The Joy of Six: Haidian Wuluju

This month, we’ve checked out all the stops on Line 6 to tell you about the gems that you shouldn’t wait to discover in our station-by-station Going Underground special.

SELLING POINT
When Horace Greeley popularized the phrase “Go West, young man,” he prefaced it with, “Washington is not a place to live in. The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is disgusting and the morals are deplorable.” Swap “Sanlitun” for “Washington” and we’ve almost got our own version of Manifest Destiny. Wuluju began as a humble town named after a beloved neighborhood tea shop; now it’s become a haven for the nouveau riche. Long-distance transport infrastructure is also in the works, for all those pioneering journeys you might embark upon.

UPGRADE
With what you’re currently forking over to your landlord, you could expand your horizons at any of the residential areas out west. Trade that studio you’re sharing with your couchsurfer for a nice two-bedroom/two-bath at Hot Springs Leisurely Villas (which, shockingly, have neither hot springs nor villas).

NEST
Head to the Carrefour about 400 meters south of Exit D, where a huge Chinese New Year decorations display and an in-store Daoxiangcun counter will set you up to throw the biggest Spring Festival/housewarming party that part of the city has ever seen. Good time to pick up some comforters, space heaters and ultra-thick long johns, too.

SOAK
The newly rich need a place to relax, which is why the Dongfang Xini Gang (or “Oriental Sydney”) Club was originally built. With its spas, large circular swimming pool, huge seafood spread and garish dinner theater, it’s the ultimate place to play out your own Gatsby-in-China fantasy. It even captures the sense of decadence and disrepair, as we hear this once-extravagant club is showing signs of mismanagement. Just do your best to not end up face down in one of those pools.

This section of our Cover Feature originally appeared on page 12 in the February issue of the Beijinger.

Photo: Lova