Follow us on WeChat Now Advertising Hotline 400 820 8428 城市漫步北京 英文版 9 月份 国内统一刊号: CN 11-5232/GO China Intercontinental Press ISSN 1672-8025 Backwater Beijing Prepares for its Transformation SEPTEMBER 2018 WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 1 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 Noelle Mateer Deputy Editor Dominique Wong National Arts Editor Sarah Forman Digital Content Editor Valerie Osipov Designer Iris Wang 王莹 Contributors Dominic Ngai, Mia Li, Flynn Murphy, Edoardo Donati Fogliazza, Holly Baer, Zheng Zhong, Nassir Ali, Mehaa Shah, Gabriel Clermont, Erica Martin, Matthew Bossons, Tom Smith, “Alex Lee” HK FOCUS MEDIA Shanghai (Head office) 上海和舟广告有限公司 上海市蒙自路 169 号智造局 2 号楼 305-306 室 邮政编码 : 200023 Room 305-306, Building 2, No.169 Mengzi Lu, Shanghai 200023 电话 : 021-8023 2199 传真 : 021-8023 2190 (From February 13) Beijing 广告代理 : 上海和舟广告有限公司 北京市东城区东直门外大街 48 号东方银座 C 座 9G 邮政编码 : 100027 48 Dongzhimenwai Dajie Oriental Kenzo (Ginza Mall), Building C, Room 9G, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100027 电话 : 010-8447 7002 传真 : 010-8447 6455 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 : 上海和舟广告有限公司广州分公司 深圳市福田区彩田路星河世界大厦 C1-1303 C1-1303, Galaxy Century Building, Cai Tian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen 电话 : 0755-8623 3220, 传真 : 0755-8623 3219 Office Manager Vivid Zhu 朱景宜 Sales Manager Emma Cao 曹宇 Sales Anita Wang 王靓安 , Betty Wang 王斌然 Marketing / Event Executive Ivy Wang 王爱盈 National Operation CEO Leo Zhou 周立浩 Financial Manager Laura Lu 陆晓岚 Sales Project Director Henry Zeng 曾庆庆 Head of Communication Ned Kelly National Digital Business Director Vickie Guo 郭韵 Digital Content Manager Bridget O'Donnell Digital Miller Yue 岳雷 , Amanda Bao 包婷 , Orange Wang 王爽 , Yu Sun 孙宇 , Elsa Yang 杨融 , Kane Zhu 朱晓俊 General enquiries (010) 8447 7002 Editorial (010) 8447 6455 [email protected] Events (010) 8447 6455 [email protected] Distribution/Subscription (010) 8447 7002 [email protected] Marketing (010) 8447 7603 [email protected] Advertising (010) 8447 7073 [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 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM Editor’s Note SEPTEMBER 2018 DEALS We're giving away A FAREWELL tickets to some of the very best Beijing This is my last issue at That’s Beijing parties, openings, . If you’reThat’s looking for reflections on the city, you won’t find them here – I’ve crammed them all into an 800-word ‘review’ of the Mojito Man on page 59 (shout-out to for being the kind of place where shows and talks all I can publish this stuff). Instead, I’d like to use my final Editor’s Note to thank the people who have month, alongside made the past three years so great. It has been an immense privilege to work with such a talented group of women as Editor-in-Chief (that’s right: no dudes on staff!). And it was also a pleasure to learn from the two talented editors who free meals, drinks, came before me (both very good dudes). I’d especially like to express my grati- tude for Iris Wang, our supremely talented designer. Iris works so hard that she discounts and prizes. once bought a pull-out bed for the office. But most of all, I’d like to thank Deputy Editor Dominique Wong, who joins All you have to do me in leaving this month. Dominique has been my partner in crime since day one, and the magazine wouldn’t be what it is today without her. She has writ- ten some of our sharpest features, including this month’s cover story: a report is scan the QR code from Beijing’s southern Daxing district. Through fascinating interviews with the area’s villagers, developers and watermelon farmers, Dominique tells the story below, follow us on of a rural area on the brink of colossal development. (For real, Daxing even has a Wagas now.) Elsewhere in the magazine, Dominic Ngai walks us through the winning WeChat and keep an Chinese entries of the iPhone Photography Awards (page 30); Erica Martin speaks with pioneering Dalian rockers Wang Wen (page 34); and Valerie Osipov eye out for your chance takes us to the capital’s cutest cat cafes (page 60). As a final note, I’d to thank restaurant critic Alex Lee. That’s just been my to win. You'll get some friend Gabe writing under a pen name this whole time. See you around, Beijing, other great stuff on your phone too. Editor-in-Chief Noelle Mateer FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA ThatsBeijing That’s Deputy Editor Dominique twitter.com/ThatsBeijing