Looking for some Communist Kitsch? Mao Memorabilia? Or just a few places to witness Beijing’s not so distant past? Well you’ve come to the right place. Read on for Bespoke Beijing’s ultimate guide.
Panjiayuan Market
It’s hard to beat Panjiayuan Market for the sheer number of Mao items on sale. From the Great Helmsman’s Little Red Book to genuine propaganda posters from the ’50s and ’60s (expect to pay around 1,800-4,000RMB per poster depending on age, rarity and quality).
Panjiayuan Market Panjiayuan Qiao, Chaoyang district. Open 4.30am-4pm Saturday and Sunday.
The East is Red Restaurant
If you thought China’s revolutionary fervor was a thing of the past then you’ll be astonished by a meal at this restaurant. Seemingly a magnet for old folk re-living their youth, The East is Red is a large and rowdy restaurant situated beyond the Summer Palace that unashamedly re-lives the ‘glorious’ 50s and 60s on a nightly basis. Diners wave flags and sing along as actors stage ‘struggle sessions’ with landlords and everything featured on the menu is supposedly a Chairman Mao fave. The food is surprisingly good and the entire experience will have you talking for weeks. Go!
The East is Red 66 Xiangshan Lu, Haidian (Tel: 6574 8289). Open 9.30am-10.30pm daily, with shows held every lunch and dinner time at 12.15-1pm and 7.15-8.30pm.
The NCPA
…but only when it’s showing a revolutionary ballet. Created during the Cultural Revolution by Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing, the 8 Model Operas, as they were known, consisted of 6 operas and 2 ballets glorifying the People’s Liberation Army and Mao Zedong thought. Considered very contemporary at the time, and unbelievably kitsch now, The Red Detachment of Women performed by the National Ballet of China is still one of the most gorgeous performances we’ve ever been to. Check the NCPA’s website for details.
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
Want to meet the big man in person? Unbelievably, you can. Despite Mao specifically requesting not to be embalmed, his successors sat down after he died, looked at each other for a moment and then went… “naaah. We’re gonna do it anyway.” You may be hustled through at the speed of light (strictly no loiterers aloud), but it’s well worth doing once.
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall Tiananmen Square. Open 8am-midday Tuesday-Sunday. Don’t forget your passport!
798 Art District
If you pay attention (and don’t allow yourself to get too distracted by all the art), then what you’ll see in every corner of 798 are traces of this munitions factory’s glorious past. The pride of the country in the 1960s, this German-designed, Soviet-funded complex housed 20,000 workers all engaged in the Communist cause. Propaganda daubings can be seen on many buildings, the factory equipment still sits fixed to the ground where it was last used (look closely at each piece for a fascinating insight into the date and country of origin), and there’s even a towering monument commemorating ‘that time comrade Kim Il Sung visited the factory’.
Underground Bunker, Red Capital Residence
If you get panicky in small spaces then we don’t recommend this one. If, on the other hand, you get rather excited by the idea of descending into a genuine bomb shelter, then get yourself along to the Red Capital Residence. A long-standing Beijing boutique hotel crammed with Mao-memorabilia, it’s a great place to pop into for a shot of whisky before asking for a peek at the shelter, which was built during the period when Mao feared a nuclear war with the Soviets.
Red Capital Residence No.9 Dongsi 6 Tiao, Dongcheng district (Tel: 8401 8886).
Jingshan Park, Sunday Morning, 10am
In case you hadn’t noticed, we never miss an opportunity to mention our favourite place in Beijing. While it’s lovely at all times of the day, the most joyous is on a Sunday morning, when you’ll hear songs like these being belted from unknown locations on the Jingshan hillside. Venture towards the noise and you’ll find groups of 50-somethings standing in pavilions singing enthusiastically from their song sheets. There’s always a self-important, self-appointed conductor and a stern looking accordionist leading the fray, but as soon they see you watching they’ll double their efforts, and often encourage you to join in.
Bespoke Beijing’s new Limited Edition Public Tour, The Story of Communism in China, is taking place on April 11th, 12th, 25th and 26th 2015. To purchase tickets (priced at 300RMB each) email info@bespoke-beijing.com now, or find out more here.