Learn About Disappearing Jiuxianqiao at This UCCA Event

Vincent R. Vinci, Managing Editor | Oct 17, 2023 11:25 am | Add a comment | 155 reads

Beijing today is in a state of constant change. While redevelopment may be done with positive change in mind, it often comes at the expense of having to say goodbye to places residents held dear. One such example is Jiuxianqiao, a part of which is the subject of a documentary screening happening at 798.

Directed by renowned multimedia artist Cao Fei in 2019, Hongxia pays homage to the Hongxia Theater and Ballroom (红霞影剧院 Hóngxiá Yǐngjùyuàn). Constructed in the 1980s as a communal space for Jiuxianqiao area residents and workers at the 738 and 774 electronic factories, the theater quickly became an important fixture in the lives of residents, right up until its closure in 2008.

Hongxia still remains a fixture of the community, with the steps invaded by exercising elderly and the ticket office becoming a lottery office. Unfortunately, its fate will reportedly be the same as most buildings in the area, which are in the process of or slated to be redeveloped.

In the documentary, Cao Fei interviews former factory workers who lived in the community, the theater manager, children of former workers, as well as historians, architects, and photographers who have been following the development of the area, to present a picture of the importance of Hongxia to Jiuxianqiao.

This isn’t the first time Cao Fei – herself a Jiuxianqiao resident – has taken an interest in Hongxia, with the artist having built a replica of sorts to screen the aforementioned Hongxia and another of her films, Nova (2019) for her 2021 retrospective show Cao Fei: Staging the Era.

Having been screened this past weekend at 798 Cube, Hongxia will be screened this coming weekend and the following weekend at UCCA. It’s a good chance to learn more about Hongxia, community spaces, and the disappearing past of one of Beijing's neighborhoods.

“HX” Special Project will be screening at select times from Friday, Oct 20 to Sunday, Oct 22 and Friday, Oct 27 to Sunday, Oct 29 at the UCCA Auditorium. The documentary is in Chinese with English subtitles. Entry is free. Scan the QR code below to register.

If you would like to visit Hongxia Theater yourself, you can find it here: 13 Hongxia Lu, 红霞路13号