Distrito Artístico 798 y el Pekín Contemporáneo — La Revolución Creativa de China
798 Art District (798艺术区 — the contemporary art district in the Chaoyang district of northeastern Beijing, in the former buildings of the state-owned 798 Joint Factory (the military electronics factory built with Soviet assistance in the 1950s in the Bauhaus-influenced East German industrial style (designed by East German architects during the 1950s Sino-Soviet friendship period)) — the most important contemporary art district in China and one of the most significant in Asia): the transformation of the factory complex (from 2002, when artists began renting the cheap industrial spaces) into a gallery, studio, and cultural venue complex has made 798 the symbol of China's contemporary art renaissance.
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798 Factory Buildings — Bauhaus Industrial Heritage
The 798 Art Zone's Bauhaus factory halls (designed by East German architects in the 1950s) have north-facing sawtooth skylights that flood the gallery spaces with diffuse northern light — ideal for contemporary art exhibitions.
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Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA)
UCCA is China's most prestigious private contemporary museum, housed in a converted ammunition assembly hall. Its survey shows of Chinese and international contemporary art set the agenda for the Chinese art market.
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Pace Gallery Beijing — International Art Market
Pace Gallery's Beijing space represents the globalization of the contemporary art market — showing Jeff Koons, Zhang Huan, and Yoshitomo Nara to Chinese collectors whose buying power now rivals New York and London.
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Three Shadows Photography Art Center
Three Shadows, founded by photographer Rong Rong and artist inri, is Asia's most respected photography institution — a residency program, a bookshop with the best photography collection in China, and two gallery spaces.
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M Woods Museum — Private Collection Space
M Woods is Beijing's most design-forward private museum — a red brick building showing works from its owners' collection of Chinese and international contemporary art alongside site-specific commissions by emerging artists.
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798 Café Culture & Art Bookshops
The secondary culture of 798 — espresso bars with design-forward interiors, bookshops specializing in contemporary art publications, and concept stores for ceramic and textile artists — makes it Beijing's finest cultural afternoon.