Hardcore Sightseeing Vol. VII - The 798 Art Zone

As you might have noticed I took a little break from Hardcore Sightseeing yesterday - nothing special happened. Classes have started again and so this will also be the last exiting episode of the series.

The fallen fist of ...(?) - rusty but still strong

Project 798
In the 1950' the GDR donated a couple of factories to PRC - at secret spots outside of Peking. More specifically they donated to the 5 Start Group, which is an armaments manufacturing owned by the people's liberation army.
Bauhaus style and modern functional architecture characterizes the factories. Because of the secretly handling the factories where given numbers. One was 798.

Forty years later - the city has grown and much industry was banned out of it, the production facilities where overage, and more and more halls where empty - the old places were rented. Artist discovered the unique spirit of that place and settled in.
Today it is a huge complex with a lot of galleries, design companies, craft work shops, cafes and more - all together in that historical "modern" flair. Very contradictory to the classical sightseeing venues. And there is no entrance!
Very important in the work of the local artist seems always some kind of (political) criticism. Although every few weeks there are creations censored, which means not displayed anymore, in this district dominates a more liberal spirit. I was surprised by some things they actually show there...

This is another "must see" and one can easily spend a whole day there - China from a different perspective. Start your personal picture tour from the RED China through some drugs and different "Birds Nests" towards the end of the world... here.