798 Art Zone

The 798 Art Zone is Beijing's leading contemporary-art district, a sprawling complex of decommissioned Bauhaus-style factories (built by East German engineers in the 1950s) reinvented as galleries, studios, design shops, cafés, and public art. Industrial chimneys and old Maoist slogans still adorn the brick workshops, now filled with cutting-edge Chinese and international art, making for a fascinating contrast of socialist-industrial heritage and avant-garde creativity. Giant sculptures dot the lanes, and you can easily spend hours gallery-hopping.

It's the place to see contemporary Chinese art and the creative scene, popular with young Beijingers and visitors alike. Some galleries are free, others ticketed; quality varies, so wander and dip in. It's a bit out from the centre, but rewarding for anyone interested in art, design, photography, or just an offbeat, hip neighbourhood to explore.

Niet missen

• Bauhaus-style 1950s factory architecture
• Contemporary Chinese and international galleries
• Industrial relics and Maoist-era slogans
• Public sculptures and street art
• Design shops, studios, and cafés

Tickets & tours

Manieren om 798 Art Zone te bezoeken

Geschikt voor

Hoe reizigers het beoordelen

Bereikbaarheid

Goed om te weten

• Wander and dip into galleries, some free, some ticketed, quality varies.
• Go during the day; many galleries close by early evening.
• It's out in the northeast, factor in travel time from central Beijing.
• Enjoy the contrast of socialist-industrial architecture and avant-garde art.

Een stukje geschiedenis

The 798 factory complex was built in the 1950s as a state electronics plant with East German Bauhaus-influenced architecture. As production declined, artists moved into the cheap, spacious workshops from the early 2000s, and the area evolved (despite early tensions with authorities) into China's most famous contemporary-art district.