798 Art Zone

Welcome to the Seven Nine Eight Art Zone, a place where the echoes of industrial socialism meet the vanguard of contemporary cultural expression. As you stand here in the Dashanzi district of Beijing, you are surrounded by a…

We begin our journey at Entrance Number Four, located on the western flank of the district. While there are ten ways to enter this creative fortress, this particular gateway provides the most evocative introduction to the scale…

Continuing our walk toward Seven Star West Street, we arrive at the Hive Center of Contemporary Art. This institution is a cornerstone of the district's intellectual life and serves as an excellent case study in the…

We now turn onto Ceramics Second Street, where the pace changes from the high-concept world of galleries to the intimate world of traditional craftsmanship. Nestled here is a store known as Lost Water on Paper Umbrella. …

As we emerge back onto Seven Star Road, we find ourselves in the commercial arteries of the district. This is where the 'Art Zone' functions as a high-end marketplace. …

Deep within Ceramics Third Street lies a venue that celebrates one of China's oldest forms of entertainment: the Shadow Puppet Shop. Shadow puppetry, or 'Peiying,' is an art form that dates back over two thousand years, legendary…

Moving toward Seven Star East Street, we encounter the +86 Design Store, a space that represents the 'Design' in '798 Art and Design Zone.' The name itself—taken from the international calling code for China—signals its ambition…

Our final stop within the grid is the 798 Photo Gallery, located on Ceramics First Street. This gallery is unique in its singular dedication to the medium of photography, specifically photography that documents the social and…

As we conclude our journey through the Seven Nine Eight Art Zone, we return to the central concept of 'regeneration.' We have walked through the literal and figurative ruins of a socialist industrial dream and seen how it has…