798

The scoop on Beijing's most famous gallery district

The main stop on any art tour of Beijing is still the 798 Space in Dashanzi, though the area has been severely gentrified in recent years as institutions and corporate spaces move in and smaller galleries – including artists and their studios – move out. That means you have to be choosier about where to go, as the area hosts everything from world class galleries to small boutiques trying to make a fast buck.

The first stop for both art mavens and newcomers to Dashanzi has to be the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art. Founded by Baron Guy Ullens and his wife Myriam, it features a huge collection of Chinese contemporary art and a team of young and dynamic curators. Other important galleries include Galleria Continua, White Space and Long March. No visit to Dashanzi is complete without a stop at the Timezone 8 Bookstore and Restaurant (just across from Ullens).

As contemporary artists find a mainstream audience and the tourist masses have joined the serious collectors at Dashanzi, some galleries are avoiding the area altogether. Caochangdi, about a ten-minute drive further out of town, offers gallerists cheaper rent and more seclusion. Caochangdi features the occasional unpaved road and fewer good restaurants, but the quality of galleries here, on average, is higher.