October Events Calendar

History of the Hutong Walking Tour

What is all the fuss about? 

When you arrive in Beijing you soon get the idea that the narrow Hutong alleyways contain the very soul of China’s capital. But who built these charming maze-like neighbourhoods? History of the Hutong is the history of Beijing told through the hutongs. We will take on more than 2000 years of history and piece together a comprehensive narrative seen from street level. 

14:00-16:30 Sunday, October 01 (sold out)

14:00-16:30 Monday, October 02 (sold out)

14:00-16:30 Sunday, October 29

Boxer Rebellion - Under Seige Walking Tour

The Boxer Rebellion is the story of one of the most important incidents in modern Beijing history. Hear the incredible story of the summer of 1900, when 4,000 foreigners and Chinese lived under siege from radical mystic rebels for 55 days. Follow us into the old Legation Quarter to hear stories about the bombing of the French embassy, the wavering Qing Court and how 200,000 bullets flew into the sky without finding a single target. The walk ends at our hutong gallery for a small exhibition of original photos and maps from the early 1900's all related to the Boxer incident.

Through the dramatic events of the boxer war we will tell the history of foreign diplomatic representation in the capital and show how the occupation of Beijing by the eight allied nations changed the city forever.

14:00-16:30 Tuesday, October 03 (sold out)

14:00-16:30 Saturday, October 14

A Crash Course to the Forbidden City

A Crash Course to the Forbidden City is a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the Palace. In a condensed and hopefully entertaining way, we wish to give you a comprehensive history of the palace from when it was built 600 years ago until when the last boy-emperor finally left in 1924. 

Be quick if you want to join us - the entrance tickets of the Forbidden City sell out quickly!

13:00-16:30 Wednesday, October 04 (sold out)

13:00-16:30 Thursday, October 05 (3 tickets left)

13:00-16:30 Sunday, October 15

Evening Stroll: Saijinhua & Republican Beijing

Let us pull you back to 1930s' Beijing, as if you were sitting in a squeaking two wheeled rickshaw dizzily disappearing into a windy maze of hutong alleyways.  During republican times, in the shadow of war and misery, the brothels of the capital became a unique meeting place for actors, revolutionaries, intellectuals and politicians. 

We will follow in the tiny footsteps of the legendary flower girl - Saijinhua, and explore how warlords, Japanese aggressors, republican politicians and communist liberators all played a part in the life of Beijing's most famous courtesan. 

A lot of the old brothels and opium dens still stand to this day, built in a peculiar merge of traditional Chinese architecture and western Art Deco. Along the way we will tell the history of Beijings historical entertainment district Bada Hutong, and show how this fascinating area became a window of western style modernity and helped shape a whole new idea of what it meant to be a woman. We will end our walk with cold cocktails and other refreshments at our gallery space.

18:00-20:30 Saturday, October 07

18:00-20:30 Saturday, October 28

Movie Night: Farewell to My Concubine 《霸王别姬》

This September at Beijing Postcards Movie Night we will watch Farewell To My Concubine by Chen Kaige. The movie is based on Lilian Lee’s book of the same name, and is inspired by the life of China’s first Beijing Opera superstar, Mei Lanfang. The movie takes us from the late Qing period through the founding of the Republic, the subsequent Japanese occupation and ending with  the communists’ victory in the civil war. In 1993, Farewell To My Concubine won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, but was censored only weeks after its release in China. Certain elements of the movie such as suicide, the Cultural Revolution and not least homosexuality were considered sensitive. Later, a redacted version was released, but the original version is still considered one of the best Chinese movies ever made. We have chosen to show Farewell To My Concubine in September to link with our upcoming project Drama Kings which will focus on the history of Beijing opera and its roots in Baishun hutong.

We will as always start with a short 20 min introduction to the historical background of the movie and Xiaopan’s signature cocktail.

18:30-21:30 Sunday, October 22

Temple of Heaven by Night Walking Tour

On the day before the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the emperor left his palace and travelled to the Temple of Heaven. Drawn by elephants and with a 3000 man strong entourage, the son of heaven left his nest deep inside the Forbidden City at this exact time every year to perform the most important ritual of the empire, a ceremony that revitalized his powers and reconfirmed his status as the son of heaven. 

Join us to explore the Temple of Heaven after dark. Illuminated at night, the altars are enhanced by an almost otherworldly beauty. Using a handheld projector we will display the history of the Temple, charting its path from a closed off Imperial altar ground to the beating heart of the city that it is today. You will receive booster shots of mulled wine and hot chocolate to make it through the enticing but cold Beijing night. We promise that the Temple of Heaven will reveal itself to you in a way you have never seen before. 

18:30-21:30 Saturday, October 21