Know Archives: - Page 13 of 30 Bespoke Travel Co

Old Nanjing’s Hidden Art Deco Glamor

December 3, 2015 Shanghai

Nanjing Deco — Gorgeous Deco details in Nanjing.

We’ve finally recovered from The Shanghai World Congress on Art Deco (by putting our feet up on a 1930s vintage ottoman and lighting a pipe, obvs), but if there’s one thing we learned while co-organising the tours for this rather fantastic forum, it’s that Nanjing has just as much to offer in the Art Deco stakes as Shanghai.

That’s right, Nanjing – or Nanking as it was transliterated back in the day – served as capital of China from 1927 to 1937, and then-president Chiang Kai-shek employed a host of international and foreign talent to turn it into a thoroughly modern metropolis. Whilst our tour, with fifty Art Deco lovers in tow, took in a host of sites, we’ve whittled it down to a few favorite discoveries below: with special thanks to Patrick Cranley and Tina Karagaratnam at Historic Shanghai for their extensive research.

Straight to the KORE

November 12, 2015 Beijing

If there’s one thing we love at Bespoke, it’s, well, bespoke things. So we were delighted to discover a new massage at The Peninsula Spa that’s more tailored than any other we’ve tried in Beijing.

Called KORE (that’s, er, Kinaesthetic Optimum Recovery Enhancement to the experts), the treatment draws on Eastern and Western neurologic disciplines to first test your muscle strength (we were asked to raise our legs while our therapist pushed down, and form our fingers into a circle she attempted to break, among other exercises) before using the results to personalize the treatment.

5 Beijing Life Hacks

November 8, 2015 Beijing

Panda life hacks — Take it easy around town.

Forget globalisation for a minute. Every city you go to needs to be handled slightly differently. And then there’s Beijing where life hacks ensure your very survival. We’ve put together all the things you need to live smart in the capital – whether for a few days or years.

1. How to use Google, Facebook and Instagram in China

Phone cables — There is a way around this. Photo: Alan Levine

Get things off to a good start. If you want to access internet services you use at home, including all Google services (and you might want to use maps), then you’ll need a piece of software on your laptop, tablet and phone to get over the Great Firewall. These are called VPNs – Virtual Private Networks – and make the internet think you’re device is in a different country. You may be able to just use a free trial from a provider, or you may need to pay a small fee. Their efficacy is in constant flux, so if you want to be a real pro, then install several so you can jump between them. But whatever you do, install them before you arrive!

The 5 Best Places to See a Show in Beijing

November 7, 2015 Beijing

Duck Egg on Tiananmen Square — Art meets politics – The Egg on Tiananmen Square. Photo: Lei Han

Beijing, as it likes to project right to the back row, is the cultural capital of China. Pretty big claim, but for performance arts and classical music, it’s a dead cert. There are dozens of theatres and concert halls across the city, from small, traditional (or, let’s say, ‘tourist friendly’) Peking opera theatres through to striking new celebrations of performance prowess. You can’t politicise the stage much more than putting a performing arts centre on Tiananmen Square.

5 Top Places to Culture Up

While the shows themselves come and go (big ones at the time of writing include War Horse and Phantom of the Opera), we’ve got the lowdown on the best venues in town thanks to the expert insight of Nancy Pellegrini who’s been writing about the performing arts scene for over a decade as Stage Section editor for both Time Out Beijing and Time Out Shanghai.

5 Ways to Scare Yourself Witless in Beijing at Halloween

October 6, 2015 Beijing

Seen Paranormal Activity and loved it? No? You’d rather eat your own feet? Ok perhaps you’d best not read on. But for those who enjoy giving themselves a fright, we bring you the top 5 scariest Beijing sights to visit by night.

Halloween might not be native to China, but ghosts sure are. In fact the ancient capital is brimming with ghost stories and eerie deserted back alleys. So grab a friend you’d also like to scare this Halloween, and ask them if they fancy going for a late night stroll in a lesser-visited part of town. Go on, we dare you.

Forbidden City Gets Less Forbidden

October 6, 2015 Beijing

The Forbidden City – the vast palace complex that forms the heart of Beijing – is opening up even more of its secrets to the public this October. So fill that flask and pack those snacks.

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1. How to use Google, Facebook and Instagram in China

5 Top Places to Culture Up

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