Another month, another A-list superstar! On April 1 Johnny Depp dropped into Beijing to promote his new movie, sci-fi thriller Transcendence. A keen artist and musician, JD was eager to check out Beijing’s famous 798 Art District… and that’s where Bespoke Beijing came in.
We used our Beijing expertise to help set up a series of meetings with local artists in a handful of the area’s most interesting spaces so that Johnny could get involved in the local culture. Here he is hanging out with Marx, boss of Li-Pi Records, a store stacked with vintage vinyl as well as a cute bar and café.
The trouble with being an A-lister is that sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to fit it all in. The Big D was due to have a cooking class at FACTORY Kitchen, a fantastic new restaurant and cooking school by the folks behind Beijing restaurant SALT, but time ran out. We urge you to check it out when you have the chance. It’s a lovely space, and you can say Johnny Depp was (nearly) here.
So, you’re dying to know, what’s Johnny D really like? Really nice! Casual, laid back, fun. He loved 798, calling it “such a cool area” (in his inimitable voice. Just imagine it.) After trying his hand at some sculpture inside the iconic 798 Space, he enjoyed a private performance from two local musicians. After hearing how it was done, Johnny tried his hand at playing the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument a bit like a single stringed violin. We can report that he’s not particularly great at it, but then again, no one is at first! (he got better by the end).
Johnny snuck into 798 pretty much unnoticed, but his exit wasn’t quite so clandestine after word had spread!
Got a super specific Beijing itinerary? To find out how we can help, email us at info@bespoke-beijing.com.