This Saturday in Beijing : Urban Carpets by Instant Hutong

click on flyer (including map) to enlarge

Stefano Avesani from instant hutong send me an email to post about their event on this Saturday in Beijing. Thanks, I love to announce it here on my blog.  -   If I would still be in Beijing I would definately go. I love the atmosphere of the neighbourhood in hutongs, the small aleys in old Beijing ! And the photos of the previous exhibitions of Urban Carpets look so interesting.

Here the details :

URBAN CARPET 8x5 · 都市地毯8x5

四 4th one day-only exhibition

2009年10月25日, 11am – 6pm

NEIGHBOURHOOD COURTYARD - 社区庭院
no.17 Cao Chang Tou Tiao, Xian Yu Kou Di Qu, Chong Wen District

北京市崇文区鲜鱼口地区草厂头条17号

完美地体现了源于近几年北京郊区在不知所措地迅速变化中的矛盾。房地产政策的目的是鲜鱼口社区原住民的再次回归。对城市的传统性的描述都不适合鲜鱼口,当前是特别有趣的城乡结合。城镇的空间和自然的空间,农村的习惯和现代设备的结合，细微地体现于北京的都市中心。

Xian Yu Kou district perfectly embodies the contradictions stemming from the rapid transformations which overwhelmed Beijing neighbourhoods in the past few years. The target of real estate policies has been partially abandoned and the spaces have recently been re-occupied by the former inhabitants. None of the traditional city descriptions can suit Xian Yu Kou, which is, nowadays, a surprising and totally fascinating combination of city and countryside, urban spaces and natural ones, rural habits blended in with contemporary facilities. This micro phenomenon is taking place at the very centre of the large metropolis of Beijing.

Works by·艺术家 :

MARCELLA CAMPA & STEFANO AVESANI - http://www.instanthutong.com/

photo via instanthutong

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I would love to hear from anyone who went their, please leave a comment.

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Urban Carpets by Instant Hutong

urban carpets - 8 pieces 180x180 cm - embroidery on canvas

This serie of 8 carpets by Instant Hutong are representing different maps of hutong areas in Beijing with a size of approximately one square kilometre and a population of 30000. Each of them has been isolated and presented as autonomous town within the big city. They are embroidered by hand with the same technique of the propaganda slogans on large fabrics used by the communist party during the seventies. The carpets have been filled with white wire wool insertions.



All along year 2009 the urban carpets will be shown to the Hutong dwellers inside the courtyards and on the public lanes in order to share the project with people and bring it back to the city districts it was inspired from.





The people behind Instant Hutong are the Italian artists Marcella Campa and Stefano Avesani. They are focusing on the urban growth of Chinese cities and their transformation since 2003. In June 2005 they won the international Archiprix prize in Glasgow with a project for the Hutongs in Beijing. In October 2005 they moved to China and started working on the Instant Hutong art project and on a parallel research on contemporary Chinese urban habitat. After studying and working in China and Europe, they established their own architectural practice in Beijing.

(photos and text by Instant Hutong and their portfolio on Behance Network)

A Little Beijing: an anusual guide for unusual travellers

If a visitor to Beijing is walking through its amazing old hutongs (alleys) he might want to buy a postcard of the impressions he had to write home about. Then he or she will look around and realize that there are no decent postcards available (so far) in this (still slightly) communist country. And if it happens that this accidental traveller is a photographer and graphic designer, she might later come up with a creative idea.

Linzy Q., the accidental traveller, is a talented photographer and professional graphic designer based in Singapore. Also she is a passionated postcard writer and likes to discover places by walking, egg. Beijing. So she came up with this simple but beautiful idea of an unusual postcard guide for 7 Beijing walking tours. She made the pictures and styled the cards, published it in Singapore and won a design award. She even blogs about her project that has a modest name: A Little Beijing.


The idea is that the visitor just grabs about 10 postcards per tour and per day that guide him/her to touristic sights along non-touristic hidden gems or vice-versa. The Little Beijing project becomes interactive when users give feed-back on the blog or prove that the postcards have arrived.


