Champagne News
Soviet Secrets
Hidden on the shelves of Jenny Lou’s across the city, disguised perhaps by its Cyrillic label, is Sovetskoye Shampanskoye, AKA “Soviet Champagne.” This generic brand of sparkling wine was produced as a state-run initiative all over the Soviet Union as “champagne for the people,” and ... Read More
City News
Women Free to Carry Condoms
Chinese women can breathe a sigh of relief: Police can no longer convict and punish them for prostitution based only on the fact that they carry condoms, Agence France-Press reported last month. While officials claimed condom ownership has not been considered adequate evidence ... Read More
City Weekend News
Oh My Blog!
With the aim of providing an online venue for news, gossip, and interaction, City Weekend launched its very first blog and online forum in early November. In Beijing, a team of editors and bloggers are working together to bring you four blogs with discussion ... Read More
Exhibition News
UCCA opens in 798
The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) opens in a Bauhaus-style factory in the Dashanzi Art District on November 5. Aiming to be China’s most comprehensive institute for contemporary arts, UCCA will include three exhibition halls and exhibit cutting-edge contemporary art from China ... Read More
Community News
Get British
There are two kinds of people in this world: British people, and those who want to be British. Both groups would be well advised to snap up tickets while they have the chance for British Ball 2007, an evening of fun and dancing with the British ... Read More
Beijing’s new number 5 subway line opens late September with north-south service that cuts from south of the Third Ring to north above the Line 13. The new trains are equipped with LCD televisions, and platforms have touch-screen information programs. A massive step forward for a city aiming to ... Read More
China
Beautiful Beijing
Beijing has been selected as the most beautiful city in China while Hong Kong has been deemed China's safest city in the most recent "Report on Urban Competitiveness in China." Hong Kong ranked as the second most beautiful city, followed by Shenzhen and Shanghai, while Macau ... Read More
Club Culture
CJW
This bar has it all: wine, cigars and now a new jazz band, Just Us, playing nightly. Straight out of the Las Vegas lounge scene, this four piece plays a range of music from Chicago blues to easy listening jazz standards. They’ve been around forever and ... Read More
Money Matters
ATM Unlimited
Very quietly in June the government raised the daily limit for ATM withdrawals. Even though you are still limited to a couple grand per transaction, now you can extract up to ¥20,000 per day. The purpose is to alleviate lines at banks. Be extra careful ... Read More
Music News
2007 Beijing Pop Fest Line up Announced
This just in: Nine Inch Nails (left), Public Enemy, The Ramones and The New York Dolls have been announced as the headlining acts for the 2007 Beijing Pop Festival to be held September 8-9 in Chaoyang Park. Thin Man, The Honeys ... Read More
Club Culture
The Old Man Moves the Mountain Another Inch
Word has finally come down about the fate of
Yugong Yishan, one of Beijing’s most beloved
party and live music venues. They’ll be shutting
the old location on Gongti Beilu sometime
next month (winding things up with
a ... Read More
Club Culture
i-Ultra Lounge Hits the Scene
The highly anticipated new lounge from Allan Wong (of Hatsune fame) and Sebastian Noat (creative force behind Centro) opened with a champagne splashed bash on June 15. Beijing’s beautiful people now have a happening new spot to get down to nu-jazz electro ... Read More
Club Culture
Zub Blub Blub: Shocking news as Zub, Wudaokou’s only legitimate club space, is closing down to be replaced by -gasp- a pizza joint. According to a source close to the owner, the club’s untimely demise is personal rather than financial. “[The owner] just didn’t recognize ... Read More
Club Culture
Suzie Wong Gets Plastic Surgery
Not like they weren’t upscale enough already, but Club Suzie Wong, Beijing’s premiere dress-to-impress nightspot, has gone in for a boob job, face lift and full body scrub and is set to re-emerge as a classy, swinging dowager at the end ... Read More
Cheap Eats
Full Bellies, No Empty Wallets
Eating in Beijing is now cheaper than ever, thanks to a recent boom in websites offering mobile discounts. Servicing both the English and Chinese-language crowds, FoneVillage offers discounts at a variety of local bars and restaurants. Memberships cost RMB200, but, afterwards, just text ... Read More
Riding in Style
Subway Fares to Change
A more equitable fare system for the subway is likely to be adopted in Beijing early next year. Under the new system, passengers will pay for the ride depending on the distance traveled (as in Shanghai) instead of the current universal fare. Furthermore ... Read More
Club Culture
Babyface Breaks Top 50
DJ Mag lists are notoriously unreliable, nevertheless, China’s finally made an appearance on the world Top 50 clubs list as Babyface breaks in at 42. The list is voted by DJs, so maybe it means more than the Top 100 DJ list voted ... Read More
Sticky Fingers
Comptoirs on the Move
Lido residents may find themselves with another scrumptious bakery to tempt them off the couch and away from the gym. Exquisite bakery chain, Comptoirs de France, is currently on the hunt for a third location. Fingers crossed that plans come to fruition and they ... Read More
We Love
That health and safety regs are actually getting enforced in Beijing
That giant cinema mega venues are mushrooming in Beijing
We Hate
When they close down Tongli Studios for a week to do it
That people still don't turn their mobile phones off during the show Read More
Culture Focus
Francophone Week
The time for celebrating Francophonie has come again. The 2007 edition of this mini “festival” of cultural events brings its share of exhibitions, movies, authors, workshops and shows to town. So be ready to enjoy the best of French speaking culture in Beijing from March 9-23 ... Read More
We Love
That spring is coming and we can happily go outside again
All the swanky wine events going on regularly in Beijing
The music at China Doll, always awesome
We Hate
The coming shachenbao from Inner Mongolia that will ruin our joy
That our livers are not as happy ... Read More
House Band
Stars Go Live
Starlive has a huge spring line-up in the works: Bugz in the Attic, Ziggy Marley and The Roots. But that's just the foreign acts coming in. On March 12 the Starlive house band takes the stage. Assembled from different pop groups, the Star Band ... Read More
We Love
That Spring appears to have sprung early
That Chinese New Year is coming and we have time off to relax and celebrate
The new express “bus” only lanes on the ring roads
We Hate
That it's most likely due to global warming
It means more eating, drinking ... Read More
Kiss and Tell
Kissing Is Just a Handshake Anymore
We're going to keep hyping China Doll because they keep doing rad stuff. For example, above the second floor bar is a big red heart and if you and your mate French kiss for ten seconds underneath this icon of ... Read More
We Love
Train ticket prices will not go up during Spring Festival this year
The food, wine and fireplace at Le Petit Gourmand
Getting “close” with that someone special
We Hate
Getting a train ticket will just be that much more difficult
The service of late has been passable at ... Read More
Most Recent Comments
Middle 8th: The New Sanlitun Village Location Has Creative Zest
By JPDM
I tried the new Middle 8 location last night. We tried to make a reservation... >>