Beijing is a city with a storied past and ambitious future. Its central axis, which boosts ceremonial buildings that date back as early as the 13th century, is a breathtaking sight to behold; its more recent creations, grand in size but eclectic in style, are testaments to its people’s aspirations.
The affluent megacity has also given rise to a one-of-a-kind retail culture that’s deeply embedded in the city’s storied past and defies commercial stereotypes, with many independent shops decidedly dispersed across town, preferring to stray from commercial cores. The city’s art scene, which congregates around the 798 Art Zone, is easier to navigate. For art connoisseurs, Beijing’s latest art shows will feel both entertaining and illuminating.
The vibrancy of Beijing can only be experienced in person — here are some of the latest shops, eateries, and art exhibitions worth visiting in the Forbidden City.
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Where to Shop
Postpost 2.0
With an obsession for intellectualized fashion, Postpost’s second store opened at a more downtown location inside a former worker’s canteen near the Sanlitun shopping district. With an aspiration to build an alternative universe which, for founder Xiao Yong, can be a respite from the frantic internet world, the bookstore and fashion shop’s selection of independent magazines, vinyl, unisex clothing, coffee and alcohol has helped it attract a loyal following. Offering a space for the city’s underground youth, Postpost 2.0 often hosts weekend parties with experimental sounds from lesser-known parts of the world.
Xingfu Sancun Alley 5, Chaoyang District
Heyan’er
Founded in 1994, Heyan’er is a retail and research platform that collects, preserves and studies traditional Chinese textiles. The standalone shop was recently renovated to include an exhibition space and a cafe. Focused on sustainability and upcycling, the brand “Mengji Nongga” (“go eat at home” in the Guizhou dialect) was born, which expands on its lexicon of traditional craftsmanship — this time to include homeware.
No.15-2 Gongtibei Road, Chaoyang District
Anchoret
The sixth and latest iteration of Anchoret, an anchor independent fashion retailer in the youthful Sanlitun area, has landed in a nearby alleyway, neighboring Postpost 2.0. The Brutalist structure, designed to reflect the shop’s reclusive ethos, offers a selection of edgy designs created by enigmatic individuals, such as Paul Harnden, Ziggy Chen, Rick Owens and Maurizio Amadei.
Xingfu Sancun Alley 5, Western Entrance, Chaoyang District
What to Eat
Louyau Restaurant
The latest addition to Beijing’s growing stable of authentic Cantonese food is Louyau Restaurant, located in an expansive Hong Kong-style tea house in the recently renovated Liang Ma River area. Some cuisines constantly adapt, evolve and simplify, but Louyau, helmed by Cantonese chefs, sticks to the arduously prepared classics, such as the glazed roast suckling pig, simmering dim sums, and paper-wrapped salt and pepper chicken.
No.15 Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang District
TRB Hutong
A fine dining institution since 2012, TRB Hutong is located within a temple courtyard — an ideal location to get a sense of old Beijing. It was also where Louis Vuitton creative director of women’s collections Nicolas Ghesquière hosted his Beijing banquet during last year’s market visit. The one-star Michelin French restaurant, filled with contemporary art in its courtyard, was formerly a 600-year-old temple hidden in the traditional Hutong neighborhood. TRB Hutong’s latest palette-pleasing menu includes Ningxia lamb accompanied by refreshing herbs, succulent New Zealand langoustine and Wagyu beef accompanied by Yunnan mashed potatoes.
23 Shatan North Street, Dongcheng District
Spring Patio
Offering an “under the moon in the mountain” view, Spring Patio serves up sweet, sour, and spicy Yunnan cuisine that can excite or even shock the palette. Dai-style deep-fried pork rind, stewed rice with wild ganba mushrooms and truffle sausage, and a classic local treat, rice pasta with fresh herbs and spices, are all made with produce shipped from Yunnan. Its wine selection offers a refreshing pairing with local street foods, such as “dairy fans” or simply a Yunnan sausage platter, according to Simeng Guo, the restaurant’s cofounder.
No.19, Sanlitun Road Sanlitun Taikoo Li South Area Floor 3, Chaoyang District
What to See
”Lawrence Weiner: A Pursuit of Happiness ASAP“
As American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner’s first major exhibition in China, the exhibition showcases nearly 50 works of his trailblazing career. Weiner, whose preferred medium is written words, often borrowed from sayings in pop culture and even created his own font to present the work. For this large-scale post-mortem presentation, the UCCA team and Weiner’s estate worked closely to develop a Chinese font and translations that occupy the walls and ceilings of the former factory space. It was also a way to put Weiner’s philosophy into practice. As Weiner put it, “a translation, is really the moving of one object to another place.” The exhibition is on view until Oct. 20.
798 Art District No 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu Chaoyang District, UCCA
“Splendor on the Walls“
Hanging screens (which are wall-mounted versions of freestanding folding screens), were an integral part of Chinese court decor during the Qing Dynasty. With 60 hanging screens, including rare gold-threaded ones, and related works on display, the exhibition is a first for a craft and artistry that reached its zenith during the period. Visitors are advised to book a slot in the museum’s WeChat Mini Program before visiting. The exhibition runs until Nov. 3.
4 Jingshan Front Street, Dongcheng District, The Palace Museum
“Portrait of a Man”
“Portrait of a Man,” X Museum’s first exhibition since appointing Yang You (formerly UCCA) as director, focuses on the idea of male image and identity formation. Featuring around 70 recent works by 61 contemporary artists, most of whom were born after 1980, the exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos and relevant literature that offer a non-linear assessment of what male portraiture means today and where it might be heading. Highlights of the show include an Issy Wood painting of Chinese celebrity Jackson Yee and two works featuring the X Museum cofounder, socialite Michael Xufu Huang. The exhibition runs until Oct. 20.
Langyuan Station, E1 (Building 10), No. 53 Banjie Tower Road, Chaoyang District
“Folk in Order”
The “unofficial, self-organized, and people-powered” tradition of folk art is the theme of a new show at Macalline Center of Art, a nonprofit art organization founded by a Chinese furniture giant that bears the same name. From the mythical scroll paintings of Guo Fengyi, to the queering paper cut works by Xiyadie, and ancient folklore sutra chanting collected by the collective Easternization Movement Development Commission, the exhibition “Folk in Order” uncovers the hidden beauty and “spontaneous creativity” of the folk experience, the exhibition’s curator Wang Huan wrote in a curatorial note. The exhibition is on view until Oct. 13.
706 Beiyi St, 798 Art Zone, No. 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