The more pictures I see the more I want to own one Little Beijing postcard set myself. You do not necessarily need to write postcards, buy Chinese stamps and send them home (hoping that the postmen don’t like them too much…). You could keep them as souvenirs or stick them into your scratch book.

So far the Little Beijing guide is only available in a few bookstores in Hong Kong and Singapore or online via a little Beijing.

I recommended Linzy to get in contact with shops in Nanluogu Xiang Hutong (near the Drum Tower) in Beijing. They sell unique Beijing souvenirs beside their own branded products. Also the Beijing Bookworm in Sanlitun would be an excellent selling point for this visionary guide. I would guess that the expat crowd will jump on it what makes the perfect gift for birthdays, newcomers, visitors and farewell parties.

A big thanks to Lara Dunston from cooltravelguide who gave me the hint and posted about it here.

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Interview with Linzy Q, the maker of A Little Beijing (via mail) :

BN: Linzy, how did you come up with the tours? Did you walked them by yourself, did you ask friends?

Linzy: I came up with a 7 day guide of places that I’ve been to or stumbled upon that i think is interesting. Back then, I was constantly surprised by new findings. While heading to a place, I’ll find something else along the way.

BN: How many tours do you suggest? Do they have names?

Linzy: Each day is differentiated by a different colour so easier for navigation on the main map. each card is numbered, with the name of the place. egg. 3.07 (http://alittlebeijing.blogspot.com/2008/03/to-ilsy.html) would be the 7th card of day 3, with "Nightlife by the lake" being the title. there are also cards like 6.02 where it's a record of my feelings for a place rather than just a proper write-up introduction.

I see this whole guide as a documentation of my Beijing and by passing this guide on to others, it would become theirs. When they write their thoughts over and send it out, the whole project becomes interactive.

BN: Who is your target group? Chinese and foreigners?

Linzy: adventurous travellers who are looking for more beyond the basic touristy attractions.

BN: Where did you realize your idea? Where is it printed? Singapore?

Linzy: yup, everything was done back here in Singapore.

BN: Are you a graphic designer? Photographer?

Linzy: I'm a graphic designer and photography is my way of remembering things/people/places/events.

BN: Do you collect postcards from where you travel?

Linzy: I do!!! I have this habit of collecting postcards and sending them back to family and friends when I’m travelling.

BN: You plan this for other cities?

Linzy: yup, definitely.

Thanks for the interview and all the best for your project and the ones to come!

(Photo Source: Linzy Q)

Winter in Beijing: How to spend your Sunday

What I would do on a Sunday morning in Beijing in January ?
I would go to Houhai Park Ice skating (Qianhai area) !
This is so much fun ! Not only for kids ! For smaller kids you also can go to Ritan Park which is a bit more quiet.

After that I would warm up in one of the restaurants or bars around Houhai. E.g. Hutong Pizza was one of our favorite places for lunch. They also have a toilet. Otherwise there is a McDonald on the main street. See map for your way:


And for those who prefer another sport called shopping: the New Year & Winter Sales just started all over Beijing ! Here two of my tips:

Rouge Baiser Elise in Sanlitun - originally from Shanghai - the boutique with the French flair of beautiful linen table wear, bedding, kids clothes and home accessories just started its winter sale!

And the second hint is one of my favorite jewellery shops:

Beijing Fine Jewellers announces: During Spring Festival, we keep open everyday from 10:00am-5:00pm. For the celebration of Chinese New Year, we will have special discount for different items from Jan.25th to Feb.4th (20 - 60 %, not including Diamond exceed 0.1ct and order)

Shop Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm. (From Jan.25th ----Feb.2nd)
Tel: 010-65927118/65018046/13901146739
ADD: 3-106, China View, The East Road of Worker’s Stadium, Chaoyang District. /北京市朝阳区工体东路丙2号红街大厦3-106

亲爱的顾客：

春节期间我店正常营业。为庆祝新春佳节，我店特推出盛大促销活动（4—8折优惠）。钻石超过0.1ct及订单除外。

欢迎光临选购。

新年快乐！

春节营业时间：上午10：00----下午5：00（从1月25日---2月2日）

Logo for Nanluogu Xiang

There is a NLGX Logo Design Competition!
NLGX stands for my favorite hutong: Nanluogu Xiang - and they want a logo for this hutong.

