Gt; Dazhalan Jie > Liulichang Xijie and Liulichang Dongjie > Nanluogu Xiang > Wangfujing Dajie > Five Colours Earth > Lu Ping TrendsettersMOST FUN FOR HAGGLING

BEST SOUVENIRS

Gt; Beijing Curio City > Panjiayuan Antique Market > Pearl Market > Sanlitun Yashow Clothing Market > Silk Market > Bannerman Tang’s Toys & Crafts > Grifted > Plastered T-Shirts > Shard Box Store > Xing Mu’s Handicrafts > Zhaoyuange ACROBATICS

Chinese acrobatic shows are always a thrill and Beijing’s troupes are some of the best in the country. There’s nothing quite like seeing young contortionists turn themselves inside out and upside down, while spinning plates on the ends of long sticks, or balancing on poles.

Circus acts have a 2000-year history in China. As far back as the Warring States Period (roughly 475–221 BC) there are mentions of such off-beat activities as dagger juggling and stilt walking. Wuqiao County in Hebei province, which borders Beijing, is believed to have been the original stronghold of Chinese acrobatics.

Routines were developed using simple, everyday objects like sticks, hoops, chairs and jars. Difficult acts to follow include ‘Peacock Displaying its Feathers’ (a dozen or more people balanced on one bicycle) and ‘Pagoda of Bowls’ (a performer does everything with her torso except tie it in knots, while balancing a stack of bowls on her foot, head, or both).

Despite these superhuman feats, acrobats, like Peking opera performers, occupied a lowly place in Chinese society. That all changed in the 20th century, however, especially once Chinese troupes (particularly from Beijing) started performing abroad to international acclaim.

Now, professional Chinese acrobats undergo the same rigorous training as future sports stars. Gifted children as young as five or six are singled out and enrolled in schools run by the various acrobatic companies. And, like sport, it is a short career. The typical acrobat retires from performing sometime in their 30s, or whenever their bodies can’t take the strain any more.

Chinese acrobats are famous throughout the world for their dazzling feats
RICHARD I’ANSON/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

CYCLING

Getting around Beijing by bike is one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the city. Yes, there are some mad drivers on the roads, but there are also bike lanes, and Beijing’s flat layout makes it ideal for cycling. Above all, you won’t be short of company: millions of Beijingers cycle every day.

Dongcheng district is the best area to cycle around. Peddling through the hutong around the Drum and Bell Towers, Nanluogu Xiang and the Houhai Lake area is far more fun than sitting in a traffic jam.

Rentals are everywhere, but your safest bet is at your accommodation. If that’s not possible, try any hutong near a youth hostel or courtyard hotel. Prices are around Y20 to Y30 per day, although the deposit will be Y300 or more. Never leave your passport as surety and make sure to check out the bike, especially the brakes, before you leave.

Don’t expect drivers to indicate when on the road. Remember, it’s always the cyclist’s job to get out of the car’s way and not the other way around.

Bike theft is a problem in Beijing, so always park your bike in the city’s cycling parks (price 2 mao), where an attendant can watch it.

Cycling is a great way to get around and you won’t be the only one on the road
GREG ELMS/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

GALLERIES

The rise of Chinese contemporary art is one of the more extraordinary side effects of China’s economic boom. Beijing is now mentioned in the same breath as London, New York and Berlin when it comes to the world’s most vibrant artistic communities. It’s all the more amazing when you consider that Beijing didn’t even have a contemporary art gallery until 1991.

Now, the galleries of the 798 Art District (see picture and the boxed text) are some of the most-visited places in the city. Their popularity, though, means that some of them have become more commercial, while high rents have driven other galleries out of the area. Nevertheless, 798 is still an essential stop for anyone interested in contemporary art, especially if you have a hankering for experimental art and media installations.

But the art scene is now so firmly entrenched in Beijing that new areas are opening up as artists’ colonies. In particular, the Caochangdi neighbourhood, 2km or so north of 798, has seen an influx of galleries and artists in search of cheap studio spaces and is well worth checking out.

If you want to stick closer to town, a handful of established galleries in central Beijing continue to thrive. The Red Gate Gallery is the best.

Photography exhibition at gallery in 798 Art Zone (Dashanzi Art District).
RODNEY ZANDBERGS/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14