TGIF: Make the Most of Your Weekend With These Killer Activities

The weekend is here! Time for fun, relaxation, and recharging the ol' batteries ahead of *gulp* Monday morning's alarm clock. Luckily enough, there’s plenty of fun stuff to keep you occupied over the weekend that doesn't necessarily involve getting blitzed. Our weekend roundup offers you some of the best.


Jan 4: Red Thread Pop-Up Lunch and Swap Party

Xinzhuang Eco Village in Changping is well-known in the local community for its clued-in promotion of healthy and eco-friendly lifestyles. This weekend, the village will throw a three-day Good Food Festival complete with activities, speeches, and, you guessed it, plenty of wholesome food. Part of festival includes a pop-up vegetarian lunch at the Rain East Bamboo Restaurant (pictured above) and Blue House, that will use seasonal ingredients chosen from local farmers. The lunch will be followed by a secondhand swap party, where you can exchange anything from unwanted household items to books for something you need. Click here for more information and ticketing. RMB 100, RMB 80 (advance). 11.30am-4pm. Xinzhuang Village

Jan 4: National Theatre Live: All My Sons (2019)

Arthur Miller’s 1947 play All of My Sons, which ran for 328 performances on Broadway when it first opened, gets the Old Vic in London. Starring Sally Field and Bill Pullman, All of My Sons tells the story of Joe Keller, a successful, self-made businessman knowingly commits a crime that comes back to haunt him years later, threatening to shatter his cushty life. The play has been lauded since its release for its encapsulation of an era in American history where brisk economic growth tempted corruption and sin. RMB 120 (tickets available on 淘票票 Taopiaopiao). 5.30-7.30pm. China Film Archive (Xiaoxitian branch)

Jan 4: Chinese New Year Cooking Class

Black Sesame Kitchen holds a special Chinese New Year cooking classes, teaching aspiring chefs how to make four classic Chinese New Year dishes. including cabbage dumplings, Lion’s head meatballs, steamed fish, and sweet rice dumplings. RMB 350 (click here for reservations). 2.30-4pm. Black Sesame Kitchen

Jan 5: Oxygen 2020 Interdisciplinary Theatre

Join Aotu Space this Sunday for Oxygen 2020, an interdisciplinary and improvisational show that combines traditional and modern music, calligraphy, and painting. For this edition, Bo Xuan will play sitar alongside Bei Bei on synthesizer, whose sounds will be interpreted through the live painting of visual artist 9SHANG (pictured above). RMB 60 (click here for tickets). 8.30pm. Aotu Space

Jan 4-5: Tessa Souter Quartet at Blue Note

A six-time festival favorite at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, the New York-based Anglo-Trinidadian jazz vocalist Tessa Souter has been applauded by the LA Times as "world-class" and by the New York Times as "an astute and expressive singer." Her sumptuous sound, incredible range, and outstanding ability to connect to the emotional core of a song, will no doubt make her back-to-back gigs at Blue Note Beijing this weekend a feast for the ears. RMB 280-320. Jan 4, 7.30pm; Jan 5, 6.30pm. Blue Note

READ: The Best Beijing Gifts as Voted for by the Great Chinese Public

Photos: Joseph Bogges, courtesy of the organizers