5 Things to Taste, Smell, Touch, Hear, and See, May 15-17
Beijing can be overstimulating place to live, to say the least. Let’s be real: sometimes even our sixth sense (the one that tells you when that stick of chuan'r will make you sick for the next two days) gets a decent workout. 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
May 16: The Club at Zarah
Hot on the heels of their successful five-day party series over the May Day holiday, Zarah looks to make The Club night a regular fixture, giving patrons a chance to gorge themselves on fat Jing-A beer deals (RMB 35 a pint), and even fatter beats. 8pm-late. Zarah.
Smell
May 15: Chez Soi Grand Opening
Francophiles rejoice, for there is a new bistro in town that promises all the olfactory delights of a warm Parisian evening. Pair the complex aromas of a plateau de fromage et charcuterie with a full-bodied Bordeaux or delicate Chablis, both of which will be 50 percent off all night, amongst other French favorites. 6pm-3am. Chez Soi, 16 East Gongti Road.
Touch
May 17: Wake Up and Stretch
Get in touch with your mind, body, and soul at Wake Up and Stretch in Chaoyang Park. This Sunday is forecast to be a cool 23 degrees Celsius, the perfect temperature to stretch those limbs and sweat out the weekend’s sins. Enjoy your first session for free, and find out more about where the group meets and regular fees by clicking through to the event posting above. 9am. Chaoyang Park.
Hear
May 16: Root Down Grand Opening
With an ambiance and sound system that relies exclusively on vinyl records, Root Down isn’t simply one of the newest bars on the scene, it also happens to be one of the most niche. Opened by affiliates of the inimitable Fruity Shop, the bar is a hi-fi junkie’s heaven, the kind of place that brings people together over a shared love of music, cocktails, and premium acoustics. What a saliva-inducing teaser video here. 3pm-late. Root Down, 1/F, Jiezuo Mansion, 55 Xingfucun Middle Road, Chaoyang District.
See
May 16: Blush & Flush
This Saturday, Beixinqiao-based gallery and bar, āotū space host an opening reception marking its first show in nearly four months. Beijing-born artists Qiurui Du (whose work is pictured at top) and Claudia Tiange Chen (whose work is pictured above) return to the capital from their adopted home of New York City to present Blush & Flush, a vibrant yet scathing vivisection of modernity and rampant economic development, as imagined through two very different aesthetic approaches. 5pm-9pm. āotū space.
READ: Gallery Weekend Beijing to Paint 798 Art District Red (and Other Colors), May 22-31
Images courtesy of the organizers
