798 Art Zone
798艺术区
A contemporary art district converted from a Bauhaus-style factory built with East German aid. It features galleries, museums, sculptures and industrial heritage, and is a popular destination for Beijing's artsy crowd.
The 798 Art Zone is in Chaoyang District's Jiuxianqiao area. It was formerly the 718 Joint Factory, built in the 1950s with East German assistance. Its sawtooth Bauhaus-style workshops, red-brick chimneys and faded 'Long Live Chairman Mao' slogans have all been preserved. Since artists moved in during the 2000s, more than a hundred galleries and institutions have gathered here, including the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, a top contemporary art museum in China with tickets around 60 to 100 yuan, as well as Pace Beijing, the Mumu Art Museum and 798 Art Factory. Other venues include Times Space and 751D·PARK, a former gasworks with giant gas tanks and a locomotive. The best way to explore is to wander freely. Enter from the south gate on Bus Route 798, then pass 798 Art Factory, the 751 Locomotive Square and UCCA before reaching the gallery street to the north. The district itself is free. Individual museums charge separately, and most galleries are free to enter. Many venues close on Mondays. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants such as Panda Slow Post and Cafe Tie, and design shops, all good for photos. Getting there: walk 15 minutes from Wangjing South Station on Metro Line 14, or take Buses 401 or 445 to the south side of the Dashanzi intersection. A taxi from Sanlitun costs about 30 yuan. Come in the afternoon, and afterward you can eat nearby in Lido or Wangjing.
Opening hours
Neighborhood open all day; galleries mostly 10:00–18:00, most closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Sanlitun
- Gui Street (Ghost Street)
- Temple of Earth (Ditan Park)
- Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple)
- Temple of Confucius & Imperial Academy
- China Science and Technology Museum
- Olympic Green (Bird's Nest & Water Cube)
- Nanluoguxiang Hutongs