22 brilliant things to do in Beijing this January

Know more, do more this January

Incredible stage shows, chart-topping musicians and breathtaking art are just some of the things January has in store for Beijing. And they're all there to help make you feel better throughout this cold month. Happy New Year, Beijing! 2019's shaping up to be a good'un.

As well as these highlights, there are many more things to do in Beijing this week: explore, enjoy and don't forget to Instagram us your shots with #timeoutbeijing; We'll share our favourite festive snaps. 

The tumbling mercury can mean only one thing: it's time to take a dip at one (or all) of Beijing's best hot spring resorts. We've checked them out with a view to a day trip in mind, but if you're after a multi-day bathing bender, nearly all offer overnight stays in a variety of rooms.

It's cold in Beijing, but that's no reason to stay wrapped up in bed all day. With the help of a few extra, tacky layers, some bracing wintry air and a stiff drink or three, here's how to make the most of the icy winter on the outskirts of Beijing.

Beijing's winter may well and truly be in full swing, but that doesn't mean your drinking days are over. Spicy and warming, mulled wine is the perfect tonic for winter blues – and tastes like Christmas in a glass. The best part? Every recipe's slightly different – pay a visit to these spots to find your favourite. It’s for science, really.

Chai

Omni Space. Jan 11. 220RMB; 150RMB (presale).

All-female, all-fun Japanese band Chai's been described by Pitchfork as 'redefining what it means to be cute.' With a sound that draws on influences such as Basement Jaxx, the Gorillaz and CSS, the energetic four-piece gained a hoard of fans last year thanks to their infectious sound and empowering lyrics. Do. Not. Miss.

Naturally 7

Blue Note. Jan 12-13. 160-400RMB.

Forget Pitch Perfect, Naturally 7 are the OG a capella group. Founded in 1999 by brothers Roger and Warren Thomas, Naturally 7's known for their own distinct style called 'vocal play'. First gaining fame in large part due to their partial cover of Phil Collins' 'In the Air Tonight', they've since gone on to perform at the UK's Royal Variety Performance as well as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson alongside Michael Bublé. Head to Blue Note this January for some of the smoothest vocals in the biz.

While She Sleeps

               

Mao Livehouse Wukesong. Jan 18. 280RMB; 220RMB (presale).

Formed in Sheffield, England back in 2006, the metalcore five-piece are frequently described as being criminally underrated in a saturated genre that includes fellow Sheffield boys Bring Me The Horizon, plus bands Enter Shikari and Asking Alexandra. With their next album 'So What?' slated for release this March, fingers crossed they'll be giving a sneak peek of some new stuff.

Slash

Beijing Exhibition Center. Jan 20. 680-1,680RMB.

Legendary guitarist Slash arrives in Beijing to play his best and greatest hits this Jan. In 1985, he joined Guns N' Roses, earning international acclaim for gnarly riffs on songs like 'Sweet Child o' Mine' and 'November Rain'. After leaving GNR in 1996, Slash did session work and formed other bands, such as Velvet Revolver, releasing two solo albums.

Yellow Claw

          

One Third. Jan 18. 160RMB (presale, includes one cocktail).

Taking the over-the-top attitude of stadium techno acts like Scooter, mixing it with the profanity-laced party style of Dada Life, then filtering it all through the cutting-edge dance styles of trap and neo-electro, Amsterdam trio Yellow Claw don't consider themselves a band or project but a 'party concept.' Band or concept, any group that takes inspiration from Scooter is A-ok in our books.

Eskei83

   

Playhouse. Jan 19. Tickets tbc.
German hip-hop DJ and producer Sebastien Koenig, better known as Eskei83, started DJing back in 2005 but gained global fame following his win at the 2014 Red Bull 3Style World DJ Championships – the first German ever to nab the crown. Based in Dresden, he's played alongside the likes of Jazzy Jeff, A-Trak, Just Blaze, Shiftee and more. Catch him in Beijing before he heads off to the 2019 3Style Championships in Taipei next month.

Killa P

                                

Dada. Jan 25. Tickets tbc.

Hailing from Brixton, grime MC Killa P's acclaimed for his unique patois style and hard lyrics. A former member of Kill Deep, one of the UK's founding grime crews, Killa P's contributed to releases like 'Rules & Regulations' and 'In at the Deep End', with his style and flow garnering him a new legion of fans.

Ciel

               

Zhao Dai. Feb 1. 100RMB; 80RMB (presale).

After making her Boiler Room debut in August 2017 alongside Nick Holder, Basic Soul Unit, and Funkineven, Toronto DJ and radio producer Ciel continued to make waves as a new addition to the Discwoman roster, going on to be touted by Mixmag, Resident Advisor, Crack Magazine and Red Bull Music Academy as one to watch, all of which followed the release of her debut EP, Electrical Encounters, at the end of 2017.

Joyce DiDonato

            

NCPA. Jan 11. 180-880RMB.

