More to Beijing than Olympics

Tag : Bamboo Slippers

Well, Beijing has a lot to offer on a comfortably smaller scale.Things you can steal an hour or two to do by taxi or subway andstill come away knowing that you haven't spent your time in Chinastretched out with a book by the hotel pool.
THE ANCIENT OBSERVATORY
This little gem dating from 1437 is set in a watchtower in one ofthe few remaining sections of the old Ming Dynasty city walls andis so far off the package-tour track you often have the place toyourself. Not bad for a $2.50 taxi drive from central Beijing and a$1.50 ticket. The watchtower alone is worth seeing, but take thetime to climb the 102 stone steps to the top of the tower where theancient astronomical instruments are displayed. An array of brasssextants, dragon-footed spheres and a giant Celestial Globe datingfrom 1673 are set against the backdrop of Beijing's skyline. TheEnglish explanations are a little dense, but you get the drift.
Back on the ground, more ancient and reproductions of ancientinstruments are displayed in a fragrant walled rose garden andinside a shady courtyard where you can easily spend an hour on abench trying to figure out how the ancients told time.
798 ART ZONE
The Chinese art market is the hottest in the world at the momentand the hottest place to see it is here, a mere $4 taxi ride fromdowntown. 798 used to be an industrial park, but when Beijingstarted moving pollution-belching plants out of the city, theartists and galleries started moving in.
They've created fabulous spaces in the old factories, with soaringceilings, concrete walls and exposed vents that are reminiscent ofthe Pompidou Centre in Paris.
Inside the galleries you find the whole range of contemporaryChinese art and sculpture.
No scrolls or delicate lotus watercolours here, rather giantstatues of Mao, more smiling party cadres than you want to see,haunting photos of Tibetan monks and bold, brassy paintings ofmodern Chinese at work and play.
You can see works by artists like Zhang Xiaogang, who's 1995painting of a family during the Cultural Revolution fetched $6million at a Sotheby's auction this spring, and Yue Minjun, whosold a piece inspired by the Tiananmen Square protests for $5.7million last year. The only problem is, the 798 "Zone" is chaotic.
There's no clear map of what's where and who's showing in whichgallery.
You can see a lot of derivative and just plain bad art before youfind the good stuff.
There are still a few working factories salted among the galleries,but also outdoor cafes and artsy shops.
TUANJIEHU PARK
Almost any large Beijing park is worth an early morning visit, butTuanjiehu is a particularly good place to see how older Beijingersstart their day.