798 is the most representative industrial-to-art district in Beijing, converted from old factory halls and now full of galleries, museums, design shops and cafes. Everything photographs well, which is why it works for a weekend walk as much as for the exhibitions.
- UCCA
- the landmark museum of the district, and where the international shows go. The white ramp against the old red brick is the new-meets-old photograph everyone takes.
- Locomotive Square
- an old steam engine and green carriages on rusted track. At sunset it looks like a film set, and it takes silhouettes as well as full-length portraits.
- Bauhaus Square
- the classic factory structure — chimney, red brick wall, paint — with the low sun on the brick. This is the shot the district is known for.
- 751 Power Square
- the plant itself is kept: steel pipework, furnaces, the machinery of the old works. It is as raw as the district gets, and after dark the lights make it something else again.
- Meet You Museum
- it runs immersive themed shows, and the walls and designed facades beside it are where people stop for photographs.
- The graffiti corridors
- oversized painted walls and street art along the main road and down the lanes. You do not have to look for them.
The basics, and getting there
- Address
- 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang, in the 798 and 751 park.
- Tickets
- the district itself is free and open all day. Individual museums and special exhibitions charge separately, usually 30 to 120 yuan.
- Hours
- the streets are always open; the galleries, museums and shops inside generally run 10:00 to 18:00, and most close on Mondays. Avoid a Monday.
- How long
- allow two to four hours. If you are going in for the exhibitions, it is a full day.
- Metro
- Line 12 to Gaojiayuan, Exit A, then five to ten minutes on foot to West Gate 4. Or Line 14 to Wangjing South or Jiangtai and walk or cycle.
- Driving and parking
- the south gate surface car park is 6 yuan an hour with plenty of space, the east gate is 5, and the A01 office block car park is free about ten minutes away on foot. At weekends arrive early.
Two routes, neither doubling back
- Two hours, the fast version
- in at West Gate 4, the Hyundai Cultural Centre for the painted wall, Meet You Museum, UCCA for the white ramp, Bauhaus Square for the red brick and chimney, Locomotive Square for the train, and out by the main road exit.
- Three to four hours, the slower one
- the same points in order, then 751 Power Square for the industrial plant, then into the lanes for the bookshops — Pangguan and Jiuzuo among them — and finally the designer and creative squares for the small shops, and a cafe.
When to shoot, and what to wear
- The good light
- 15:00 to 17:00 is the good light — soft, low on the red brick. 9:00 to 11:00 is quieter if you want empty frames. Avoid midday, when the light comes straight down.
- What to wear
- black, white and grey for the minimal industrial look; denim and workwear for the cinematic one; pale colours for the softer register. Wear flat shoes you can walk in — the park is large.
- The shots
- the chimney and red wall at Bauhaus Square, the white ramp at UCCA, the track at Locomotive Square, the neon at Power Square after dark, and the painted walls.
Where it goes wrong
- Do not come on a Monday
- most venues and shops are shut and you will have made the trip for nothing.
- Check the dates
- check its dates and price on the official account first. Some close earlier than advertised.
- Photography rules
- read the signs. Flash is banned in many spaces and photography in some.
- After dark
- 798 is better by day. The exception is Power Square at dusk, where the lights on the plant are worth the trip.
- Left luggage
- there is no official left-luggage. A third-party service runs within a hundred metres or so of West Gate 4, and some convenience stores will hold a bag if you ask.
Coffee, food, and bringing children
- Coffee and food
- the cafes are dense — VOID, AT Cafe, VOYAGE and others — and they are where you stop. Food runs from a quick lunch to a private kitchen, at moderate prices.
- With children
- Locomotive Square is flat and open enough to run in, and the painted walls and large sculptures do the rest. Indoors there is a caving gym and a model shop to burn energy in. Pushchairs are fine on most routes, though some lanes are gravel.