Dubbed 'the most potent female singer of her generation' by The New Yorker, multi Grammy Award-winner Joyce DiDonato has soared to the top of the industry, gaining international prominence in operas by Handel and Mozart. Arriving in Beijing this January, the songstress performs a programme of Handel and Purcell alongside prize-winning orchestra Il Pomo d'Oro.

TNT Theatre: Romeo and Juliet

Nine Theater. Jan 11-13. 80-380RMB.

One of Shakespeare's most enduring and well-known tragedies, this adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by British theatre company TNT Theatre explores the depths of this forbidden, bloody romance and its central conflict between love and death. Set in Baroque Italy, this highly stylised adaptation, in true Shakespearean fashion, relies on the skills of the actors rather than on complex set design to communicate themes of dignity and aristocracy, clan violence and chaste love.

National Ballet of China: La Bayadère

                       

NCPA. Jan 12-13. 100-680RMB

China's best ballet company takes on Marius Petipa's iconic masterpiece. In this tragic ballet, temple dancer Nikya is caught in a love square between her true love, warrior Solor, a jealous High Brahmin and Gamzatti, the daughter of a rajah.

Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

NCPA. Jan 25-26. 280-1,880RMB.

Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra are celebrated both together and apart, and they're set to play one of the few non-'greatest hits' programmes this season. The programme includes Brahms' Symphonies No. 1 and 2 (Jan 25) and works by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov (Jan 26).

Creed 2

On general release from Jan 4.

As with 2015's affecting Creed, this poignant sequel wants to consecrate every verse of Stallone scripture, bowing deeply to Rocky IV’s clash of superpowers (both Dolph Lundgren and an icy Brigitte Nielsen are back), and evangelising on behalf of the franchise. The people making this movie know all the beats they have to hit, and hit them they do, jab by jab.

Bumblebee

On general release from Jan 4.

In this Transformers spin-off (it's more of a reboot, really), Hailee Steinfeld plays Charlie, a tomboyish 18-year-old mourning her dad. Mechanically inclined and desperate for a car, she brings home a beaten-up VW Beetle that turns out to be a robot alien from the planet Cybertron. Might an unlikely friendship materialise? One threatened by John Cena’s uptight military man and two enemy Decepticons (voiced by Angela Bassett and Justin Theroux)? You'll just have to see.

The Breadwinner

On general release from Jan 11.

Not every animation can tackle cruelty, injustice and institutionalised misogyny and still be a must-see for kids and parents alike, but the latest hand-drawn gem from Cartoon Saloon is no ordinary animation. In the spirit of Studio Ghibli, the Irish studio's spiritual cousins, director Nora Twomey’s film is about the ways we try to cradle each other from the harsher realities of life. This is a day-to-day survival story that stirs the heart and fires the imagination.

Dead Pigs

On general release from Jan 25.

Dead Pigs makes an ensemble movie out of today's Shanghai and the people we know in it: a young busboy, an ambitious American architect, an apathetic rich girl, a western face for nightclubs and a no-bullshit ayi who refuses to sell her property. Their disparate lives converge and come to a head when, mirroring real-life events, thousands of rotting pig carcasses are found floating in the Huangpu River, Shanghai's drinking water source. Director Cathy Yan's debut film won an award for ensemble acting at Sundance and has screened at film festivals internationally.

Greetings from South Korea

Three Shadows Photography Art Centre. Jan 13-Mar 10. Admission tbc.

Featuring work from more than ten Korean photographers, Greetings from South Korea presents a multi-faceted perspective of South Korean photography through the ages. Consisting of three parts, 'Limb Eung-Sik: History Through the Lens', 'Reinventing Our Time' and 'Same Seasons, Different Memories', this exhibition explores South Korean society during the mid-20th century, artistic influences from the West and contemporary photography from today's youth.

Qiu Zhijie: Mappa Mundi

UCCA. Jan 19-May 5. Admission tbc.

With a background in calligraphy, Chinese artist Qiu Zhijie makes stunning ink maps, taking elements of traditional topographical and spatial maps and using them to explore connections between different ideas, individuals and incidents. By weaving them together, his work offers new possibilities for understanding abstract concepts in relation to each other. Also, maps are cool.

Vision and Reflection: Photographs of China in the 19th Century from the Loewentheil Collection

              

Tsinghua University Art Museum. Until Mar 31. 20RMB.

American antique collector Stephan Loewentheil owns the largest private collection of Chinese historical photographs outside of China, but this exhibition sees some of the finest return to China, to be exhibited for the first time in Beijing. 120 rare early photographs of the nation will be on show, featuring masterpieces captured in the nineteenth century by both Chinese and international photographers, among them acknowledged masters of the period, as well as unexpected gems by anonymous photographers and lesser-known figures.

For more amazing things to do in Beijing this January, hit 'Read more' below. 

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