798艺术园区半日游

798 is exactly the kind of place I look for on every trip: old industrial plants given a second life. The factory halls around Locomotive Square kept their raw bones, which made the contemporary art inside feel even sharper. I spent longer than planned at the Zuoyou Art Supermarket and the 751 design stores — each felt like a small exhibition of its own. Compared with SOHO in New York or London's South Bank, this one has a rougher, more genuine texture. Cafe Flatwhite near the entrance made a solid flat white too. Half a day was just right.

New to my radar and worth it. 798 surprised me with how much variety fits into one afternoon — the graffiti passage near the creative square is a photographer's playground, and the Mansudae art studio (an unusual gallery) was unlike anything else I've seen in China. The Persian Culture and Art Center had beautiful carpets and metalwork passed down for centuries. Bring a camera with a wide lens; the arched passage and the old steam locomotive at Locomotive Plaza are made for it.