We came… we revved… we chased… The first ever Beijing Time Chase made history in October 2013, with 36 racers tearing around the city in vintage motorcycle sidecars, on the hunt for clues to piece together the story of China’s capital since the days of Dadu in Kublai Khan’s Yuan Dynasty.
Gulou’s world famous Drum and Bell Towers were the starting line; these ancient buildings had never witnessed a spectacle quite like this, the square completely filled with vintage People’s Liberation Army Sidecars courtesy of Beijing Sideways. The smell of excitement (and petrol) filled the air; the sun was shining in a clear blue sky; a perfect day to make history!
Before the start, Time Chase teams got to meet their drivers, go over their clue sheets, and talk strategy. Hitting the clues in the best order can mean the difference between success and, well, less success.
With clues that reward exploration and ingenuity, (and lots of silly camera clues too – more on those in another post), anyone young or old, knowledgeable or new to the city, can be a Time Chaser. We had teams from as far away as bonny Scotland…
…to China’s own fair capital. Even if you’ve lived in the city for years, you’re guaranteed to discover new hidden corners you never knew existed.
And… we’re off! 30hp of engine might not sound like much, but when the ground is rushing past you inches away, it’s a whole lot of fun. Not to mention safe, too, because they max out at about 35mph, the bikes are fully licensed and the drivers very experienced.
Called Chiang Jiang (Long River) 750s, the bikes are based on a BMW design dating all the way back to the 1930s; the Russians reverse engineered them as a military vehicle, and then sold the design to the Chinese in the 50s, where they were built for the army right up to the 1980s. Some say its the longest running motor vehicle production in history! It’s a true icon of Beijing.
Here’s Gael from Beijing Sideways (left) giving a bit of on-the-stop assistance to a team of Time Chasers outside a little known temple in the south of the city.
Did you know that during the Qing Dynasty, Beijing had its own elephant stables, used for imperial ceremonies? Well on the Beijing Time Chase we have our elephant! For the kids, y’know.
The look on this Time Chaser’s face captures it all. The excitement, the spirit of discovery, the tension, the competition. Gosh. We can’t take it anymore.
Sadly, all our cameras had run out of charge by the time we had our awards ceremony at the Big Smoke Bistro in Sanlitun. But take it from us – plenty of glazed ribs, cupcakes, cookies and wine were had by all (well, soft drinks for the little ones) – and six teams walked away with awesome prizes including a Shangri-La Hotel weekend staycation for the day’s trophy winners. Congratulations to the winners and all our intrepid Time Chasers, and thanks for making it the most original, exciting event in Beijing’s 2013 calendar. See you again soon!
The Beijing Time Chase can be booked as a limited edition tour for groups, corporations and special events. For more information, please contact [email protected]
Photos courtesy of Shannon Fagan
www.shannonfagan.com