytelling are dramatic in a way that we try to model our music around. 

There are so many melancholic love stories communicated in your songs, is it just a story you adopt or does it come from your own personal history?
I’m drawn to dramatic and depressing stories. I feel most artistically fulfilled when I’m writing about my shortcomings in life and the things that make us all feel vulnerable and sentimental. 

How does the process of music making work between you? Do you improvise together or does one of you lead the way?
I write most of our songs and mostly maintain the overall vision of how songs will sound in the end. I’m picky and like things to sound and feel a certain way. I’m sure Adam and Lukas think I’m hard to work with but I know what I want. I’ll usually present a demo version of a song to Lukas and he’ll produce it to the end, adding drums, sound design etc. Lately, we’ve been collaborating more and more, with writing lyrics and parts.

How do you feel your music has developed since your first releases back in 2011? Has it been a long journey to become what you are now or do you feel like you've stuck to the same message you discovered in the very beginning?
My goal is for each project to sound and feel different. As time goes on I try to push the sound farther and farther. Our first two EPs are pretty similar, but our first full-length record Heaven is a concept record about a woman who kills herself to follow her lover into the afterlife. We tried to make the sound more varied on Heaven. Our next record Night and Blur which we are currently working on is much more electronic and dance music oriented. Heavily influenced by Everything But The Girl’s Temperamental and Walking Wounded. 

You played in Hong Kong before, is it your first time in mainland China? What are your expectations or anticipations?
Our first tour in China with yeRecords was a blast. A dream come true. Our fans are amazing and dedicated, we’re not really sure how to handle it. We’re kind of shy. We’re really excited to be back and play our first festivals in Chengdu and Shanghai. We’re really excited to finally see some of our fans again.

The Bilinda Butchers come to share their sweet and sad romance on May 21, Omni Space. More information and ticket links here. 

More by this author here.
Email: tautviledaugelaite@trureun.com

Images: Showstart, Sounds Better with Reverb, Nerdist

You’ve done it. You’ve actually put down your burger to read this magazine about burgers. You, my friend, have a problem. A burger problem. Embrace it, nuzzle it, rock it to sleep in all its greasy glory before cramming it into your sauce-flecked meat hole for it may very well be the last thing you ever eat. This is how every burger should be treated, which is why we’ve gone and written a whole magazine about the most righteous of foodstuffs, just for you.

But wait, there’s more! Yes, we’ve also gone and coordinated an entire Beijing Burger Festival on Jun 16-17 at Galaxy Soho to help you get your meaty little rocks off (more about that on p.34). It’s the kind of free-for-all barbecue party where you may in fact meet your true love, down to the very last nugget of gristle you pull from your teeth at 11am the next day. It may be gone now, but what a night you spent together. I digress.

Elsewhere we have burger and beer pairings (p.16-17), the cultural underpinnings of cheese (p.18-19), the best al fresco venues (p.22-23) and venues for dogs (p.46-47), tons of new venue reviews (p.26-32), travels through Shandong (p.36) and Nanjing (p.38-39), a rundown on the best albums of 2018 so far (p.48-49), and much, much more.

And with that, I’ll let you get back to your important business, for what is more important than bread, patties, and squirts of sauce? It’s the stuff that life is made of.

Read the issue via Issuu online here, or access it as a PDF here. Otherwise, grab a hard copy at your favorite outlet around town in the coming days!

Photo: Fang Yifei; Illustration: Jinna Kaneko

Chinese bike rental giant Ofo has started selling advertisements on its bikes and apps (in Chinese) in an attempt to boost revenues amid increasing cash strain. The company will launch custom-designed bikes and the bike-body ads will appear in bike wheels, saddle and baskets for clients to reach the public with their messages.

Rumors of Ofo’s failure to pay bike manufacturers have been around for a while. According to local media reports, insiders say that Ofo has now paid only 20 percent of its RMB 3 billion debts (USD 470 million). In line with that,  the bike rental company has been slowing down orders from bike makers during the past year.  In an earlier sign of financial distress, Ofo has mortgaged its own bicycles in order to receive two loans worth RMB1.77 billion (USD 280 million) from Alibaba.

Ofo’s CEO Dai Wei has rebuffed an acquisition offer from Didi, South China Morning Post is reporting. The co-founder sought to rally the company by comparing their current status to Winston Churchill and wartime Britain as portrayed in the drama Darkest Hour, the report added. Facing a similar situation, Ofo’s competitor has chosen another path. Mobike was sold to Meituan this April. Three weeks later, company co-founder and CEO Davis Wang, who was against the acquisition, resigned while co-founder Hu Weiwei takes his place.

