Chinese people, being relatively new to the concept of wine drinking, are soaking up wine knowledge like sponges. But it is only natural that some aspects are often misunderstood. One of these is decanting. Decanting is beneficial for wines that are over four years old and may have sediments, or ... Read more »

Gongti | Marukin Ramen

This little eatery whisked us right back to Tokyo with its low-key décor, efficient service and deliciously greasy tonkotsu ramen. The house ramen (Marukin ramen, ¥38) is served steaming hot, with the standard two sheets of quality seaweed stuck to the side of the bowl, two pork ... Read more »

I’m turning 32 this April. I don’t fear adding another year of wisdom, laughter, good food and better friends to my life resume, but undeniably, living la vida loca has its price. The pollution and continual ingestion of melamine by-products compound the situation. Taking care of my body ... Read more »

Rob Earley of Swing Beijing tells us about the rhythm that moves him.

How did swing become your thing?

I got into swing when I figured out all of my friends were doing it and having a great time. They were out dancing every Monday—then on the holidays they ... Read more »

Score one for urban bikers. Beijing, in conjunction with Shanghai-based Forever Company—China’s largest bike manufacturer—is entering a trial phase for a public bike system with 80 bikes and 100 checkout stands spread over four locations across Dongcheng District.

During this phase, area residents can use the bikes ... Read more »

Yu Hua’s comic masterpiece, Brothers, finally came out in a beautifully rendered English translation last year, by husband and wife team Eileen Cheng-yin Chow and Carlos Rojas. A runaway bestseller in China back in 2005, it’s a long read, coming in at over 600 pages, but it weaves ... Read more »

If you’re experiencing post-Avatar withdrawal, mark March 26 on your calendar, because that’s when Tim Burton’s highly anticipated 3-D film Alice in Wonderland hits local theaters. Burton’s version is not your typical fairy tale. It’s dark, scary and psychedelic. A combination of live action and ... Read more »

The other week I got out of the office for lunch to try the new set lunch menu at Scarlett. Created with help from the Hotel G’s new consultant chef Thierry Danzas, the lunch features a rotating menu and is RMB88 for two courses or RMB98 for three courses ... Read more »

When one considers Beijing’s own No Wave scene, whimsy is rarely one of the first things that leaps to mind. Earnest indie scholarship, with required devotionals at the altars of Sonic Youth and Joy Division? Check. Insightful exploration of their generation’s nihilism and/or search for authenticity in ... Read more »

STOP THE PRESSES! TOPSHOP NOW DELIVERS TO CHINA

Why is Topshop so good? Because you can find looks that emulate the catwalk styles just weeks after the shows; because they play host to up-and-coming designers fresh from their graduation shows, allowing the discerning fashion shopper to purchase potential future collectors ... Read more »

Took the "semi" off the title because I’ve posted two consecutive weeks. Ah, the joys of setting your goals low…

World Cup

I know it doesn’t have much to do with sports in China but who’s not watching this stuff? And, I can’t help but be ... Read more »

Scary scary as we reveal the Wanbao's forecast for tomorrow: lots of cloud, Beaufort Force 7 winds, but still pretty warm at 4°C to 9°C. Oh yeah, and also a fair bit of sand... so bad that the authorities issued a blue alert for this. (Blue? That ... Read more »

After rocking Acupuncture's Intro Fest last summer, London-based minimal tech duo Italoboyz return to Beijing tonight. This time, they're hooking up with Acupuncture's Terry Tu and Elvis.T, both of whom are releasing their remix of the Italoboyz' track "Chinese." We caught up with the Italoboyz' DJ ... Read more »

Every Thursday, the Beijing Weekender distills City Weekend's database of nightlife events down to the weekend parties, concerts and live shows that you simply can't miss.

FRIDAY

DJ Brett Johnson at White Rabbit: Having unleashed his dance floor destroyers on Freerange, Fabric and Classic labels, tech titan Brett ... Read more »

I bet a lot of you laughed disparagingly when you heard the Backstreet Boys were coming to town for a concert. But I also bet that deep down, at least half of you wanted to go. After all, it’s been over ten years since the legendary “Quit Playing Games ... Read more »

Shanghai: A History in Photographs, 1842 co-author Karen Smith sat down with City Weekend to talk about compiling a visual history of Shanghai. The book's photos are both haunting and beautiful, and provide an intimate look into the building of a city, and the lives of its residents.

What ... Read more »

What!!???

Yep, that's true. Today's February 2 in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Apparently, you were supposed to have your hair cut just before Spring Festival (Feb 14 this year) and to keep it like that for the first month of the Chinese Spring Festival.

Obviously, it didn't ... Read more »

Every great music scene needs three critical ingredients: great talent, solid venues, and hungry listeners. Binding these together is the producer—that gadget-nerd savant who develops and captures the elusive sound that musicians and listeners crave. Beijing’s up-and-coming audio alchemist is producer-engineer Martin Rawlins.

“Working with Martin is like ... Read more »

“It was one of the highlights of last year,” says DJ Marco Donato of Italoboyz about Acupuncture Records’ 2009 Intro Festival. Though famously cut short, last year’s outdoor electronic music festival led to new collaborations between Acupuncture and Italoboyz, including two new remixes of the Italoboyz track “Chinese” by ... Read more »

With gorgeous slate brick walls, antique furniture, koi ponds and high skylight-ceilings, Tiandi Yijia stuns both the eyes and the palate. It’s no wonder this is a top destination for government officials and Chinese celebrities—every table and dish is a work of art. The braised spare ribs in ... Read more »

CW: What works do you plan to exhibit at D-22 during Jue Fest?

Ca: I'll exhibit some works that were "deleted" from the Web, works that have no way of being distributed by media here ... It's actually not a matter of content, but more my personal style and ... Read more »

Pan: What is special for you about paper as a material?

Chang: Paper is part of my tradition. My grandparents painted on paper. Paper has a long history and contains specific regional histories and traits. Different regions make paper differently, giving it a range of textures. Artists and viewers should ... Read more »

CW: How did the idea for Jue Fest get started?

Davis: It was [my partner] Archie’s idea. We’re kind of modeling it after the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It’s a festival over a whole two weeks in different venues throughout the city—arts, music, comedy. It’s about ... Read more »