Today I received the latest newsletter 7 days in Beijing and found that apparently some Beijing city districts are designing their own logo. Sanlitun and the CBD (Central Business District) already have one and now Nanluogu Xiang wants to keep up with the trend and get its own logo. Local authorities have teamed up with imart to promote a competition to design a new logo for Nanluogu Xiang.
Competition closes on Oct 8.
E-mail entries to imartcc@gmail.com.

Visit the site, unfortunately only in Chinese, to get more information.

I am also surprised to see that the famous hutong Nanluogu Xiang also has a website!
So far also only in English.

I should have posted about the hutong long before. Alternatively I am just posting some pictures.

red lanterns in the wind

creative shop owner's business cards

Beijing Courtyard House: Mei Lanfang's Siheyuan

To me, the best in Beijing is Old Beijing that you can find in narrow hutong alleys. Most of the time you only get a tiny glimpse of how Chinese live in these old one storey grey brick stone houses. But there is one to visit!




I posted a while ago that I have visited Beijing Opera star Mei Lanfang's former residence, that is a museum, open to public since 1986. I want to give you more details today.


The courtyard is located in Huguosi Lu, a quiet lane in the Western District of Beijing.
A courtyard house has an atrium garden in the middle of the house as you can see from the two layouts, that I scanned from the beautiful book Chinese Houses.


My book shows pictures from the interior, but when you visit, you only can sneak a glance through the windows.

However you can learn more about Mei Lanfang (1894-1961). His biography is illustrated with pictures and you can see two traditional Chinese Opera costumes. There is also a TV that plays scenes from Chinese Opera featuring Mei Lanfang on stage. As the Opera Star also liked to paint and collect Chinese painting, his collection is on display as well.

It is a peaceful atmosphere and definitely worth a visit when you are interested in the traditional style of living in Beijing. For me, the hutong alleys and grey brick stone courtyards are the most authentic and charming part of old Beijing. It worth to stroll around or rent a bike to discover the real China in a city that is changing daily and transforming more and more to one of these modern international exchangeable cities.


This is a view from one room into the courtyard towards the entrance. It has been raining the day before and the whole night. The air was washed out and clean and so were the trees and everything else. The first sunshine tried to break through and the wind blowed some white blossoms from the tree on the ground.


In one of the corner courtyards I got this view through a typical Chinese round gate and took that picture of one of the 'Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing'.


Open Tue - Sun, April - November 9am - 4pm (10 RMB), 9 Huguosi Lu, Xicheng District, tel. 6618 0351


More info at Mei Lanfang Website

Picture source: all mine, except the layouts of the courtyard that are from Chinese Houses: The Architectural Heritage Of A Nation

Charming Courtyards in Beijing

A courtyard house is the most charming way to live in Beijing. But not the most convenient one. There are only few courtyards available that have bathrooms and electricity. They are difficult to access because hutongs are long small one way alleys. And, it is a fairly new and not a very transparent market. You have to ask around. Renovated hutongs are gone fast. To find one and convince a landlord to renovate it (with your money) or to buy one is even more difficult. A courtyard purchase is several times more complex than buying a house anywhere else as you find yourself confronted with six or more owners and their support team of 20 or more extended relatives (see Tom's Hutongs for rent here). And then at the end, you never know how long your new investment is save from the Beijing's bull-dozers (see post from Daily Telegraph's China Correspondant Richard Spencer). Because Beijing's preservation plan seems not always to protect where it was supposed to.

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For the moment, I suggest, the easiest was to enjoy the charming courtyards is to have dinner at one of the many restaurants located in courtyard houses.

