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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.

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.

Limber Up For Our Great Wall Pop Up Tour

October 12, 2015 Beijing

Sunrise from the Great Wall — Different to the view from Migas

There are many theories about why the Great Wall was built and what it was used for. We can literally shed new light on this – it must have been built exclusively for watching the sun rise up out of the mountains. And for hiking along.

Stay tuned for a Pop Up Limited Edition Wild Wall Weekend this October 31 with world-renowned Great Wall expert William Lindesay OBE.

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.

The Beijing Taproom Tour – see Beijing Beer by Beer

October 6, 2015 Beijing

That’s right, craft beer has hit Beijing in a big way, and Bespoke has a new evening tour to help you (or your guests) navigate your way through the scene. Join affable local Beijinger Frank on a jaunt through the city’s hidden artisanal taprooms and uncover the delights of an ale made with Sichuan peppercorns, Watermelon Wheat Beer or a pint of ‘Iron Buddha Blonde’. Not only will you get to chew the fat with a real, beer-loving local, you’ll get an insider intro to the hippest micro breweries in town.

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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