In the Food Court of the Crimson King: New Mall-Based Wangjing Venue Kirin Place Underwhelms

Wangjing is on the verge of breaking out. All the makings are there – solid communities, a breadth of delectable restaurants, the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the young, hip art kids that come with it, and easy access to the heart of Beijing (though let’s be honest – it could do with a direct subway line from Dongzhimen). And since late last year, we’ve seen a trickling of shows at various spots in the area, most noticeably at Kirin Place, the plaza center located directly across from Wangjing Soho. Or more specifically, in the basement of Kirin Place. So is Wangjing due its own budding music scene? Well, perhaps not quite yet.

While there is certainly potential in the basement space, the fact of the matter is you're still stuck in the basement of a mall. Or better yet, what looks like a food court of a mall. There is some charm in the array of eateries and bars surrounding the space – from burger joint Thee Burger, to Master Gao, and the best find of all, a Cheers run by some very jolly men – and the layout itself is smart and effective with tables set out in front of the bars, leaving ample room for more committed gig-goers to get up close and personal with the band.

Squint and you can almost convince yourself you’re watching a show at an easygoing bar. Almost. But then you notice the squeaky clean floors, the way the music echoes down the hallways, the docile crowd who looks like they're waiting for their friends to arrive so they can go elsewhere, and worst yet, how the band isn't quite convinced that they should be playing. It’s these kinds of feelings which creep their way into your skull as you attempt to wash them down with another bottle of cheap white from Cheers.

As for having a quiet evening out after a hearty meal upstairs (the fried chicken options are endless), before sneaking in some live music and a wee drink before you head home, you could do a lot worse. Music-wise, we'd suggest the space needs to either keep it light and jazzy or head in the complete opposite direction – give the stage to a bunch of wild-eyed punks looking to wreak havoc. We could even see stand-up comedy nights working wonders here.

While there’s certainly something distinctive about Kirin Place – its existence proof in itself that the live music scene is creeping its way up towards the northeast of the city – they’ll need to up their game if they hope to survive.

Events run Thursday to Sunday. Check Kirin Place's Showstart account or Weibo for upcoming shows. 

Kirin Place 
Thu-Sun, 9pm-midnight. 11 Fu’anxi Lu, Wangjing, Chaoyang District
朝阳区望京阜安西路11号

Photos: Will Griffith