August 2008

Shunyi Area Guide Fall 2008

Pick up Immersion Guides’ new Fall 2008 Shunyi Area Guide to discover the area’s latest health clinics, restaurants, schools, shopping centers and more. A host of new restaurants have brought more exotic flavors to Shunyi, while new bookstores will help enrich residents’ quality of life. Our map will also help you navigate the area’s new roads, including the spur leading to Beijing Capital Airport’s gleaming Terminal 3. Life in the suburbs has never been more convenient.

agenda August 28th to September 10th

The races have been won and lost, the medals dished out, the fireworks set off and the fuwa deflated. Life in Beijing is returning to "normal", more quickly than some of us would like. Olympic season isn't over yet though, as the Paralympics start on September 6. You can follow the action with the latest issue of agenda; the highlights of each day's sport are featured in our Day-by-Day event listings, as well as a rejuvenated calendar of local goings-on. Among a number of international artists touching down in Beijing in September are soul/jazz legends George Benson and Al Jarreau; Lisa Liang chatted with both men ahead of their visit, and you can see what they had to say in our Spotlight on the pair. This issue, we also get sartorial suggestions from local fashionista Nels Frye, round up some of Beijing's best 24-hour restaurants and Taiwan-style dining options, and, as new seasons get underway in a number of sports, suggest some of the clubs you can join to keep active over the autumn. Add our Try These writeups, which feature new openings like All Star, Village Cafe, Bling and Kocoon spa, and you've got enough to keep busy with to banish the post-Olympic blues!

agenda August 14th to August 27th

The second Olympic installment of agenda is out now! Whether you’re heading out to catch the action live or just watching on TV, our detailed Olympic schedules and venue information will see you right. Taking a breather from the Games, we talk to Hilton executive chef Jason Ong, Adrina Kay, director of the Heavenly Spa at The Westin Beijing, and dancer Alison Friedman, one of the key players behind the “booking DANCE FESTIVAL Beijing 2008”, which is running from August 13-17 at Chaoyang Culture Center’s Nine Theaters. Also in this issue: our Lists take you on a culinary tour rippling out from Beijing to all corners of China and around the world, with roundups of restaurants serving cuisine from China’s varied regions and some of the best spots for non-Chinese dishes in town; a look at some of the best happy hours around; and some options for a weekend away from Beijing.

urbane August 2008

In this month’s Urbane, distributed concurrently with the city’s explosive self-exhibition, we reflect on the shape of the “New” metropolis. Our August mega-feature, made up of six essays, explores the city that greets the world this month. From Old Beijing, Green Beijing, and Beijing TV to addressing the question of what will happen to the city after the Games, One Dream Beijing Infinity offers an in-depth snapshot of the New Beijing that has evolved before our eyes.

We also go behind the scenes of the Beijing Games image-making machine, into the design workshop at CAFA (China Academy of Fine Arts) with Olympic designer Wang Jie in our designer Spotlight, as well as the mastermind of this Games’ design, Wang Min, in our second feature. What was the creative process behind the Olympic banners, logos and emblems blitzing the city from every angle? Read on.

beijingkids August 2008

Pick up your August issue of beijingkids, back with a brand new name and a DIY primer on hosting your own Summer Games. Cecily Huang tracks down the flying gymnasts in our midst, Amani Zhang goes behind the scenes with Beijing's littlest soccer champs and Donna Scaramastra Gorman dives into the sports vs. studying debate. We trek to Qianmen for shadow puppets and underground tunnels and learn how to make sidewalk chalk from scratch. Elsewhere in the magazine, Caitlin Manicom goes horseback riding in haoyang, while Martin Adams looks back on his first year of as a Beijing baba.

Beijing City Map August 2008

Around Beijing, everything has gotten a touch up: new subway lines have opened, flowers everywhere, and just in time for the Olympics, Immersion Guides has updated its Beijing City Map. Perfect for tourists or residents, the Beijing City Map has all 29 downtown Olympic venues – from the Bird's Nest to the Wukesong Baseball Field.

After spectating, check out the best of Beijing's dining and nightlife venues like food street Gui Jie (Ghost Street) and Houhai's best hutong chill spot, Bed Bar and much more. For visitors, the city's best sightseeing spots both touristy and deserted are included. After watching ping pong at Peking University Gym, head to the Big Bell Temple or the Park of Yuanmingyuan Ruins also known as the Old Summer Palace. In addition, this updated map includes all of the city's historic neighborhoods - perfect for those who just love to take to the streets of a new city. Finally, before you head home, take a gander at Beijing's shopping meccas - the Hongqiao Pearl Market, Silk Market, and Panjiayuan Antique Market. Wherever you're going, keep the Beijing City Map handy!