798 Art District China

Art Gallery

This area of disused factories was built by the East Germans in the 1950’s has been turned into art galleries and restaurants. I had to take the subway and bus to get there.  This place was highly recommended to me at a coffee shop I found.  (See attached pictures).  The guidebook said it would be 6 kilometers from the subway station and cost 2 Yuan but when I got on the bus, it was 6 Yuan and a 45 minute bus ride (I realized coming back that I got off the subway too early). It is located in the heart of Beijing with skyscrapers all around.  The galleries were fun and I even found a piece of jade (a grasshopper) made by a student for my sister.  She had asked if I could pick up some jade from here and I wasn't sure what I could find but this was perfect. I walked around and saw some unusual art. They love cats stores here (but I haven't seen any cats only dogs) but it was an interesting day.  Chinese are a lot different than Japanese.  When I am on the subway here, it is who gets the seat first and it doesn't matter if it is female or male young or old.  There isn't a priority. Japanese always give up there seat to women and elders. There are so many people on the subway it is pushing and shoving so you better hold your own!!  I only got on the wrong train once and I caught my mistake immediately and got off the next stop and hop on the right train.  The subway is clean, fast and efficient; it takes you to all the train stations and the airport. Beijing is not as clean as Japan but they are trying to recycle, and there is an odor that is not pleasant and there are a lot of homeless people here.  I was told that Beijing population is 31 million and everywhere there is congestion.  The government has restricted the Internet so I could not log on to my blog, Google or Facebook unless I have a special Internet site (which I bought for a month).  I appreciate my freedoms even more when you learn that life in other countries is so different than ours. Most people take these privileges for granted until you don’t have them.

Sign out front

The building still quite old

Love the art deco

Another interesting piece of  Art

This is the "cat" store

Kiss Me was name of this piece

Outside a cafe

Even the graffiti was beautiful!!

Restaurant where I ate those are mailboxes

My lunch and no English was spoken!!

One of the many skyscrapers!!

Life Challenge: Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed…..  Martin Luther King Jr.