Inaugural Pop Plant-Based Festival to Sprout in Shuangjing, Sep 22-23

Be it beer, burgers, or gin, Beijing has had no shortage of fun and flavorful festival themes in recent years. And now a new fest is putting an equally upbeat spin on a far more impactful motif.

The Sep 22-23 Pop Plant-Based Festival at the Pingod International Art Plaza in Shuangjing is billed as China’s first-ever plant-based fest, and purports to be a fun, informative and meaningful happening for anyone looking to do their part to make the world more sustainable, and have a blast doing it. Aside from a wide range of plant-based eats courtesy of vegan eatery Root Pop (see there drool worthy wares above) and a number of other grub purveyors, the fest will also kick off with an outdoor plant-based market where 100 vendors will sell organic and green sports, clothing, culture, art, and beauty products. Another highlight will be an outdoor fitness festival where attendees can try different exercises and classes like yoga, Zumba dance, fit aerobics, TRX, CrossFit, taught by leading fitness coaches from Beijing and Shanghai.

All that will be capped off by a “Rock Moon Night” party outfitted with DJs like Kimo from Egypt and Nigls from Portugal and local favorites Eva Xu and Mario, along with plant-based food, craft beer, organic wine, cocktails, and more.

Jack Kleinman, one of the event's organizers, says he’s excited about Pop Plant-Based because, “Without this festival, a lot of people would never be exposed to a plant-based lifestyle.” Kelly Chen, a fellow organizer, and owner of vegan restaurant Root Pop, agrees, pointing out this a great opportunity for those like her who eschew meat – and who are too often unfairly maligned in the media for what they abstain from, rather than the sustainability they embrace – to show just how upbeat and invigorating their outlook can be. She adds: “We hope this festival will encourage people to explore a plant-based lifestyle. It should be fun!”

Meanwhile Max Song, one of the festival organizers and an investment manager at Dao Foods, says: “Tasty and healthy foods will make thousands of people come to try out plant-based, the new trend in China.” 

To sum up, Kleinman says the event’s tempting eats, blood-pumping kinetic activities and deeply grooving music will make for a can’t miss fest for Beijingers of all stripes, saying: “The purpose of the festival is to create a fun and exciting experience for attendees to explore the plant-based lifestyle in a friendly environment.” He adds that they can’t wait to put on a “fun, positive, and inclusive food and fitness festival for everyone!”

Hungry for veg? Get the lowdown on BJ's best plant-based eats, right here.

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Photos: Courtesy of the promoters