The Beijinger – July/August 2018: Chasing Scenes: Beijing's Emerging Communities and DIY Spirit
Where a person lives in Beijing often acts as a short form for their personality. Wudaokou: student. Gulou: hipster. Sanlitun: epicurean/delinquent. Guomao: businessman. Shunyi: parent. Shuangjing: mall-dweller. And yet the minute you dig into each pocket of the capital’s thriving communities, you’d be amazed how much is going on below the surface. That’s why we’ve dedicated this issue to emerging scenes; groups of people with a common interest or circumstances that drive them to create and mould their own little corner in this behemoth city. Our mission led us to interview tattoo artists; F&B startups; DIY musicians; self-publishers; women’s, LGBT, and minority groups; and actors masquerading as male prostitutes (well, we would have had they not only been active in the Qing dynasty).
Elsewhere in the issue, we travel to Fukuoka and Madagascar, speak with Beijing’s longstanding musicians about the state of the scene as well as the incoming Wolf Alice, roundup the best convenience store coffees to avoid a serving of disappointment with your morning cuppa, and welcome two new columnists to the fray: Jeremiah Jenne for a bi-monthly dose of Capital Rant, and Artur Witkowski for a crib sheet to Beijing’s weirder fads courtesy of Stunt 101.
Thank you for picking up the latest issue of the Beijinger – we hope that no matter which community you align with, we can open your eyes to the very best that this city has to offer.
Tom Arnstein – Managing Editor, the Beijinger
Read the issue via Issuu online here, or access it as a PDF here. Otherwise, grab a hard copy at your favorite outlet around town in the coming days!
Photo: Fang Yifei; Models: Jinna Kaneko, Anita Zhang, Daniel Lenk, Tom Arnstein