OUTER DISTRICTS AND COUNTIES - Living Abroad in Beijing - page 502

If local filmmakers wanted to shoot a Chinese Western, this would be an excellent loca-
tion, with the main street of Songzhuang being the ideal backdrop for the final shootout. In
summer, it's a hot and dusty location, and in winter it's unpleasantly frigid. Roadside shops
peddle clichéd art and there is a modest number of good galleries. Many of these are open
only when there is a given event on, so a spontaneous visit out here may leave you with
the feeling that you've wasted your day. G-Dot Art Space ( www.g-dotartspace.com ) , Artist
Village Gallery ( www.artistvillagegallery.com ), Museum of Contemporary Art Beijing
(MOCA, www.bjmoca.com ) , LDX Gallery Hong Kong ( www.ldxart.com ) , and Song-
zhuang Art Museum ( www.artda.cn , [e-mail] ) are some of the better-
known galleries. To get out to the latter two, take the 938 支 9 bus from under Guomao
Bridge and get off at Meishuguan ( 美术馆 ).
Schools out this way include the Ivy Tianshi campus ( www.ivyschools.com/Schools-
TS ) , for kids aged two to six; and the Beijing Shuren-Ribet Private School
( www.shurenribet.org ) , Tongzhou's only K-12 independent coeducational bilingual board-
ing and day school, which is out by the Songzhuang artist village.
DAXING DISTRICT
Poor Daxing is so far down in Beijing that it often goes unnoticed, at least by the expat
population. This is Beijing's southernmost district, and it spreads over 1,036 square kilo-
meters (400 square miles) and is home to 1,365,000 people. Much of the district is a flat
open plain, making it ideal for horse riding and farming. Until recent years its greenery and
agriculture—particularly its grapes, pears, mulberries, and watermelons—were what fed its
reputation. That all looks set to change now with the coming of Beijing's next airport, un-
surprisingly touted to be the future world's-biggest airport.
Some attractions down here are worth knowing about; as a tourist you probably wouldn't
go to them, but when here on a long-term basis you may find the time and interest to venture
out to. Beijing Wildlife Park (tel. [phone], www.bjwildlifepark.com ) , a safari exper-
ience, is available for those who want to see animals roaming freely. The park gets mixed
reviews from animal lovers, with some arguing its conditions are better than the zoo in the
city, others saying it's great for kids, and then those who still mourn the condition of the
animals. It's a long way south, close to the Hebei border. To get here, drive directly south
for about 44 kilometers (27 miles) along the Jingkai Expressway, which begins at the south-
west corner of the Second Ring Road.
Something that will definitely impress skateboarders is Wooward Beijing skateboard
park ( www.woodwardbeijing.com ) . This state-of-the-art park boasts phenomenal indoor