Follow us on WeChat Now Advertising Hotline 400 820 8428 城市漫步北京 英文版 1 月份 国内统一刊号: CN 11-5232/GO China Intercontinental Press ISSN 1672-8025 JANUARY 2020 AD 主管单位 : 中华人民共和国国务院新闻办公室 Supervised by the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China 主办单位 : 五洲传播出版社 地址 : 北京西城月坛北街 26 号恒华国际商务中心南楼 11 层文化交流中心 邮编 100045 Published by China Intercontinental Press Address: 11th Floor South Building, HengHua linternational Business Center, 26 Yuetan North Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100045, PRC http://www.cicc.org.cn 社长 President of China Intercontinental Press 陈陆军 Chen Lujun 期刊部负责人 Supervisor of Magazine Department 付平 Fu Ping 编辑 Editor 朱莉莉 Zhu Lili 发行 Circulation 李若琳 Li Ruolin Editor-in-Chief Valerie Osipov Editor Herlina Liu National Arts Editor Bryan Grogan Designers Ivy Zhang 张怡然 , Joan Dai 戴吉莹 , Nuo Shen 沈丽丽 , Xinting Huang 黄欣婷 Contributors Andrew Braun, Christina Ng, Claire Tay, Curtis Dunn, Jord Hammond, Liu Yang, Matthew Bossons, Mia Li, Mollie Gower, Ned Kelly, Phoebe Kut, Ryan Gandolfo, Guo Xun HK FOCUS MEDIA Shanghai (Head office) 上海和舟广告有限公司 上海市静安区江宁路 631 号 6 号楼 407-408 室 邮政编码 : 200041 Room 407-408, Building 6, No. 631 Jiangning Lu, Jing'an District, Shanghai 200041 电话 : 021-6077 0760 传真 : 021-6077 0761 Guangzhou 上海和舟广告有限公司广州分公司 广州市越秀区麓苑路 42 号大院 2 号楼 610 房 邮政编码 : 510095 Room 610, No. 2 Building, Area 42, Lu Yuan Lu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, PRC 510095 电话 : 020-8358 6125, 传真 : 020-8357 3859-800 Shenzhen 广告代理 电话 : 0755-8623 3220, 传真 : 0755-8623 3219 Beijing 广告代理 电话 : 010-8639 4209 Office Manager Vivid Zhu 朱景宜 Account Manager Betty Wang 王斌然 Account Executive Vince Jiao 焦东东 NATIONAL OPERATION CEO Leo Zhou 周立浩 Financial Manager Laura Lu 陆晓岚 Director of National Sales Project Henry Zeng 曾庆庆 Director of National Communications Ned Kelly Digital Content Manager Bridget O'Donnell Director of National Digital BD Doris Dong 董雯 National BD Manager, Hospitality Tina Zhou 周杨 Director of National Digital Products Vickie Guo 郭韵 Digital Elsa Yang 杨融 , Kane Zhu 朱晓俊 , Ruyi Jin 金如意 , Yu Sun 孙宇 , Joana Wang 王琼 , Kim Kang 康玉林 , Susan Xu 徐晓纯 General enquiries (010) 8639 4209 Editorial [email protected] Events [email protected] Distribution/Subscription [email protected] Marketing [email protected] Advertising [email protected] 广告经营许可证 : 京海工商广字第 8069 号 法律顾问 : 大成律师事务所 魏君贤律师 Legal Advisor: Wei Junxian, Dacheng Law Firm 国际标准刊号 ISSN 1672-8025 国内统一刊号 CN 11-5232/GO 定价 : 25.00 元 邮发代号 : 2-930 部分非卖品 , 仅限赠阅 www.thatsmags.com 2 | JANUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM Editor’s Note JANUARY 2020 DEALS We're giving away tickets to some of brand-spanking-new year! Well, that was fast. And not only is it the very best Beijing a new year – it’s a new decade, which makes me feel a little more A pressure to actually make some resolutions and stick to them. But parties, openings, let’s be serious, those resolutions will not involve food and booze, because there’s not much I’m ready to give up. Speaking of, this month's cover story is the main reason behind my shows and talks all lack of self-control; Beijing is a damn good place to eat and drink. Last month, we threw a rowdy Wild West-themed bash with the glitterati of month, alongside town. Say “Ni hao-dy!” to all of our, and your, favorite picks on p. 38. free meals, drinks, Beijing’sElsewhere food and in the drink magazine, scene to That’s celebrate Shanghai the finest Editor-in-Chief restaurants Ned around Kelly chats with English teacher-turned-Instagram star Jord Hammond (p. 10); That’s Shanghai Food & Drink Editor Cristina Ng takes us on a trek discounts and prizes. through Vietnam (p. 22); and Bryan Grogan spotlights China’s coolest new music labels (p. 30). All you have to do is scan the QR code Until next month, below, follow us on WeChat and keep an eye out for your chance to win. You'll get some other great stuff on your phone too. Valerie Osipov Editor-in-Chief FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ThatsBeijing twitter.com/ThatsBeijing facebook.com/ThatsBeijing WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | 3 6 CITY 7 A NEW HOME China’s search for habitable worlds outside of the solar system 8 STREET TALK Beijingers discuss their upcom- ing plans for Spring Festival 14 URBAN DICTIONARY Don’t read too much into 7 this slang term 16 LIFE & STYLE 19 SCENE & HEARD The latest animal cafe to land in the capital 20 NEW YEAR, NEW YOU Deck yourself out in CNY-themed apparel 22 HOT HOLIDAY 22 A beginner’s guide to Vietnam’s best sights 26 ARTS 28 NEW MOVIES A look at what’s hitting Chinese theaters this month 32 ZHANG PEILI In conversation with China’s father of video art 35 ON REPEAT