North Chaoyang - Beijing - page 147

UCCA
As much an arts centre as it is a gallery, UCCA (798 Rd; admission ¥10, free Thu; 10am-7pm Tue-
Sun) has four exhibition spaces spread over a vast 8000 sq metres in a Bauhaus-inspired
setting. As well as showing some of the best Chinese artists, it holds film screenings,
workshops, educational programs and mini festivals, and also has a funky shop selling de-
signer products.
Galleria Continua
Located just below a towering brick chimney, Galleria Continua (just south of 797 Rd;
11am-6pm Tue-Sun) is another long-standing gallery and it exhibits both Chinese and foreign
artists, including some very big names. Smaller than some of the other spaces in 798, it's
still one of the most visually arresting of all the galleries here.
PACE
The Beijing outpost of a famed New York gallery, PACE (797 Rd; 11am-7pm Tue-Sun) rep-
resents some of the most acclaimed Chinese artists, including Yue Minjun and native
Beijinger Li Songsong. It's another monster space and amazing to view art in.
Top Tips
› Many of the galleries are closed on Mondays, so plan ahead.
› Keep an eye out for the communist slogans daubed on the walls of some galleries; a reminder of 798's past as a
model factory built in the 1950s.
› Dedicated art fans should also check out Caochangdi ( 草场地 ), another colony of galleries 3km north of 798.
Take a Break
The At Café (798 Rd; 10am-11pm; ) was the original hipster hangout in 798 - check out the artfully
designed holes in the interior walls - and remains a popular spot for coffee and Western comfort food. Timezone
8 (798 Rd; 8.30am-8pm; ) is a great cafe that does everything from burgers to sushi. It's attached to
the equally excellent bookshop of the same name, which specialises, unsurprisingly, in art, architecture and
design titles.