Beijing 798 Art District Chaoyang Qu, Beijing Shi, China

798 Art District
798 Art District

Beijing 798 Art District (Chinese: 798艺术区; pinyin: 798 Yìshùqū), or Dashanzi Art District, is located at Chaoyang Qu, Beijing Shi, China, the northeast corner of Beijing. 798 art district gallery is a complex of 50-year-old decommissioned military factory buildings boasting a unique architectural style, located in Dashanzi, Chaoyang District of Beijing, that houses a expanding artistic community. The area is frequently called the 798 Art District or Factory 798 although technically, Factory #798 is solely one of several structures inside a complex formerly known as 718 Joint Factory. The buildings are inside alleys number 2 and 4 on Jiǔxiānqiáo Lù (酒仙桥路), south of the Dàshānziqiáo flyover (大山子桥), the 798 art district Chinese address. In recent years, it has been the main venue for the annual Beijing Queer Film Festival.

Named after the 798 factory which was built in 1950s, Mao-era factories built with East German expertise. 798 Art District extends an area of 148 acres (60 hectares), with Jiuxianqiao Road to its west, Beijing-Baotou railway to its east, Jiangtai Road to its south and Jiuxianqiao Road North to its north. Characterized by modern art, it has turn into the exhibition center of Chinese culture and art, and also the world-famous cultural and creative industries centralized area. In 2003, the 798 Art Zone was awarded as “one of the top 22 most well known landmarks throughout the world” by American Time Magazine. 
798 Art Zone Architecture
798 Art Zone Architecture

As the factory was designed by some German experts, it had an architecture style, which was called “Bauhaus”. Its main design ideal is making the technical and aesthetic property of new materials and new structure into effect; designing plainly and composing pictures vividly with flexibleness. Appealed by the unique architectural style and vast spaces, more and more artists and designers started to dribble in and settle their workshops in that location since 2001. They make full use of its original style and transform them into unique art exhibition centers and creation workshops.

How To Get To 798 Art District

Beijing 798 Art Zone is located at No.4, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District (北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路4号). Visitors can take the subway or city bus to get to 798 Art District

By Subway:
Take Subway Line 14 and alight at Wangjing Nan Station. Get out from Exit B1. Then take bus 403 and get off at Dashanzi Lukou Dong Station or take a 20 minute northeast walk to the destination.

By Bus:
1. Take bus 401, 402, 405, 418, 445, 973, 988, 991 or Fast Transit Line 117 to Wangyefen Station or Dashanzi Lukou Nan Station.

2. Take bus 403, 593, 851 or 854 to Dashanzi Lukou Dong Station.

798 Art District Opening Hours

The opening hours for the 798 Art zone is from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. everyday. However, some galleries may open or close later.

All Shops In 798 Art District

798 Art District Area Map
798 Art District Area Map
Shop in 798 Art District
Shop in 798 Art District
It could be difficult to list out all the shops in 798 Art District as it is still growing but there are some recommended ones:

798 Photo Gallery
Most of the photos are developed by the owner Chen Guangjun himself. Photos exhibited here are hard to see at other places. Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm.

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art was found by the Belgian collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens, and opened in 2007. It is an independent and not-for-profit center aiming at promoting contemporary Chinese art through holding an array of exhibitions, exchange events, and public programs. Opening hours: 10am-7pm daily

798 Space
Housed in a Bauhaus-style factory building that is over 1,000-square-meters. It mainly provides venues for press conferences, fashion shows and other activities. Opening hours: 10.30am-6pm daily

Feng Ling Fashion Art Design
Feng Ling Fashion Art Design is a boutique set up by Feng Ling, an innovative fashion designer who specializes in cultural-revolutionary-style clothing and some characteristic Chinese traditional clothing, like the qipao and the Mao suit.

Chinese Contemporary
The first branch of Chinese Contemporary was opened in London Mayfair in 1996, and it always strives to promote Chinese contemporary art culture over the world. With spacious and sophisticated interior, the Beijing branch is equally artistic as the London and New York ones. Opening hours: 11am-7pm daily

Lord of Salt
This restaurant is known for its authentic Sichuan dishes. The chef comes from a little place in Sichuan Province, and his cuisine has an authentic Sichuan flavor.

AT CAFÉ
Italian coffee is featured at this café. The owner Huang Rui believes that his coffee is much better than Starbucks'. Pizza and sandwiches are also good choices.

