Beijing Cultural Recommendations

Because I’m often asked questions, here are some recommendations. Location: Beijing.

For book lovers, I recommend visiting “Wansheng Bookery,” whose current address is . Wansheng Bookery is one of the bookstores in China’s many that I have visited and selected for their quality. Every time I visit, I can immediately feel what it means to be at a cultural high point, where countless beautiful civilization books are neatly stacked on shelves, with many valuable books worth discussing and reading. The books I have read are just a small part of them. Each time I visit a bookstore, this feeling hits me hard. They often introduce new interesting books for sale. When I don’t know what to look for, I like to wander around the store, see different things, and believe in their taste. I think it’s amazing that a bookstore selling only books (and not bestsellers) can survive. So, I often buy a few on my way home just to support them. Although reading e-books or buying online is cheaper, I also believe that supporting the culture industry I care about is important. Wansheng Bookery has a WeChat official account and regularly publishes lists of recommended books from the store. You can pay attention to it.

For movie enthusiasts, I recommend visiting “China Movie Data Center,” whose address is near Xixiatan (near the Badaling Metro station). It is an academic film screening institution that recruits graduate students. They mainly show classic films in high definition and have a good selection of films with historical significance as well as many films that are not widely known but have won awards. I usually watch 8 to 10 movies every month, mostly those with a greater than eight. Instead of thinking about what I want to see (like opening boxes), I like to enjoy surprises from my own understanding. This is very different from watching high-level films I already know well. I believe that the original intention of movies is to be shown in theaters rather than on computers. The Data Center only has two halls: Hall One is the main hall, which can accommodate many people, with a design similar to old theaters. Even at the last row, the viewing effect is very good. However, sitting in the first row for some films with complex camera movements (such as the EVA New four-part series I recently watched) requires careful consideration. Hall Two is a smaller hall, and the viewing experience is also very good; there, I have seen many memorable movies. The Data Center has an app for tickets and can also buy them on Taodeque. Most of the films have leftover seats, and most of the seats I think have great movie-watching experiences. Some popular showings or screenings with guests require advance tickets. It is recommended to reserve through Taodeque. The Data Center updates the next month’s screening list every month (which can be viewed on their official account or app). On the morning of the 28th of each month, you can buy this month’s tickets by placing them in the post office. The ticket price ranges from 40 to 100 yuan. If it’s close by, I really hope they open a membership…