HERE IS A LIST OF COZY COURTYARD RESTAURANTS FOR ROMANTIC RENDEZ-VOUS:

The Source
Superbly restored old Hutong House with delicious, spicy set menu (120 or 190 RMB).
14 Banchang Alley, Kuan Jie, Dongcheng, phone 6400 3736

Red Capital Club
Red Capital Restaurant opened in 1999, followed by Mr. Brahm's boutique hotel. Both are crammed with Mao-mentos - Cultural Revolution paintings and figurines, antique phones, radios and actual chairs from Zongnanhai. The courtyard restaurant can't be missed in the alley as Mrs. Mao's car is parked outside.
66, Dongsi Jiu Tiao, Dongsi Dajie.

Mei Fu or Mei's Mansion
Peking opera master Mei Langang's favorite dishes are served in this three-level courtyard house. Dinner is an experience in this low-lit, chic and contemporary, restored 200-year-old Hutong with its fountains and pebbles and simply furnished dining salons. Set menu, around 300 RMB per person. Little English is spoken.
24 Daxianfeng Hutong, Houhai, Xicheng, phone 6612 6845

Yi He Ya Ju
Very popular, very casual restaurant with two 'beer garden' like gardens. Ideal for lunch combined with a walk in Ritan park or shopping in this area. It serves a mix of Sichuan, Shandong, Cantonese, Beijing and Shanghai cuisine.
Northeast corner of Ritan Park, Cahoyang, 8561 7643
(some expats call it the 'hole in the wall restaurant', because of its entrance)

Dali Courtyard
Hidden off an Alley. Warm and rustic, with coal furnaces, and old jazz tunes.
67 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng, phone 8404 1430

Huajia Yiyuan
Courtyard with painted girder and roofs. Beijing style food.
235 Dongzhimennei Dajie, phone 6405 1908

The Gourmet Room
A small courtyard with delicate cantonese food and good wine.
Mo - Thur 6 pm - 9.30 pm, Fri - Sun 11 am - 2 pm, 6 pm - 9.30 pm.
3 Qianhai Xijie, Shichahai, Xicheng District 3, phone 6613 9641

Yan Yi Shan Zhai Ge Ge Fu
Staff dressed in ancient Chinese costumes. The cuisine is the so-called 'official cuisine' and there are nutritional soups. (??)
11 am - 2 pm, 4.30 pm - 10.30 pm.
9 Daqudeng Hutong, Meishuguan Houjie, Dongcheng, phone 6407 8006

Tan Hua Xuan
Tanjia Cuisine featuring the best of all Chinese cuisines.
112 Gulou Xidajie, Xicheng, phone 6403 3171

Baijia Dazhaimen
Official cuisine served in a Qing Dynasty king's former residence.
15 Suzhou Jie, Haidan, phone 6265 4186

Family Yue's Banquet House
Nutrious soups in the backyard of a king's former residence (same king as above?...).
29 Suzhou Jie, Haidan, phone 8262 5960

Village of the beautiful stove
Local Jiangxi food prepared in porcelain pots and nutritious soups
11 Suzhou Jie, Haidan, phone 6253 8883

Gui Gong Fu's
two yards are the best part of the restaurants as the rooms are a bit dark. The courtyard is said to belong to Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) empress Cixi's brother. The restaurant is famous for its dishes made of tea ingredients, as well as for Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines. 10.30 am - 2 pm, 5 pm - 10.30 pm.
11 Dafangjia Hutong, Chaoyangmennei Nanxiao Jie, Dongcheng, phone 6512 7677

Bodhi-Sake
Plenty of space for outdoor and indoor dining. It's a three level courtyard house adapted from a nunnery where a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) princess spent her life as a nun. Vegetarian food.
10 am - 10 pm. 200 meters north of North gate of Taoranting Park,
10-16 Heiyaochang Jie, Xuanwu District, phone 63557348

Courtyard No 28
Small restaurant with a big tree and three rooms decorated in ancient Chinese Style. Spicy Guilin and Sichuan food. 11 am - 11 pm.
1 Xilou Hutong, South of Lama Temple, Dongcheng, phone 8401 6788