Shenji Cai Guan (Shenji Restaurant)
Shenji Cai Guan was founded by a local who was born and raised in 798 Artss District, and is very familiar with the people and things in the district. In the restaurant you can enjoy a lot of authentic Shanghainese gourmet food, such as the signature red-braised pork belly, the fresh stir-fried pea shoots in white wine, and the chewy steamed gluten, all being incredibly tasty and savory. Opening hours: 11.30am-2pm; 6am-8pm daily.

VINCENT CAFÉ (French)
It is the best little family-style restaurant here. The French owner Vincent, who started to learn cooking and management at the age of fifteen in France, used to be the chief manager in a famous French restaurant in the city.

Long March Space
Spreading over an area of 2,500 square meters, Long March Space was founded by Lu Jie in 2002, and has continuously played an important role in promoting Chinese contemporary art. Long March Space has already hosted over 100 exhibitions and projects by established and emerging talents, allowing more people to appreciate innovative Chinese art. Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am-7pm.
Ace Café 751
Ace Café 751 grew out of the 751 train station in 798 Arts District, and the structure of the train station is mostly retained so diners can therefore feel its great and rough industrial architectural style while dining in the coffee house. Opening hours: 7pm-late night daily.
798 Art District Restaurant
798 Art District Restaurant

Old Factory
As 798 Art District grew out of an industrial area, there are obviously a lot of Bauhaus-style factories left. Old Factory is a cool restaurant housed in one of these factories, and the owner tries to retain the elements of the factory by keeping the old furniture, machines, and some red bricks as decorations, making the eatery look really rough and nostalgic. Opening hours: 10am-5pm daily.
Sculpture in 798 Art District
Sculpture in 798 Art District

798 Art District in Beijing China is located outside the 4th ring so the chances of you happening on this district maybe quite rare. If your a person who loves art, music, movies, and dance, and all forms of culture so much that they consume whatever they find, whether or not it's any good, 798 Art District is the place for you. This area is really neat and definitely worth a visit. There are many artsy sculptures and unique items which are great for souvenirs or gifts. There are also some great museums with modern art. If you want to see something different, it’s definitely worth a visit.

A rough walking tour may take you about 40 minutes to tour around the district. Look out for the 798 Art District map for guide if you are on self tour. Remember the place is Beijing 798 Art District Chaoyang Qu, Beijing Shi, China.

Where is The Forbidden City in China Facts

Forbidden City China Facts
Forbidden City China Facts

Facts About The Forbidden City In China Beijing

Here, we have more than 12 interesting facts about The Forbidden City highlighted in bold, read on.

The Forbidden City in China sits in the heart of the capital city of Beijing for 600 years. In fact, the Forbidden City is the most remarkable symbol of the city’s history as the political center of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. As one of China's largest and most well preserved heritage sites, the Forbidden is cherished by the Chinese people and considered a national treasure, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The China Forbidden City in Beijing is in fact a must-see for all visitors to China. It is considered to be among the world's top 5 most important palaces of all time, and is China's most popular single site tourist attraction. After the abdication of the last Emperor in 1911, he and his family lived at the ‘Fasting Palace’ inside the complex up to 1924. Then they had to leave the Forbidden City. Now the Beijing Forbidden City known as the Palace Museum is opened for Public or tourist to tour around.

Read on for the Forbidden City facts and some tourist information for things to do in the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City History

In year 1406, the building of the Forbidden City started. The forbidden city where is also known as the Forbidden Purple City or in Chinese 故宫 Gùgōng ‘the Emperor’s Palace’. The fact that the Palace was commissioned by the third Ming emperor, Yongle, and built by the architect Chen Gui. According to tradition, at times more than 100,000 artisans and a total of up to a million workers were involved in the construction of this Imperial Palace.  This incredibly great number of workers permitted the building to be completed within 14 years during the reign of Emperor Chengzu in the China Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Why is The Forbidden City Important

The facts that Forbidden City was the home of twenty-four Emperors during 491 years, from 1368 to 1911 made Forbidden City important. The Ming Emperors held control until the Manchus took control in 1644 and moved the capital to Shenyang briefly. The Qing Dynasty later moved the capital back to Beijing and The Forbidden City.

China Beijing Imperial Palace represent the supreme power of the Emperor given from God, and the place where he lived being the center of the world, all the gates, palace and other structures of the Forbidden City were arranged about the north-south central axis of old Beijing of China.

