798 Art District, located in Beijing’s Dashanzi area, Chaoyang District, covers an area of more than 600,000 square meters with 6 distinguished districts. Therefore, it is also called DAD (Dashanzi Art District). It was an industrial district of state-owned 798 factory and other electronic industries formerly. Nowadays, the area has become a new landmark of Beijing urban culture and is well known for its contemporary art and 798 lifestyles.
There are more than 400 galleries, design studios, art exhibition spaces, artists’ studios, fashion stores, restaurants and bars, as well as animation, film and television media, publishing, design consulting and other types of cultural institutions from the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Australia, South Korea, etc.
798 Art Zone was named one of the world’s 22 most culturally iconic urban art centers by Time Magazine. Newsweek and Fortune picked 12 world capitals in succession, and Beijing was featured for the first time, owing to the existence and growth of the 798 Art District, which demonstrates Beijing’s aptitude and future potential as a world city.
Fast Facts of 798 Art District:
- Address:Dashanzi Area, Jiuxianqiao Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
- Open hours: The 798 Art District is open all day, but many galleries or exhibition halls are open on Tuesday to Sunday(10:00 – 18:00).
- Entrance Tickets:The 798 Art District is free to enter, however certain galleries and exhibition spaces require an admission fee.
- Highlights: UCCA Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Bahrain Cultural Center, Persian Cultural and Art Center
- How long to stay: 2 hours to half a day
- Best for: Artists, culture and art enthusiasts, Beijing expats
What is 798 Art District
It can be summed up in four words. That is: Chinese, contemporary, artistic, original.
The 798 Art District is positioned in China and contains unique Chinese elements. There are all kinds of galleries in 798 Art Zone, from the United States, France, Germany, Belgium, Japan and North Korea, as if it were a United Nations of culture and art. But it is China’s, and it is an inclusive, open, generous and experimental art zone.
The elements of 798 Art Zone are both China in the early days of the founding of the country and China during the time of reform and opening up. People say that there are three must-see places in Beijing: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the 798 Art Zone. Visiting the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Beijing’s hutongs is a way to discover the old Beijing and its traditional culture. The 798 Art District, on the other hand, is a fashionable, avant-garde place where industry and art coexist, where history meets the future, and where it showcases contemporary Chinese culture.
Recommended Classic Beijing tours:
- One Day Old Beijing City Tour
- 3 Days Beijing Package Tour: City Highlights & Great Wall
- 5 Days Beijing Classic Tour
Beijing 798 Art District History
When it comes to the history of Beijing 798 Art District , we must start from the industrialisation of New China. Beijing 798 Art District is located in the ‘Beijing North China Radio Equipment Factory’ (718 Joint Factory), which was built during the First Five-Year Plan period of New China with the assistance of the former Soviet Union and the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
In 2002, artists and cultural institutions stationed in 798 Art District and found the unique advantages of this factory for artistic work with the unique vision of artists. They made full use of the original factory style (German Bauhaus architectural style) and began to rent or rebuild the vacant space of factory, then gradually developed the gallery, art center, artist studios, design companies, bars and so on, which has formed the “art village of SOHO type” and the “LOFT” lifestyle.
In 2003, 798 art district was named one of the 22 most culturally iconic art centers in the world by Times magazine.
In2004, former Swedish prime minister, former Swiss prime minister, former German chancellor Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schroder, former Austrian prime minister, EU President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Belgium Crown Prince, Annan’s wife, former French President Jacques Chirac’s wife visited the 798 art zone.
What to See and Do in 798 Art District of Beijing China
There are many famous galleries in 798 Art District that offer opportunities to experience the trendy art on your Beijing tours.
UCCA Center for Contemporary Art
One of the landmarks in 798 Art District, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art is a leading contemporary art institution in China. Located in the heart of the 798 Art District, its main Beijing pavilion covers an area of about 10,000 square meters. It was originally built in a historic factory building in 1957 and was renovated in 2019 by the Dutch Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).
The centers include: UCCA Kids, which provides art education for children in museums; UCCA Store, which covers the sale of artists and exhibition derivatives; and UCCA Lab, which explores diverse collaborations between art and brands.
Beijing Bee Hive Theatre
It is a new theater, located in 798 Art District, which built by Meng Jinghui (probably the most prominent director of China’s avant-garde stage) just for “Rhino in Love” as a regular drama theater. In addition to regular theatrical productions, the Bee Hive Theatre hosts a variety of cultural and art events, including art exhibitions, rock concerts, drama salons, drama masterclasses, and contemporary poetry readings.
Asia Art Center
Established in 1982 in Taipei, Asia Art Center is a professional gallery of high quality. In 2007, it officially settled in Beijing 798 Art District and became the branch of the Art Center in Beijing. Covering an area of about 1000 square meters, the Beijing Pavilion of the Asian Art Center is rebuilt on the basis of the Bauhaus style factory building built in the late 1950s, and presents a unique artistic atmosphere with the integration of contemporary art.
Pace Beijing
Pace Beijing is located in the center of Beijing’s 798 Art District and spans almost 2,500 square meters, making it one of the zone’s largest space buildings. Pace Beijing’s pavilion, a large zigzag Bauhaus-style factory building from the 1960s, was transformed by architect Richard Gluckmann to preserve the original architectural form and present a modern style.
In 2008, Pace Beijing debut exhibition, “Encounter”, brought together portraits of top artists from East and West, including Andy Warhol, Alex Katz, Chuck Close, Li Songsong, Liu Wei, etc.
The Old Train Station
The 751 Art Zone is part of the 798 Art District, and the Old Train Station square is the landmark building of the 751, which was built by Tangshan Locomotive Factory in the early 1970s to commemorate this old locomotive.
798 Art District Festival
The 798 Art Festival is held at the end of September every year, and each year has a theme. On September 24, 2024, the 17th Beijing 798 Art Festival officially opened to the public. With the theme of “Fusion · New Quality”, the festival aims to show the new era of resonance between art and society through multiple art forms and new quality cultural experience.
How to get to 798 Art District?
- By Bus
Tourists can take Bus N401,No.402, No.405, No.445, No.909, No.946, No.955, No.973, No.988 and No.991 and get off at Dashanzi Lukou Nan station.
- By Subway
Tourists can take Subway Line 1 and get off at Sihui Station, then take Bus No.402 or No.405 and get off at Dashanzi Lukou Nan Station.
Tourists can take Subway Line 10 and get off at Liangma Qiao Station, then take Bus No.402, No.405 or No.909 and get off at Dashanzi Lukou Nan Station.
Tourists can take Subway Line 14 and get off at Wangjing Nan Station or Gaojiayuan Station, then walk to the 798 Art District.
Tourists can also take Subway Line 15 and get off at Wangjing Nan Station, then take Bus No.445 and get off at Dashanzi Lukou Nan Station.
