Saturday, June 2, 2007

DaShanZi...

...798 Art District

Having a rare, free afternoon without the kids we ventured to the art district of Beijing. I first went to Dashanzi or 798 Art District a few months after we arrived and I liked to wander around the different venues and always wanted to show it to Jeff. The summer is a great time to visit the area either to see art exhibitions, have a drink on the terrace of a café or, my favorite: just walk around without a purpose.


A few pictures around DaShanZi

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From http://www.798space.com/
"798" is located in the Dashanzi area, to the northeast of central Beijing. It was the site of state-owned factories including Factory 798, which originally produced electronics.
Beginning in 2002, artists and cultural organizations began to divide, rent out, and re-make the factory spaces, gradually developing them into galleries, art centers, artists' studios, design companies, restaurants, and bars.
It became a "Soho-esque" area of international character, replete with "loft living," attracting attention from all around. Bringing together contemporary art, architecture, and culture with a historically interesting location and an urban lifestyle, "798" has evolved into a cultural concept, of interest to experts and normal folk alike, influential on our concepts of both urban culture and living space.