Beijing Hutong Art

Like mushrooms after a spring rain, art districts are sprouting up all over Beijing, seeking to capitalize on and revitalize the capital's ancient infrastructure. While 798 Art District and Caochangdi are the city's most well-known examples of urban renewal, Beijing is home to many other sites that remind residents and passersby of the city's industrial past. Launched in April, Hutong Art Zone is one of the most recent newcomers to Beijing's contemporary art scene and offers artists and visitors a glimpse into the myriad ways traditional culture and modern art are giving new life to the city's architectural inheritance. "We differ from 798 Art District in that we are in the center of the city and the traditional view and unique charm of the ancient hutongs are a distinct advantage when compared to other art districts in far-flung suburbs. We are attracting a more comprehensive slice of the cultural industry, including film, performing arts, design, training, advertisement and intellectual property rights law," said Xu Li, a representative from the Hutong Art Zone.

No. 46 Fangjia Hutong

Covering 13,000 square-meters in Beijing's Dongcheng district and capable of housing more than 50 studios, galleries or cafes, No. 46 Fangjia Hutong is one prominent example of the promise of hutong art districts. Once an industrial quarter, the spacious yard is home to workshops, auditoriums and an office building. "I am fascinated with hutongs, because that is where I grew up.

To some extent, it is similar to 798 Art District, but the location is more ideal and the rent here is much cheaper," Yu Jinjin, a workshop owner, said. But the hutong's chief draw is the former tool factory that has been renovated and turned into trendy loft-style galleries, while its hulking boiler room has been turned into a practice studio for the Beijing Modern Dance Company. Though needing to make way for the dance company's energetic dancers, the factory retains its original flavor, adding only a simple stage to the spacious room. "New houses are like test tubes, with the people inside motionless specimens. For this reason, I like older houses with character much better," said Zhang Changcheng, manager for Beijing Modern Dance Company. "Much of Beijing's culture stems from the hutong, which is such an ideal place to combine the traditional and the modern."
Yonghe Gallery Street

Tucked against the hutongs near Beijing's Lama temple, Yonghe Gallery Street is among Dongcheng district's nine newly established Hutong Art Zones. Standing alongside the regal Lama Temple and overlooking Ditan Park, the 5-story building is located right in the center of the city. Surrounded by Guo Zi Jian Imperial Academy, the Confucius Temple and the Dongzhimen Embassy Area, Yonghe Gallery Street is full of Beijing style. Lin Tienmin, an artist from Taiwan, came here to open Lin & Keng Gallery in 2007 and has held eight art exhibitions since. "Although Beijing is an international cosmopolitan hub, what I cherish most is its traditional imperial atmosphere. In addition, the 4-meter-high ceilings in this place are a favorable height for an art gallery," Lin said. "Borrowing the experience of the world's greatest cosmopolitan cities in the West, it its vital for art zones to emerge in the center of the city. I hope Beijing is joining the rank. Since this area is free of charge to the public, the people living in the vicinity have a great chance to visit and enjoy.

It will be a promising place in the near future," said Yang Zhen, manger of the Yonghe Gallery Street project. According to Xu, the Hutong Art Zone is an important part of the Dongcheng creative zone and introduces the concept of "Creative Ecology" and its three principles that people are creative, creativity needs freedom and freedom needs a market.