Crabapple House
Inside simple and a bit dark, outside under wisteria vine two wooden benches. Menu in Chinese and quiet expensive. Maybe better for tea time in the garden.
32 Xuanwumen Xidajie, Xuanwu District, phone 8315 4678

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Remark: There is this chic restaurant called The Courtyard, that is overlooking the moat and the Eastern wall of the Forbidden City. Despite its name it is not a typical courtyard house and offers elegant indoor dining. The contemporary art gallery has moved from the basement out of town to Shunyi. Instead you could dine very intimate with a cozy bed next to the table... Reservation some days in advance:
95 Donghuamen Dajie, Dongcheng, phone 6526 8883

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Oh, well, I have to say, I did not know that there are sooo many courtyard restaurants. I have tried only three or four so far. And I will use this list to check them out one by one, as it is courtyard season right now!

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One more thought after reading Richard Spencer's post and the comments... I have never before thought about what has happend to the former residents of a courtyard restaurant or bar. Were they forced out? Were they compensated accordingly? Not only modern developpment projects are a threat to hutong residents even restaurants and bars might be.

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Sources:
- China Daily's Beijing Weekend Guide (May 18-20), list of romantic courtyard restaurants,
- Luxe City Guide Beijing for the review and addresses of the Source, Mei Fu, Dali Courtyard, The Courtyard,
- That's Beijing's tbjhome (May 2007) for the courtyard renovation and purchase articles 'Hutong Heaven' and 'This Courting Life' by Tom Luckock. For further info about renting, buying and renovating courtyards contact the writer at tomshutongs@hotmail.com or visit his website about his two renovated courtyard houses. One is for rent, and one is a Bed & Breakfast that will open during 2007.
- photo via Red Capital Club

My older post:Beijing Courtyard House sells for Record Price (April 2007)

Beijing: Courtyard House sells for Record Price

A courtyard home in Beijing near the picturesque Houhai lake has sold for a record 14.2 million dollars (110 million yuan) earlier this month.

A courtyard dwelling, or Siheyuan in Chinese, is an enclosed atrium house, a type of residence most famously found in Beijing. Courtyard houses are also called hutongs or hutong houses while ‘hutong’ in Chinese means only lane or alley.

As Chinese people consider the hutong houses as not modern and their inhabitants as poor, many are being destroyed to make way for modern apartment buildings. However lots of foreigners would love to live in a renovated courtyard home. A renovation includes the installation of water and electricity supply. Otherwise you would need to use the public toilets in your hutong (lane). But often the houses are not easy to access through the small lanes. And it is not easy to find a suitable and affordable one.

A few courtyards are being converted into luxury residences. The Houhai one was sold for 36,324 yuan per square metre, almost double the average price of residential properties nearby, the Beijing News said. A local property developer had been trying to sell the courtyard home since late 2005 after fixing it up but few people expressed interest until early this year, it said.

Last year I was invited to one of these luxury courtyard homes. It was renovated and decorated in a modern yet cosy style. The tenant had inherited some Biedermeier furniture and added modern and Asian elements. We had a BBQ in the garden at night and the whole house was illuminated. Some months later I recognized it right away when I found these pictures in a magazine.




All three pictures are from Better Homes and Gardens magazine in China (issue no. 8 - January 2007). The residence contains even two hutong houses with two atrium. The bigger one was the main house. All single elements were connected with a corridor of glass (last picture). If you want to walk from the kitchen to the bedroom you could either walk inside around the atrium through the corridor or you could walk outside across the atrium. The second smaller atrium belonged to the guest house. The renovation was time consuming and expensive although the former resident denied the latter. Today he does not live here anymore. So I guess this beautiful hutong house is empty at the moment. What a pity. But even more pity is the uncertain future of this beautiful house. It was saved from demolition once. But the neighbouring homes are already gone.

The record selling price of the Houhai courtyard house was featured in That's Beijing (7 Days in Beijing - Today's Alarming Statistic of April 20); and in Yahoo News.

See also my other post about Beijing Courtyards