March 2009

Winter is waning and the city is coming back to life. Don’t believe us? Just look at how jam-packed the latest issue of the Beijinger is with things to do in March – DJ Kentaro, Young Knives, Battles, Story of the Year, Sarah Brightman, A plus D … the list goes on and on.

Befittingly, the coming of the spring means the hatching of a new batch of albums from local favorites – Re-Tros, The Gar, Casino Demon, Hedgehog and RandomK(e), to name but a few. And what are album releases without album release parties? Expect those to be happening throughout the month in a neighborhood near you.

The festivities don’t stop there, and March will indeed see festivals galore. The 14th Francophonie Festival, for instance, brings a slew of French-speaking artists, writers, musicians and whatnots to Beijing over a span of two weeks. Also happening over a span of two weeks is the 2009 Bookwork International Literary Festival, where 46 authors from around the world will be collecting at Beijing’s favorite laptop retreat. And let’s not forget the Scottish Film Festival, which may be your one and only chance to get up close and personal with Tilda Swinton.

Now that the leaves are turning green, let us take it as a reminder that the time has come for all of us to turn a new leaf too. That’s why this month we’re offering some ideas on little things you can do to be a little more eco-friendly – eating vegetarian, shopping vintage, becoming a practitioner of freeganism. And if you didn’t know, you are currently living in the place – China – that holds the key to unlocking the power of solar energy. Find out what we mean in March’s cover feature, “Here Comes the Sun.”

In other news, the Beijing Snooker Open starts at the end of the month, which means now – with the help of our Players’ Guide to Snooker – is the perfect opportunity for you to figure out what exactly snooker is. And then maybe you will appreciate the hours of primetime CCTV devotes to it. Also, get a taste of what awaits you in Kasghar in this month’s Explore and a preview of “Curated By” (the latest from He An and Wang Jianwei at UCCA), and – as always – all the news that’s fit to print on new restaurants, shops and bars opening up around town. Find it all in the March issue of the Beijinger! Lisa Liang