Travel & Leisure

Beijing - the unknown

Beijing is developing a new look which is unexpected, mixing futuristic architecture with contemporary design. If you are hoping for touches of old China, you will be disappointed.
The designers for the new era have given a mere sheen of the traditional, when conceiving the contemporary architecture of the new spaces. Between the disproportionate skyscrapers and the suspended highways, the old Chinese quarters, the Hutong (meaning “well” in Mongolian) with their traditional houses and narrow alleyways, and a reminder of the past, are reduced to a lace patchwork in the modernist landscape.

The remaining hutong of the old city

These symbols of another era, some dating from the 13th. and 14th centuries, are disappearing bit by bit as the bulldozers clear the way for the 21st century.
Despite everything, some treasures still survive, notably in the quarter of Shi Chahai. Contemporary jewellery designer Bejanne has chosen to establish her thriving atelier in this hutong.
As you venture further into the maze of little streets with their uneven roads and low houses, the commotion increases. Only a sign on the front door allows one to divine the social ranking of former owners. It only takes a few moments to turn back time and lose oneself in this city from another world. The walk is punctuated with the sights of small courtyards planted with persimmon or grenadine trees, and ponds with goldfish, another good luck symbol.
In the Houhai quarter, the bars, restaurants and little shops vie for your attention in the European style with some success, and a certain charm. Here the nightlife is animated and resembles any other major city in the world. At nightfall, it's back to the new cocooning hotel, the Sofitel Wanda. This establishment succeeds in combining Chinese architecture with modern French styling.

The spirit of Beijing

The next day dawns with the cultural shock of a visit to the Forbidden City. It is well worth getting up early to truly sense the spirit of this city by taking a stroll in one of the parks, perhaps Jinshan Park, on Coal Hill. The gardens here are planted with cypress trees, and from the early morning the people of Beijing practice Tai Chi, traditional music, singing or calligraphy. The paradox strikes home as these people waking up to a new life in the modern world retain the ancient rituals. From the top of the hill, you will see the Beijing panorama, just as you imagined it, with the only view possible of the Forbidden City. It is a moment of strong emotions.

The Old Factory 798

With any visit to Beijing, one cannot pass up the opportunity to sample the cultural life. For the most sceptical, I recommend a visit to 798 in the Dashanzi quarter. A military factory, disused since the 1950s, it has become host to multitudes of contemporary art galleries over the last four years. In fact there are over 150 galleries and the number is rising weekly. Italians, Germans, Japanese, Chinese and many Koreans have taken up residence here. With the new spirit of artistic freedom, today's Chinese artists, who for so long have been suppressed by official ideologies, are taking on board Western trends without forgetting their roots, and are being incorporated into international collections.


The Olympic Village
 
No visit would be complete without a trip to the Olympic Village. It is located in the new northern district of the fourth peripheral, on Beichen Lixu Street. One of the most impressive Olympic sites is the Olympic stadium, nicknamed the “bird's nest”, covering 258,000 m² and designed by Swiss architects, Herzong & Meuron. Considered the architectural jewel in the crown and symbol of the games, its majestic steel structure evokes the interwoven fabric of a nest. Just a few hundred metres away the “water cube” rises up. This aquatic centre of 300,000 square metres will house all the water sports of the games, and stands out because of its plastic bubbles equipped with thermal captors.
The opening ceremony celebrations are the concept of Zhang Yimou, director of the acclaimed film, “Raise the Red Lantern”, and more recently “Hero”.

Finally, to complete your stay and to rub shoulders with some of the happy few locals, go out one evening to the Quai or to Lan for dinner, and then on to The World of Suzy Wong, a night club/lounge which is on a par with the best European clubs.