Images courtesy of TechNode

Our Events Watch series aims to highlight happenings that aren't focused on alcohol and drinking, but instead take a more educational or productive approach. Events include comedy, talks, networking events, markets, and dinners.
 

Monday, May 21

Blues Dance Party
Get down to the Bricks on Monday evenings for their weekly blues dance class for beginners. Starting 8.30pm, attendees will cut the rug courtesy of instruction by Annie Luo before venturing out by themselves as part of a swing social dance party for the rest of the evening. RMB 30. 8.30pm-midnight. The Bricks
 

Tuesday, May 22

Constantly Connected: Is Your Internet Use an Addiction or Society’s New Norm?
This talk, hosted by Dr. Joseph Monroe, will explore the issue of Internet addiction and "at what point Internet use transitions from normal to pathologic." Given our growing reliance on computers and an increasing number of cases of Internet addiction in China, our lives offline are slowly being subsumed by our avatars online. RMB 80, RMB 20 (students). 6.30-8.30pm. Yale Center Beijing
 

Wednesday, May 23

Free Taichi Class
Taichi is one of the most popular styles of kung fu in China and is practiced by many for its relaxing and positive influence on the mind and body. Head to BICC on Wednesday for a free lesson, including instruction from a kung fu master. Free. 2.20-3.30pm. BICC-Chinese School
 

Thursday, May 24

"The True Cost" Documentary Screening: Who Really Pays The Price for Our Clothing?
The Beijing Clothing Auction Network, Live With Less, and The Bulk House team up to host a screening of The True Cost, a documentary about the price of our clothing to society and the people who make them. "Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the worlds leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth, and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye-opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes." RMB 60, RMB 40 (advance) (includes a free drink). 7-9.30pm. The Bookworm
 

Friday, May 25

Exhibition at Wudaoying Hutong: Reflection of Cats
What could be nicer than to usher in the weekend with an exhibition totally dedicated to cats? Jiu Mao's artworks (also pictured at top) look to shine a light on the relationship between humans and cats as well as the unique personalities of our favored felines. Free. Daily 1-8pm. Wudaoying Drawing Room
 

Saturday, May 26

Rumble in the Jumble
Rumble in the Jumble returns for its monthly event, this time with a special "guilty pleasures" theme at Modernista. Head over to Baochao Hutong for a day of crafts, art, food, and drinks from some of Beijing's best artisans and creatives as well a chance to win a reduced-price tattoo. Free. Midday-6pm. Modernista

Sunday, May 27

Advanced Inversions: A Workshop with David Lynch
You've done it, you've made it to the end of the week! In order to celebrate your lack of hangover on Sunday, head to Yoga Yard for an advanced workshop on inversions from instructor David Lynch (not that David Lynch). The class will help you overcome your fear of supporting yourself upside-down and teach you how to "use your hands and arms as a stabilizing force and a moving symmetry to keep your body safe and secure."RMB 450. 1-4pm. Yoga Yard

To see all of these events and more, click here.

Images courtesy of the organizers, thefix.com

[This post contains graphic images that some readers may find disturbing.]

A man fell to his death at a Beijing shopping mall after arguing with a man and a woman this past Sunday afternoon, a day commonly celebrated throughout China as one of the country's "Valentine's Days."

Tongzhou police confirmed on their official Weibo account that a 25-year-old Hebei man named Wang died from injuries incurred from a four-story fall at the Tongzhou Wanda Plaza shopping mall.

After a preliminary investigation, police say they don't suspect any Wang's death involves any criminal activity, implying that a second party is not responsible for pushing him. 

According to an eyewitness named Chen, Wang had been loudly arguing with a man and a woman immediately prior to his death.

Wang's death occurred on "5.20 Festival," a date associated with romantic love due to its phonetic proximity to the Chinese words, "I love you." Along with China's other Valentine's Days, "5.20" has become a popular date for Chinese singles to "shed their bachelorhood" and confess their love to their secret crushes.

In fact, Sunday saw Tongzhou Wanda Plaza set up a special event just for the occas\sion. Underneath pink balloon-made arches and flanked by oversized hearts, Wanda Plaza visitors can go to "Love Confession Lane" where they can finally share their hidden emotions (shown above).

Additionally, "5.20 Festival" has also become a popular day for Chinese couples to tie the knot. This year's festivities saw Tongzhou resident Xiaoguo propose to his girlfriend while wearing an oversized bear mascot costume while last year's "5.20" Tongzhou Wanda Plaza "5.20" event experienced a wedding proposal of its own.

Other romantic festivals celebrated in China besides "5.20" include: Valentine's Day, Qixi Festival, and Singles' Day. Lesser known romantic festivals include White Day (Mar 14) and Lantern Day, the traditional day for Chinese youths to declare their love for each other. 

