A Discovery Channel documentary, now available on YouTube, presents an informative picture of the artistic rebirth of Dashanzi Art District, also known as Factory 798, in northeastern Beijing. :
Often compared with New York’s Greenwich Village or SoHo, 798 Art Zone (Chinese: 798艺术区), or Dashanzi Art District, is a part of Dashanzi in the Chaoyang District of Beijing that houses a thriving artist community, among 50-year old decommissioned military factory buildings of unique architectural style. It faces impending destruction from the forces driving Beijing’s urban sprawl.
The district’s popularity has exploded since the opening of BTAP and 798 Space in 2002, with scores of galleries, lofts, publishing firms, design companies, high-end tailor shops, cafés and fancy restaurants setting up. In 2003, around 30 artists and organizations had set up studios or offices in the area, with 200 more reportedly on the waiting list to move in….
