Bonjour Beijing: Old and new find a balance in the 798 art district

Before coming to China I had learned a little bit about traditional Chinese art, but I never knew that China had such a world-renowned contemporary art scene. The most famous exhibitions are located in the art district 798. Fun fact: 798 in Chinese is qi jiu ba, which sounds a lot like qu jiu ba or "let's go to the bar". This area is owned by the military and was named after the main factory in the area: Factory 798. When these weapon-producing factories shut down due to lack of use, art collectors began renting them out and converting them into galleries. Since then 798 has become THE place for well-known artists, both Chinese and international artists, to showcase their work.

I went to 798 on Saturday---- the air was so polluted I had to wear a face mask. Although the air quality was a bummer, I had a blast exploring 798. The streets were so empty that I had no problem getting into any of the galleries. I saw everything from eerily and beautifully painted trees to a painting with Angelina Jolie's lips.

An example of a hutong, although not in 798.

In addition to art galleries there are many high-end designer shops, though you would not know by looking down the cobble-stone hutongs. These small alleyways take you back to another era. Although the narrow, curving hutongs made some of the galleries hard to find, they made for interesting discoveries and they gave me an insight to what ancient China must have been like. Outside of 798 walking down the large boulevards surrounded on either side by malls, high-rises, and tall office buildings, it can be easy to forget Beijing's history. Then there are areas like this that are reminders China's rich history and culture. What I love about this city is the old and new trying to find a balance in the Beijing's ever growing economy and population. Here are some pictures of 798 art district: