The Urban Edit
If you enjoy luxuriating in your own home with a meal or glass of bubbly and listening to exclusive talks by the world’s top experts, then we’ve got another treat for you!
Following on from our first Speaker Series, we’ve lined up 6 more fantastic personalities to listen to in July and August. From the first-hand account of a former Red Guard-turned female CEO, to the World’s foremost Great Wall historian (see below).
Bespoke’s debut series of online expert-led talks kicked off in serious style last week with a raucous opening session from Paul French and Jeremiah Jenne that introduced ‘Peking Aesthetes’, a group of hutong-dwelling foreigners that were some of 1930s Beijing’s most colorful characters. A couple of days later Tracy Lesh ran her masterclass All the Tea in China, teaching us to properly appreciate our longjings and oolongs, as well as schooling us in the dramatic history of the international tea trade.
If, like us here at Team Bespoke, you’ve found the global lockdown has only added to your thirst for knowledge and adventure then our expert-led online talk on Chinese tea appreciation could be just the ticket, transporting you to the tea terraces of the middle kingdom without having to leave your sofa.
Here at Bespoke we’re known (we hope!) for the stellar line up of experts and guides that bring serious chops to our tours across China. Well, for reasons that we probably don’t need to go into, we’re unable to run actual on-the-ground tours right now. But here’s the good news: we’ve lined up a series of fabulous speakers that will, via the magic of modern technology (also known as Zoom), be broadcast live and direct to your living rooms to speak on a series of tantalising China-related topics that range from true crime through to tea appreciation and hand-pulled noodle classes.
Phew, it’s been a long few weeks, hasn’t it? If you’re slowly starting to feel a little less sluggish, consider joining us on a virtual jaunt to the hutongs of 1930s Beijing as we launch the first season of our online Bespoke Speaker Series. The first session, taking place on Tuesday, April 14th, will be hosted by two of our favorite Old China experts – Paul French and Jeremiah Jenne – who’ll be teaming up to talk about the authors, politicians and famous faces that once called Beijing home.
Between the wars, a motley crew of foreigners that became known as the ‘Peking aesthetes’ resided in the city’s ancient hutong neighborhoods where they wrote novels, studied the language, learnt Chinese painting and even, in some cases, explored what was a surprisingly vibrant gay scene. Our speakers have chosen their favorite ‘original hutong hipsters’ to discuss during this talk, and will spill the beans on the likes of Wallis Simpson and Anna May Wong to boot – giving us a unique glimpse into the lives of the famous foreign residents you didn’t even know had spent time in China.