When not celebrating Chinese Valentine's Days, unmarried Chinese singles go on xiangqin meetings in order to find a marriage partner, an activity so popular that parents regularly congregate in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai to arrange dates for their adult children. 

More stories from this author here.

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com
Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: QQ News, Sohu, Weibo (1, 2)

We remember how excited we were when Sweetie Salad founded its online food delivery business back in 2014, way before what food delivery platforms are today (hard to imagine, really). At that time, Sweetie won its legions with, well, a legion of muscular workers who showed up to demonstrate how to shake it properly (and let's not forget the Sparta saga in 2015).

Now, the team have opened their very first brick and mortar location on the first floor at Grand Summit. The venue has a touch of picnic-themed décor; bright lights illuminate two long, large wooden tables where people gather on benches. Different kinds of greens and insects, and the slogan of “HAI - Health All In,” adorn the walls.

A counter displays a range of ready-mixed salads (RMB 20 each), including grilled vegetables and coix seeds; avocado and orange; baked apple and brie; and dried beef and arugula. Additional ingredients such as your choice of protein can be added separately (grilled salmon or chicken) and there's also a range of hot dishes (Italian spinach roll, crispy vanilla flounder with pistachios, roasted vegetables etc. for RMB 16-30). For drinks, there are coffees and teas (approximately RMB 25) or freshly made juices (RMB 35). If you're still hungry, you can also bulk it out with a slice of bread or two.

The quinoa and vegetable salad used good quality ingredients, evident from its simple but vibrant flavors. The additional grilled chicken breast was succulent and seasoned with salt, black pepper, and a garnish of lemon, while the grilled salmon was a nice, long, and lean cut of moist fish. As for the drinks, the Strong Nutrition was a sweet and refreshing combination of cucumber, apple, carrot, kiwi, and kale. You can also opt for yogurt with muesli and fruit (RMB 25) or various types of kombucha courtesy of Papp's Tea.

At RMB 70-120 per person, a meal with a drink here is perhaps a little on the higher side of similarly health-focussed restaurants. Saying that, the venue is a crowd pleaser, with many diners sticking around after they had finished eating. Now that they've rolled out seating on their adjacent patio, it looks certain that Sweetie Salad's once entirely web-based clientele will quickly translate to visitors looking for a healthy fix.

Sweetie Salad
Daily 8am-9.30pm. 41, Bldg 1, 19 Dongfang Donglu, Chaoyang District (8532 6178)
甜心摇滚沙拉：朝阳区东方东路19号1号楼会所41号

More stories by this author here.

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

Photos courtesy of Sweetie Salad, Tracy Wang

A citywide manhunt for a Beijing's most-wanted "dangerous" man came to an end Saturday after a violent road rage incident shocked the city with its brutal violence.

A 20-year-old Beijing man named "Ma X Ru" confessed to committing "intentional injury" after police barged their way into a Fangshan residence where he had been hidden by his father, "Ma X De" (full video here).

The arrest was so anticipated that the Beijing Youth Report published it as "breaking news" while Chaoyang police said they enlisted a boxing champion to help apprehend the suspect.

Described as having "professional combat skills" and "dangerous" by China Daily, Ma shocked the city with his violent beat-down that became national news.

Video taken at the scene show Ma repeatedly assaulting a blue-shirted man during the Friday evening rush hour after what appeared to be a traffic collision in Shuangjing. 

Ma viciously pummels the victim with a flurry of punches and knees with frightening accuracy while simultaneously grappling him with wrist and head locks. Despite the victim appearing to be concussed, Ma continued to assault him even as three separate women tried to verbally intervene.

After fleeing from the scene, Ma hid at a Fangshan residence that belongs to his father, who has been charged by police for harboring a fugitive. The victim, a man named Peng, is said to be recovering in hospital.

As part of their investigation, police say they found training equipment like a sandbag and sparring gloves belong to Ma, thereby confirming that Ma trains in mixed-martial arts (MMA).

Although China has been relatively late in adopting mixed-martial arts, the sport has already gained a dubious reputation in the country.

Although China already has a number of MMA promotions that feature such fighters such as "Black Dragon" Israel Adesanya, mixed-martial arts has become known as a "foreign" sport competing for supremacy with traditional Chinese martial arts. Over the past year, Beijing MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong sparked a public backlash against the nascent sport by challenging and then defeating Chinese kung fu masters in martial arts showdowns.

At the same time, mixed-martial arts training centers have sprouted up throughout China, including here in Bejing.

More stories from this author here. 

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com
Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: Weibo, China News Network