The Beijinger Blog - Our Stuff

Ten Years Of the Beijinger: A Word From Michael Wester

thebeijinger — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0800

Truth be told, we never imagined Beijing would move so fast.

Ten years ago, when editorial director Jerry Chan and I traipsed the smoggy streets of Beijing seeking a space for our fledgling office, we lived in a very different city.

Beijing hadn’t yet won its Olympic bid. The city’s subway system consisted of two lines that effectively went nowhere. Houhai was a rustic getaway unsullied by bar touts, and entire areas of town such as Nanluogu Xiang, Dashanzi and Shuangjing were virtually terra incognita to all but a handful of foreigners. Sanlitun South Bar Street’s network of hole-in-the-wall dives lined up along an unpaved road was still the epicenter of Beijing’s social scene (and RMB 50 would be more than enough get you drunk and leave change for ten lamb kebabs to boot).

Write On: Final Week of the Beijinger's Six-Word Writing Competition!

thebeijinger — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0800

Last week we launched our first-ever writing contest, asking you to describe your Beijing in six words. The entries so far have been of a refreshingly high standard. However, we know that you've all got a little more left in the literary tank. You've got until 9am on Thursday, February 16 to tell us your tiny stories.

You can enter as many times as you like. The only rules are that each of your entries must be six words long – and that all of the words must be in English. Send them to sixwords@thebeijinger.com.

The Beijinger 2011 Charity Super Quiz Grand Total

thebeijinger — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0800

We're delighted to belatedly tell you what your great efforts at The Beijinger 2011 Charity Super Quiz raised. The grand total was a whopping RMB 28,042. Well done to everyone involved. We'd like to thank everyone who came out and attended the event. We'd like to thank the quizmasters (and Tuba John) for helping and Chocolate for hosting. Most of all, though, we'd like to thank the Holt Ping An Medical Foster Home for the good work they are doing with the money that you all raised.

You Are What You Eat: The Beijinger Seeks a Dining Assistant

thebeijinger — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0800

Do you love exploring the city to find new restaurants and dining options? Do you like the grubby alleyway dives as much as the high-end venues? If you have a way with words and never tire of talking about food, then the Beijinger wants you.

Free Stuff For Readers! Fantastic Prizes Up For Grabs

thebeijinger — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0800

Do you like winning things? All you need to do is to find this month’s issue of the Beijinger and answer some questions correctly. You can earn yourself a Valentine’s Day dinner for two at Compass Grill (worth RMB 999) , or a Valentine’s Day dinner at Kerry’s Kitchen (worth RMB 688). Enter to win both but remember that you'll only win one, you can't physically be at two places at the same time. Not with Beijing traffic. And there's even more you can win ...

Have You Got The Write Stuff? Enter the Beijinger's Six-Word Writing Competition!

thebeijinger — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0800

We're delighted to launch our first-ever writing contest. You're all invited to enter. In fact, to make sure that the competition is open to everyone, we've given it a bit of a twist. All we want from all of you budding wordsmiths is just six words.

Smith brought the world the Six-Word Memoir. Before that, as legend would have it, Hemingway wrote his best work in just six words: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

You too can wow the world in six little words. Your story could win you worldwide fame, VIP status and a new life. Well, maybe not all of that ... but you will get your words in print as well as prizes from us and our friends at The Bookworm International Literary Festival (BLF). Read on to learn more.

Out Now - the Beijinger - February 2012: We Heart Beijing

thebeijinger — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0800

Love is … in the air, although you might not be able to see it among the particulate matter.

Who do we want to be our Valentine? Take a guess.

We Heart Beijing. How do we love thee? In our Cover Feature we count the ways.

Enter The Dragon Caption Competition - Day 4!

thebeijinger — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0800

We're well aware three days into this work week that we're not on holiday but everyone seems to like these caption contests. Let's have some more fun with this one. All you have to do to win something drawn at random from our prize cupboard is create a caption for the above photo. Leave it as a comment below. The best - as in the one that we like the most - will be determined the winner. The competition is open until we can open the prize cupboard. Good luck. Winners will be picked by the end of this week ... and there really are prizes to be won.

Enter The Dragon Caption Competition - Day 3!

thebeijinger — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0800

While everyone's still on holiday (if you are lucky enough to not be in work today) we thought we'd let you have some fun and give you the chance to win some prizes. All you have to do to win something drawn at random from our prize cupboard is create a caption for the above photo. Leave it as a comment below. The best - as in the one that we like the most - will be determined the winner. The competition is open until everyone's back at work on Monday. Good luck. Winners will be picked as soon as we tire of deleting a week's worth of email spam.

The Challenge: Eating Rice

thebeijinger — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0800

This month, we decided to go back to our trusty old friend, the chopstick. We had good memories of chasing M&Ms around a plate with the sillysticks, so this time, we’d try to claim the record that’s begging to belong to China: Most rice eaten in one minute.

The rules are simple: The grains of rice must be eaten, one by one, using chopsticks. The current world record: 23 grains (set by Rob Beaton of the US on November 12, 2008).