I’ll never forget my first grown-up trip. I went to Europe fresh out of high school, using a travel guide called “Weird Europe”, which is exactly what it sounds like and made for the most remarkable adventure. Now, Shien Lee, Daniel Frei and I want to offer adventurers worldwide The Secret Guide to Alternative Beijing – a video guide to the undiscovered side of one of China’s most exciting, burgeoning cities. We’ve just launched a Kickstarter page to fund this endeavor and it is our hope that you will help us spread the word! Link to the official page, stick a widget into your blog’s sidebar, Tweet – every little bit helps!
I’ve always been passionate about alternative culture, which is why I’m so fascinated with what’s currently happening in Beijing. The place is bursting with creativity!
MGPIN make-up styling show during China Fashion Week in Beijing
The art, music and fashion scenes are booming, new art galleries and communities are popping up everywhere, emerging fashion is getting more radical. It’s cultural evolution on fast-forward and I want the rest of the world to be part of it.
The Beijing Opera house
I can’t wait to show you the galleries of The Brewery and the 798 Art District, guide you through a maze of incredible vintage shops and get the up-to-date scoop on the best places to see underground bands. Together with Shien and our expert film crew, I’m going to sniff out the best affordable places to stay, demystify Beijing’s public transit system, and guinea-pig as your street food aficionado. Mmmf!
Armed with our cameras, Daniel Garcia and I will spend the journey on guard, documenting the most exciting street fashion to create a Beijing alt-fashion lookbook as one of your incentives.
Images via Stylites.net
We’ll explore Beijing’s forgotten nooks alongside emerging architecture, taking you on a tour of underground corridors, abandoned amusement parks and modern architectural monuments alike.
Wonderland – Beijing’s abandoned amusement park
In short, we’ll show you a city you won’t find anywhere else.
The Secret Guide to Alternative Beijing will not only reveal a yet-unseen Beijing to world travelers, but also give a voice and unprecedented exposure to Beijing’s growing creative community.
Designs by Jiang Zhou of the Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology at Beijing Fashion Week
Our greatest hope is that this guide will facilitate a flurry of international inspiration and collaboration, giving our viewers the unique opportunity to team up with creatives they’d never have encountered otherwise!
We want to show you a Beijing teeming with hope and creativity – fierce, beautiful, exciting – and accessible, after all.
Click here to go straight to The Secret Guide to Alternative Beijing’s Kickstarter page and check out the project in full, plus:
- Follow the Secret Guide on Tumblr
- Add the Secret Guide on Facebook
- The official Secret Guide Twitter account
- The official Secret Guide Twitter website - under construction until our goal is reached
Inkdrops 029 - Alkonost Tattoo Commission
Photo Flurry 119 - LA Trip for Gag Me With a Toon 5
Style Dispatch 025 - Color Supernova
Backed for certain. This looks totally awesome.
Glad you think so, thank you!
Like Ms. Li says in the beginning of the video, we don’t really have a good idea, as a whole, about places overseas; I think the media is pretty biased and general in their “exploration” of other countries. This is a beautiful idea, thank you so much for your hard work in expanding others’ awareness of the world & cultivating new artistic relationships.
i am so so so glad you are doing this! muah~
Xornis – thank you for the kind words! I really hope we get the chance to make this guide a reality. It’s sorely needed.
Rickie – me too! ;)
What an amazing idea. I’m one of those people who is a little scurred to travel to countries where I don’t speak the language and If I did go, I’d want to see exactly the kind of NON-touristy stuff you guys are covering.
A guide like this would certainly encourage me to go with confidence!
I don’t know the other members of the team (though I’m sure they’ve been chosen with great care), but if anyone can make this guide what it needs to be, it’s you and Shien! I can’t wait to see what will come out of this, and only regret that I couldn’t give a higher amount to back this project. Your creativity and curiosity, as well as your sheer hard work never cease to amaze me. Fingers crossed for you!
Hi,
Hope you plan on including Cao Changdi Art Village!
Cheers from Beijing,
Meg