Madi and Xiao Gan, a photographer and a musician. Converse invited them to show you Beijing in their eyes, the good and the bad, likes and dislikes, to give a different look at the city where so many young creative people long to be.
Beijing is a very special city, bad weather, dirty air, so big that you feel tired walking anywhere and there’s always a traffic jam. But we choose to live in BJ because of all the strange, interesting people who also choose to live here. We endure the long tough winters here because BJ always satisfies our curiosity.
Kubrick, cinema, bookstore, or café? (By Madi)
I often went to Hong Kong when I lived in Guangzhou, not for shopping but to walk and feel the energy of the streets. The Kubrick bookstore, next to Yau Ma Tei, started as a cinema, then they began to sell books, then posters, video and audio discs related to film, then local independent publications and crafts. Now they hold cultural events, using the bookstore to help the local creative community.
The Beijing branch of Kubrick opened at the end of last year. I’m curious to see how a store with such deep Hong Kong roots will blend in with Beijing. My friends and I have been hanging out here for a few months and it shares a lot in common with the original store. Whether it’s the free movie screenings, film events, lovely selection of books and foreign magazines, or comfortable reading room, there’s always a good reason to spend an afternoon there.
Lost & Found, not just reminding （By Madi）
After hearing about Lost & Found many times from different friends, I decided to have a look. At first glance, it seems such a delicate place for such a big and rough city. After getting to know it well, I found that it’s not as easy as it looks to make this kind of place. L&F was created by the owner, piece by piece. In addition to selling old furniture, simple clothing and all kinds of housewares, they also sell publications from local creators. L&F is not in it for big money, they choose to sell what fits the feeling of the store and like introducing customers to interesting things.
42 GUOZIJIAN, where L&F lives, used to be a humble shop selling stuffed buns and chicken wings. The store owner can’t even explain how much trouble it was to rebuild the “Hu Tong” when they started the business. She wanted to keep the feeling of the old house, but it’s a dilapidated building, so they had to put a lot of work to finally make this beautiful storefront come to be.
The designer for L&F, Paul, is an American who studied stenography at Yale. He wants their products to have a pure and semi-traditional Beijing fee;, simple, low-key, pure and durable. When L&F began designing furniture, they took their inspiration from the old furniture at the antique market. They looked at the designs and optimized them. The names of the furniture come from old places: Dan Wei chair, old BJ chair, SH steel pipe chair, etc. The store owner said, it’s not just retro or following some trend. L&F wants to find some traditional elements worthy to pass on, like the simple, optimistic attitude toward craft.
The Kunyu River by Xiao Gan
In my eyes, Kunyu River refers to the area from Bali Village Bridge to Zizhu Bridge. It’s the only way you can get from Gu-Lou East Street and Xin Jie Kou to my home. I feel extraordinarily calm when I cross this river. Especially at night, the darkness and the light mix on the water that has washed away so many tragic stories. Every time I drive past here, I can’t help but checking to see if there is anything in the backseat. I’m not joking, I look every time. I haven’t done anything guilty, but we can’t anger the ghosts!
It’s pleasing to walk here in daytime, so I move as slowly as I can. Especially in summer, the quiet river and the willows are so beautiful. If I ever compose a love song for Beijing, this place will be my first choice. Welcome to Bali Village Bridge, but take notice: no fishing!
East drum-tower street (By Xiao Gan)
It’s easy to get a parking ticket here, but I have to come, because I live at least half my life here at the practice room at Hutong 6. There are two trees in the field. One is a date tree and the other one is a date tree too. Almost every song by THE BIGGER BANG was written here. The small field is filled with joy and beer bottles; I feel sorry that we’ve thrown so many cigarettes into the drain.
The landmark here is MAO, nearly half of THE BIGGER BANG’s performances have been there. There is no need to mention how important MAO is to everyone. South LUOGUO street is close but I have never been. Gu-Lou East street is neither old nor new. There are so many fashion stores on Gu-Lou East street but I have no interest in clothing. There are also many restaurants, none of which are very good, but I still eat there.
(Madi) For me, even though I haven’t lived in Beijing too long, I spend most of my time around Gu-Lou. I want to avoid recommending it, but there is always something to eat and something to find in the vintage stores there. In the words of XIAOGAN, maybe we don’t love Gu-Lou East but we spend most of our time there. It’ a miniature BJ.
Short trip out to the 5th ring road in BJ (By Madi)
It’s an obscure recommendation. Because of my work, I always need to find new places for taking photos. I don’t like high-rises or shooting colourful models in Hutongs. The feeling BJ gives me is infinitely large and boundless, especially in winter. The cold and clear grey is what impresses me. When driving out of the 5th ring road, it doesn’t matter which direction you go, just go with the flow and you can always find a free space. I can feel myself get wild on the road. Suddenly an airplane flying by makes you realize that you are still in BJ, where people love and hate.
