Beijing Then and Now: Robyn Wexler and Yang Bing

For our October Issue, we invited local personalities to recreate photographs that inspired fond memories. Here are the stories behind those snapshots and those Beijingers, in their own words.

Robyn Wexler and Yang Bing, Dongcheng, 2001

Zachary Yang, Robyn Wexler, Ethan Yang, and Yang Bing, 2011

THEN

What year was it? 2001

Where's the original location? Close to Jiaodaokou, Dongcheng.

Who is in the photo? Robyn Wexler and Yang Bing.

What were you doing there? I think we needed a recent photo of us together for Yang Bing's US visa application; and the others that we had did not seem appropriate.

What were you doing in Beijing? Robyn was exploring the idea of opening a yoga studio in Beijing with Mimi Kuo (now Mimi Kuo-Deemer). Robyn was teaching yoga at the Kempinski Hotel gym on Monday evenings, and working full-time at China Development Brief, an organization dedicated to researching and sharing information about China's civil society sector. Yang Bing was DJing in Beijing - often at Club Vogue -- as well as other cities in China; he was also organizing parties and events with China Pump Factory.

NOW

Who is in the photo? [from left to right] Zachary Yang, Robyn Wexler, Ethan Yang, and Yang Bing

What are you now doing in Beijing? Robyn is the Director of Yoga Yard, the yoga studio she founded in 2002 with Mimi Kuo. Robyn teaches weekly classes and workshops at Yoga Yard, which now has a teaching staff of more than 20 yoga teachers and assistants. Robyn is also a US-trained birth doula, and has been offering childbirth support to women in Beijing since 2004. Robyn is also working with Chinese partners (namely the Hayimom Doula Service Center) to expand birth doula service and training opportunities to more Chinese women in Beijing and surrounding areas.

Yang Bing has just opened a new club, Haze, and a cafe, On the Corner Cafe -- together with the original core crew from White Rabbit Yang Bing was the co-founder of White Rabbit, Beijing's top underground club, which started in 2007 and partied hard (and late!) until 2010. and some new partners. He also continues to organize parties throughout China and release records under his label "3345", which he started in 2009.

What has changed for you? We've gone from two to four!! Our first son Ethan was born in November 2007, and Zachary was born September 2010. We we eat at home a lot more than we did in 2001.

RW: Now with 2 children, a full-time yoga school, my own personal yoga practice, and my birth doula practice - I definitely do not make it out to many of Yang Bing's parties like I once did.
YB: With two little boys, I don't get to sleep in on the weekends like before.

What has changed in the city? What hasn't???

Click here to see the October issue of the Beijinger in full.