We’ll leave it to the guidebooks to quack on about the merits of world famous Peking duck restaurants like Dadong, Duck de Chine, and the state-owned behemoth that is Quanjude. You are here because you are an advanced duck lover and you want to experience something deliciously different. These lesser-known Peking ducks are shy birds, not easily spotted. But we’ll show you how.
‘Crush the Dog Heads of Those Who Oppose Chairman Mao!’, ‘Smash the Capitalist Class!’. ‘Chairman Mao is the Red Sun of our Hearts!’. Even if you’ve never been to China, chances are you have at least a passing familiarity with the bold and colourful propaganda posters that are most strongly associated with China’s disastrous Cultural Revolution period (1966-1976); their slogans and imagery by turns inspirational and aggressive.
And while many will have heard of Mr Yang’s daring Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre – a collection of posters in the basement of a former French Concession apartment block – most are unaware that the Long Museum Pudong, located in a slightly forlorn corner of the Huamu area, has one of China’s most striking collections.
In a polygamous sort of way. Because we’re in fact enamored with a small group of people. All of them just happen to be the sweetest, most generous, thoughtful, kind, funny and intelligent people we know. And we can’t get enough of them.
Just in case you’re starting to feel uncomfortable we’ll make it clear at this point that we’re talking about our Tour Guides, who we treated to a big, pre-Chinese New Year banquet at festive restaurant Nanjing Impression last week.
Take a hike, Tsingtao! Be gone, Bud Light! Err… skedaddle, Skol! Yep, drinkers around the world are turning their backs on big brand beers and celebrating the rise of the craft brew. In China beer traditionally means light lager with an even lighter price tag, but craft ales have finally caught on in the capital. These days everyone has an opinion on what beer to drink and where to drink it (including us), so we’ve put together this guide for incoming visitors, to help you look like you know the score when it comes to craft beer in Beijing. Cheers!
The thirsty pioneers who started it all. Way back in the dark days of 2009 it was a single brew – the now legendary Pale Ale No. 6 – sold from a trestle table at the 798 Art District. Fast forward five years and they’ve got three venues, a line-up of over 20 beers and have helped steward the scene to maturity with everything from beer festivals to homebrew classes. Their success isn’t just by virtue of being first; it’s down to the single-minded ambition of the founders, American-born Carl and Chinese partner Liu Fang, who have a knack of seeing the bigger picture while putting all those little details in line. And making exceedingly tasty beer, of course.
Houhai Lake is hardly known for its hip and happening boutiques – but one woman plans to change all that.
Yes that’s right. She may be pintsized, but Guo Yang Yang is a lady on a mission. Thanks to her great connections (and the help of a small group of creative luxury lovers), Lotus Lane is going to get a BIG makeover in the next 18 months.
Can you see it, galumphing over the horizon? A giant red sheep, grinning from fleecy ear to ear. Yes, the Year of the Sheep is almost upon us, so we’ve come up with these handy holiday hacks to help ewe get the most out of CNY in the ‘jing.
