5 Things to Taste, Smell, Touch, Hear, and See This Weekend

Beijing can be overstimulating, to say the least. Let’s be real: Sometimes even our sixth sense gets a decent workout, the one where you know that stick of chuan'r will get you sick for the next two days (but you gobble it up anyway). With such a wide variety of events, restaurants, and gigs to attend, we suggest bathing each of your five senses in one, if not all, of the nourishing goings-on below.
 

Taste

Passion Fruit Milkshake Ale From Arrow Factory
Remembering summer is harder with every breath we take and every step we make (said Sting?). Rooftops are under lockdown and terraces have heavy blankets hanging in their doorways. Fear no more, for what is the more tropical and exotic fruit than passionfruit! The vitamin C punch and bright colors that great you once it's opened also play along in the glass of Arrow Brewery The Lovin’ Spoonful Passion Fruit Milkshake Ale. Sip indoors but close your eyes for a moment and picture the midday July heat and condensation forming on the walls of the glass. And if that doesn't do it for you, there's plenty more new brew around town.
 

Smell

Organic Veg From the Herb Whisperer
Can you recall the first time you saw those human head-sized onions or strawberries that left your hands stained pink even after scrubbing them? What about vegetables that don't smell like food at all? Skip all of that nonsense and head to the farm, specifically the WeChat store (ID: tingcaozhiyu) for the Herb Whisperer where you can source every organic thing you'll need to spice up your cooking and impress your dinner party guests, from fresh herbs to homemade pesto (did I mention it's all organic?). If you like what you see, you can opt for an 11-month subscription service that'll bag you either 3kg or 5kg of seasonal vegetables delivered to your house every week. You can also head out and join them for weekend farm work and celebrate harvest season together.
 

Touch

Jan 7: Loreli Zine Party at The Great Outdoors
Make a zine, buy a zine, or mingle with fellow creative minds with a pint of craft brew this Sunday. Best yet, you'll also get your hands on a freshly-pressed introduction to Beijing wisdom accompanied with illustrations. Issues from local artists will be for sale and Loreli crew have vowed to make a zine in just 24 hours especially for the event. Check out our recent chat with the Loreli crew so you know what to expect. 5.30pm. Free. The Great Outdoors
 

Hear

Jan 6: Tulegur
Hearing Mongolian throat singing for the first time will send shivers down your back. As it also does on the second and third times. Tulegur is a modern nomad music duo, hailing from Inner Mongolia and who are famed for bringing the music from the grasslands to Beijing audiences. Their music is a mix of contemporary beats, traditional instruments, and hypnotic vibes. They have extensively toured China, India, Europe, Australia. and New Zealand. For more gigs, check our full rundown of the weekend's noises here. 9.30pm. RMB 70. Caravan
 

See

Jan 6: "Lady Bird" at Camera Stylo
Lady Bird is a directorial debut of Greta Gerwig, who has cut her very own niche corner in the world of indie film by playing awkward and honest creatives throughout her acting career. Lady Bird is said to be a tale of an artist in the making from the artist made and is full of bold lines, uncomfortable conversations, silence, and hilariously unexpected turns i.e. situations that may be familiar to anyone and all. Holding a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes (one of the highest ratings ever) and 8.5 on IMDB, Lady Bird has been universally praised by critics and should make for a treat of a Saturday night screening. 10pm. Free. Camera Stylo

More by the author here.

Images: Vox, Film Linc, courtesy of the venues and organizers