On the Street ... in Dashanzi, Beijing

Visiting Dashanzi art district with a broken leg ... photo by Beijing Notebook 2007

On the Street....at 798, Beijing

A big scary bag in Dashanzi (photo 2007).

Blind Date in Dashanzi

Recently I was contacted by one of my readers. Emma, a professional photographer from the UK, was planning a trip to Beijing (among other destinations in Asia) and asked me if we could meet. She found me via my blog which inspired her travel planning. So one morning she had arrived in Beijing and called me. We fixed a blind date for the next day afternoon.

Her speciality is botanical photography, and as I wanted to propose a flower stand to be featured in urbane, the magazine I am writing for, I had this idea to do some quick photo shooting together in Liangma Flower Market before heading to Dashanzi. I thought it is a nice coincidence. You never know, maybe the magazine decides to buy her beautiful pics. Among others Emma is preparing a garden photo exhibition in the UK and plans to export the concept to Asia.


So that afternoon, Emma cycled all the way from her Kelly courtyard Hotel in the West to our house, where we first met. I was impressed. She only called me once from a public phone (I have never tried that before) to get directions: 'From that Embassy, do I have to go East or West?' - Emma is another proof that it is a prejudice that women have no orientation. We got along like we knew each other before. She is very easy and looks very Greek. - Then off we went to the Liangma Flower Market. It was interesting to observe a professional photographer. She has an eye and she works fast. She has different discs for different subjects.


Then we left for Dashanzi, 798 Art District. Also here pre-Olympic construction! Deep trenches for canalisation are bordering every single street. Mountains of earth narrow the ways. Some galleries and cafes have disappeared. Parking areas, new shops and new galleries are on the way.


What looks like an art installation is just another new gallery opening soon.

What a great weather to visit Dashanzi Art District. I love that factory atmosphere.

Factory and excavator in 798 - working class meets art meets tourists

Someone new in the neighbourhood...

... and someone leaving soon (exhibition ends Sunday April 6)

Emma and I spent an hour in this Beijing art district without visiting one single gallery. The whole site itself is an attraction. You can find art everywhere. We both liked this graffiti. (It is not for sale.)

Art is everywhere.

Princess Haiku?

Photo Source: Suzie from BeijingNotebook

Beijing: Dashanzi 798 Art District

On a sunny Sunday afternoon we like to go for a walk at Dashanzi Art District. Kids can run around and adults get something to see. 798 Art Zone or Dashanzi Art District is in the North East of Beijing. It used to be a military factory 50 years ago. The destruction is on hold regarding the Art District's role as tourist attraction during the Olympics next year.


The area is often called the 798 Art District or Factory 798 although technically, Factory 798 is only one of several structures within a complex formerly known as Joint Factory 718. Read more and more...


Some impressions from Dashanzi 798 this year:

On the Street....at 798, Beijing

I was so exited that The Sartorialist has been on the streets in Beijing. But I did not see enough Beijing street pictures on his blog. So I decided, to help out a bit .... copying is not a bad thing in China ....

I like my boots (Prada), I like the scarf I share with my husband (Walendy), I like my purple bag and my new hat (both from Jiayi market). The coat is from the "leather lady", the lining is silk with Chinese pattern from Muxiyuan market). Not too bad for someone who is not into fashion.

I was in Dashanzi today and was surprised how many interesting outfits were on the street. I guess, the Sartorialist has some more pictures for us soon. Or maybe we have to wait until the next Vogue China issue.

The Sartorialist in Beijing

The Sartorialist was in Beijing and this is the street picture he posted today on his blog.

Scott Schuman, the writer behind The Sartorialist, spent 15 years in sales and marketing dealing with department and specialty stores all around the world before he started his blog in September 2005. He always "felt that there was a disconnect between what I was selling in the showroom and what I was seeing real people (really cool people) wearing in real life". He combined his passion for fashion and photography and shares his photos of cool people in the streets of New York, Milan and Paris on his blog. His Sartorialist blog is so popular that he gets over 23.000 page hits daily. And his latest news are that he is going to do a page every month in Vogue China starting January or February.

His trip to China was sponsored by Lane Crawford (store opening). Last week he was in Beijing. I am looking forward to more of his pictures from the streets of Beijing.


Here she is again, bigger than above - in typical 'Beijing Onion style'. This photo was taken by The Sartorialist last week at Dashanzi Art District (original 798 Factory) in Beijing.