Why is The Forbidden City Called The Forbidden City

The name "Forbidden City" comes from the Chinese Zijin Cheng (紫禁城), literally means "Purple Forbidden City". This refer to the fact that no one from outside the court was allowed in without the Emperor's permission. Ancient China Astronomers believed that the Purple Star (Polaris) was in the center of heaven and the Heavenly Emperor lived in the Purple Palace. The Palace for the Emperor on earth was so called the Purple City. It was forbidden to enter without special permission of the Emperor. Hence, its name 'The Purple Forbidden City', usually 'The Forbidden City'.

How Big is The Forbidden City

Forbidden City is located to the north of China Beijing Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex, which covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat and a 10-meter-high wall houses more than 8,700 rooms. The wall has a gate on each side. The fact that the distance between the south Meridian Gate (Wumen - 午门) and the north Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen - 神武门) is 961 meters (1,051 yards), while the distance between the east and west gates is 753 meters (823 yards). There are unique and delicately integrated towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These give views over both the palace and the city outside China Beijing.

Forbidden City Map

Forbidden City Map

Forbidden City Map

The China Beijing Forbidden City tour is generally described in two sections. The "Outer Court", in the south, was designed to be where the business of governing the empire was executed, while the "Inner Palace", in the north, was the home of the Emperor and his family. The usual way to tour around the Forbidden City is on foot or walking, which you don' expect to finish the Palace in just a few minutes. You will be able to see the map when touring the Palace Museum.

The entrance is from Tian'anmen Square to the south Meridian Gate (Wumen - 午门). After entering and walking for awhile you will first come to the Outer Court: Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Dian), Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghe Dian), Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe Dian), Gate of Heavenly Peace (Qianqing Men). Traveling further, you will reached the Inner Court: Palace of Heavenly Peace (Qianqing Gong), Palace of Union and Peace (Jiaotai Dian), Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility (Kunning Gong). The tour end with last section of the Forbidden City where the Imperial Gardens is: Imperial Garden, Mental Cultivation Hall (Yangxin Dian). Lastly, tourist will exit from the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen - 神武门).

 

How Many Tourists Visit The Forbidden City Each Year

Due to the China Beijing Forbidden City cultural significance and unique beauty, the Forbidden City is extremely popular with both Chinese and foreign tourists. The Palace Museum has 14 million visitors annually.

These overwhelming numbers often make for extensive lines, particularly on national holidays and weekends. The Chinese government is working hard to ensure the constant flow of visitors is well-regulated and to prevent harm to the ancient buildings by the large crowds. The palace is considered a must-see for everyone lucky enough to visit Beijing.

What Time Does The Forbidden City Open

Forbidden City opening or visiting hours is from Tuesday through Sunday all year round, and on national holidays that fall on Mondays, and is open every day during the summer vacation period (1 July to 31 August).

Hours as follows:
- 1 April – 31 October: 8:30am to 5:00pm. Last entry to museum galleries: 4:10pm. Last tickets are sold at 4:00pm
- Summer vacation (in year 2014: 5 July to 24 August) hours: 8:00am to 5:00pm. Last entry to museum galleries: 4:10pm. Last tickets are sold at 4:00pm. 
- 1 November – 31 March: 8:30am to 4:30pm. Last entry to museum galleries: 3:40pm. Last tickets are sold at 3:30pm.

Take note of the last entry time, you will only have 10 minutes if you got the last tickets, so don't loiter and enter the Forbidden City last minute.

How Much Does It Cost To Visit The Forbidden City

Forbidden City admission fee from 1 April – 31 October: ¥60; 1 November – 31 March: ¥40. For entrance to the Treasures Gallery (including the Stone Drum Gallery) and to the Clocks Gallery, additional entry fee of 10-yuan ticket price is required. Children under 120 cm in height are free of charge.

Special tickets price of ¥20 are available for students enrolled in Chinese primary and Secondary Schools and Universities with valid student ID or certified letter from The School Administrator for Forbidden City entry. This is also applicable to foreign students and students from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, but excludes post-graduate and adult education students. However, it's worth an under-18 showing his/her passport and asking for a student ticket price for entry, as it a deal that sometimes work.

Electronic-GPS-enabled audio guides are available after the security gates, price at ¥20 for Chinese audio guides, ¥40 for foreign language audio guides (over 30 languages available). Many non-native English speakers prefer the English version even over those in their language, since it is narrated by Roger Moore, the English actor famous for playing James Bond during the 1970s and '80s.


Last but not least, hopefully, the above facts about the Forbidden City will provides some tourist information for you when going for the Beijing Forbidden City tour in China.