Gt; Caochangdi > C5ART > Amelie Gallery (see boxed text) > Galleria Continua (see boxed text) > Red Gate Gallery GAY & LESBIAN

Although there is more domestic media coverage of homosexual issues than ever before in China, most of Beijing’s gays and lesbians fly well under the radar. Homosexuality remains a taboo subject within Chinese society generally and few people are willing to come out. That unease is reflected in the low-key nature of the Beijing gay and lesbian scene.

The long-standing Destination, Beijing’s only gay club, apart, there are few identifiable gay and lesbian nightlife spots in the city. Homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder in China until as recently as 2001, so not many places are keen to attract the attention of the authorities by advertising themselves as gay and lesbian venues. But some bars, like Mesh and Yin are gay friendly on certain nights.

Newcomers to the city can check www.gayographic.cn, which has details of events and parties for the foreign gay and lesbian community in Beijing.

MARTIAL ARTS

Martial arts are as much a part of the Beijing landscape as hutong, temples and bicycles. Legions of Beijingers, especially the older generation, begin the day by stretching a leg in the city parks or their apartment compounds.

Three main martial arts and exercises are popular in China: taijiquan (taichi), which is known for its slow, fluid movements; gongfu (kung fu), famous for its focus on self-defence; and qigong, associated with traditional Chinese medicine and focused on mental and physical well-being.

Taichi is the most popular. The yang style, with its uniform pacing, is the style most Beijingers practise. But walk around town and you’ll also see lots of wu-style practitioners, with their smaller and more pronounced stances and motions. Chen-style taichi is the easiest to recognise and the most fun to watch, as practitioners perform super-slow movements before exploding into quick, powerful movements.

The Jinghua Wushu Association (京华武术协 ­ 会; 135 2228 3751; basement, Kempinski Hotel, Liangmaqiao Lu 亮马桥凯 ­ 宾斯基饭店 底层; Liangmaqiao) has English-language instructors. The China Culture Center also offers occasional one-off classes that include anything from beginners’ taichi to taijijian (taichi with swords) at the Altar of the Earth at Ditan Park.

The best place to watch people practising their moves is the Temple of Heaven Park, where crowds of taichi devotees gather to sway and lunge as the sun rises. With a turnout regularly in the hundreds, it’s a sight worth waking up for. If you’re not a morning person, you can check out some death-defying martial-arts moves at the Red Theatre’s spectacular show The Legend of Kung Fu (see).

Youngsters practising their martial arts moves
KEREN SU/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

MUSEUMS

Beijing’s museums have made great strides in the last few years. Once characterised by chinglish captions, or none at all, sullen staff and a deadening, lifeless atmosphere, there are now a few, like the outstanding Capital Museum, which can rank with the best in London and New York.

Nor is there any shortage of museums to visit in Beijing. There are institutions devoted to everything from architecture to sandalwood and it would take weeks to get round them all. Most of the interesting ones are in and around Dongcheng district in central Beijing. Many are in historic buildings, and don’t forget that the Forbidden City is, amongst other things, a complex of mini-museums with rotating exhibitions.

Xicheng has its share of museums worth visiting too. Around the Houhai Lake the old courtyard homes of some of Beijing’s most illustrious writers and artists have been turned into shrines to them. Many lack enough English captions or context to be meaningful to foreigners, but the Mei Lanfang Former Residence is a notable exception. In Haidian, the Military Museum keeps young boys, and older ones too, out of trouble by letting them crawl over tanks.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14