Wong (left) and I say facebook.com/ThatsBeijing all! (Sorry.) WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 3 6 CITY 7 SNOOZE FEST Airbnb’s Great Wall sleepover competition is put to rest 10 ART OF DESTRUCTION The fate of Beijing’s Caochangdi art village 14 URBAN DICTIONARY Arguably the best slang 7 term yet 16 LIFE & STYLE 19 HEAVY DUTY Tackle any weather in this sleek, oversized raincoat 20 STAYING IN SHAPES An innovative boutique hotel with views of nature 22 FANCY FRAMEWORK 19 Block the sun and the haters with these stylish shades 26 ARTS 27 ABOVE WATER An interview with the creators behind a recent WWII documentary 36 BUZZING BEATS LA’s sunny psych-pop project comes to Beijing 38 ON REPEAT Three new China albums 38 we’re listening to 50 EAT & DRINK 57 STREET STYLE Wangfujing’s new restaurant serves chic street snacks 59 HIGHBALLER The Mojito Man sets up shop (permanently) 60 PURR-FECT PLACES 60 A roundup of Beijing’s best cat cafes 4 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM 40 READY FOR TAKEOFF What happens when a poor district becomes home to a massive international airport? 30 SMART SNAPS China highlights from the 2018 iPhone Photography Awards 54 BAI- COASTAL Meet the Beijing expats bringing baijiu to America WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 5 CITY IT TAKES A VILLAGE Caochangdi residents on the recent demolition of the cultural hub, p10 Generation Gap The Big Picture Chinese Urban Dictionary p8 p9 p14 TALES OF THE CITY TALES AIRBNB CANCELS ‘NIGHT AT THE GREAT WALL’ AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA UPROAR by Phumelele Simelane Airbnb was left red-faced last month after it the possibility of the sleepover damaging has been canceled, as far as reports show. announced – and then promptly canceled – a the Unesco-listed site. Critics called it a dis- Not all is lost though, as the company ‘Night At The Great Wall’ contest amid back- respectful act towards a historical structure stated that participants who entered the con- lash from Chinese social media. and some even accused the company of ex- test would be contacted about other means of The accommodation rental site invited ploiting the Great Wall for PR purposes. exploring China. The company maintains that people to write a 500-word essay about over- Meanwhile, Chinese state media claimed the project’s purpose was to promote tourism coming cultural barriers for the chance to that local authorities in Yanqing district, and bring cultural Chinese heritage to life. win an overnight camping trip on the Great where the stretch of wall concerned was Wall. The experience would involve a short located, were not aware of the event and had hike, followed by a gourmet dinner and tradi- not given approval. tional Chinese entertainment, before sleeping A week later, Airbnb called off the in a “customized bedroom built in an ancient sleepover, stating: “We deeply respect the watchtower of the wall.” feedback we have received. We have made According to the company, the event aimed the decision to not move forward with this to “promote sustainable tourism to China by event.” spotlighting wide-ranging efforts to preserve Airbnb claimed there had been “an agree- the Wall’s deep heritage.” The event was ment in place” with local authorities before advertised heavily on social media, with the the initial announcement of the event, but exclusive stay featured on Airbnb’s landing that it had decided to cancel the event after page and accompanied by a pristinely made listening to feedback. YouTube advertisement. While Airbnb is no stranger to offering However, online users were quick to one-off stays, such as a stay on a reef in the question the stunt. While some praised it as Great Barrier Reef and a castle in Romania, unique, others were more concerned about ‘A Night at the Great Wall’ is the only one that WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 7 THE BUZZ GENERATION GAP What was your reaction to a pharmaceutical company being found guilty of selling sub- standard vaccines to hospitals in China? DU, 22 “My family has always stressed the need to have children vaccinated. Everybody in the family underwent vaccination, including me, with all the necessary booster injections that came with RAIN ON OUR PARADE it. I always trusted the The weather takes a turn for the worst during Chinese healthcare system – I’m quite sure the vaccines I National Fitness Day last month.