The Urban Edit
“What Would Jesus Do?” has been uttered by many a devoted soul over the centuries. Turns out at new bar La Social the answer is “surround himself with Hollywood dressing room lights, Day of the Dead masks and have one helluva party.”
Yes that’s right, if a little Latin American flair has been missing from your life (and let’s be honest we’re in Beijing, so yes it has), then this new venture from the guys behind the Mosto/Modo restaurants will make your heart sing.
A brutal murder, a botched investigation, and a time Beijing would rather forget. Intrigued? So were we (along with the rest of the world) when author Paul French released Midnight in Peking.
Five years on, and an unwavering interest in the book prompted us to collaborate with publishers Penguin on a walking tour to bring the story back to life in modern-day Beijing. Little did we know that in researching the tour, Bespoke’s long term collaborator Lars Ulrik Thom would uncover a raft of never-before-seen documents relating to the case.
Know that iconic main building in the Temple of Heaven? (aka the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests). Well it burned down in 1889 and the Qing government found themselves in a pickle: they couldn’t source the right-sized trees to fashion the enormous columns from. So – according to one story – Qing officials finally looked abroad and imported the timber from Oregon in the USA.
There’s a new bar in town. A secret bar that we’ve grown to love despite its oddities*. It’s called Botany and we think it’s rather great. Here’s why:
*By oddities we really just mean the décor in the bathroom and adjacent private room. But if Russian Oligarch Chic is your thing, you’ll love it.
Absorb these Beijing Must Dos into your itinerary and we guarantee your experience will be at least 30% more authentic and joy filled.
Are you a fair weather friend? Or have you lived through Beijing in all seasons? Whether you’re a Newbie or an Old China Hand, take our One Minute Winter Quiz to test your knowledge – then challenge your friends! Email us your answers for the chance to win a prize. We’ll announce the winners on Facebook in January (and let the losers down gently…)