Three new China albums 32 we can’t stop listening to 50 EAT & DRINK 53 MIFAN OR MAFAN A tiny coffeeshop, spicy noodle joint and more 54 GOU GOU GUO A Korean hot pot restaurant perfect for winter 55 MALABOCCA A new malatang spot brings 54 the heat to Sanlitun 4 | JANUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM 38 BEST IN THE EAST A roundup of all the winners from our 2019 Food & Drink Awards 10 CAN’T TEACH THIS How an English teacher became an influential travel photographer on Instagram 30 FINE- TUNING New Chinese music labels to keep an eye (and ear) on WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | 5 CITY PICTURE THIS The expat catapulted to fame capturing beautiful compositions, p10 Street Talk Big Picture Urban Dictionary p8 p9 p14 TALES OF THE CITY TALES TO INFINITY AND BEYOND China Starts Search for Habitable Planets Outside the Solar System by Matthew Bossons n an announcement that sounds much like Ilooking at you, Interstellar - scientific mission (or perhaps, missions – tion, heading up the Shenzhou manned the plot of a science fiction film (here’s details are still scarce) is expected to blast off missions and the Chang’e-4 lunar program, ), China’s lead sometime around 2030. among others. ing space exploration conglomerate has Yuan stated that the Miyin program aims - Chang’e-4’s rover – Yutu-2 – enjoyed a confirmed that they are planning to launch to launch a spacecraft armed with telescopes successful landing on the far side of the moon a spacecraft to hunt for habitable worlds and other high-tech devices capable of help - last year. While other space exploration outside the solar system. China Aerospace ing researchers locate exoplanets in our vehicles have previously photographed the Science and Technology Corp General cosmic neighborhood and assess their habit far side of the lunar surface, Yutu-2 is the first Manager Yuan Jie told 500 students at ability. The project also intends to survey probe to land there. The craft’s mission is to Beijing’s Beihang University that China plans planets within the solar system and analyze collect meticulous measurements of the to start hunting for potentially habitable water distribution on them. mineral composition and topography and exoplanets by the end of the next decade. It marks the first time that a high-ranking shed light on how and when the moon was (Exoplanets, for the unaware, are planets authority from China’s space industry has formed. located outside of our solar system.) divulged information related to the nation’s Will Miyin be able to locate our very own Yuan stated that the revolutionary space attempt to find an exoplanet that could Pandora? That’s anyone’s guess. But after the program has been dubbed ‘Miyin,’ or ‘Voice be suitable for human habitation. China - success of the Chang’e-4 lunar mission, we’re Searching’ in English, and is considered a key Aerospace Science and Technology Corp is confident China’s space institutes have as project of the State-backed company. The the PRC’s top contractor for space explora good of chance as anyone. WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JANUARY 2020 | 7 THE BUZZ STREET TALK Spring Festival is coming up at the end of the month. How will you be spending the long holiday? GRACE, 33 - “To be honest, I’m get ting tired of Chinese New Year – or maybe it’s just because my family reunion always begins and ends with ‘Get married!’ What’s SNOWED IN more, my classmates from primary school are always busy with like I can meet them to Beijing had its first snowfall of the season their children, so it’s not Photolast month. by Andrew Braun (Instagram: get away from the marriage issue. In their opinion, it @braunosaurus) would be irresponsible for you not to be married, and if you don’t get married soon, the only company you’ll end up keeping is cats and dogs. I’m the only child of my- parents, so it’s impossible for me not to go back to my hometown at Chinese New Year, though I’d actually pre fer to do some traveling during the long holiday. Aren’t the holidays supposed to be joyful and peaceful?” ROSIE, 25 - ally“My spendparents Chinese live in Shenzhen, so we usu New Year there, and then travel to Hong Kong as a tradition – only this year Macao was the preferred destination. Anyway, this time we are all going back to see my Flagged grandmother who lives in Henan province, because of something big that happened with the family earlier this year. Actually, A situation on WeChat involving national when it comes to Chinese New Year, I think there is - flags and some pretty bizarre translations nothing special about it, and many celebratory rites went viral last month.