Located in the Beijing suburbs in the far east of town, Songzhuang is a place where artists, Chinese and foreign alike, can live and work.  Let's take a visit...

"The local farmers eventually accepted us, but before, they treated us like strangers."  Li Guanglin remembers his arrival at Songzhuang eight years previously.  This painter, originally from Liaoning Province, does not regret quitting his painter/photographer job for the government, and moving to Songzhuang in Tongzhou district, 14km outside of Beijing.  Like many of his 1,800 fellow residents, Li decided to establish his workshop in one of the former disused factories of Songzhuang, called affectionately in the community, "the village of the artists".

The name isn't well given.  Songzhaung is actually a community of hundreds of thousands of residents split into forty-seven villages, of which twenty-two are occupied by artists.  Songzhuang's history dates back to 1994, when five artists, and a well known Chinese art critic left their headquarters at the Former Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan). In search of a bit of peace and quiet, at an affordable price, more artist followed.  In 2004, the community had over 300 artist residents.  In September 20 

The originality of Songzhuang is that the painters, sculptors, directors and other workers all live and work here.  Their neighbours are farmers, breeders or employers working for local companies.  The buildings at Songzhuang are right next to fields and orchards.  Businesses and restaurants are rare.  For the most part, itinerant salesmen supply basic foodstuffs.  For anything other than the basics, there is little option than to head into the city.

An undefinable beauty

However, Songzhuang also has its advantages.  Liu Xian Feng, a multimedia artist who recently arrived for a weeks stay at Xiaopu, the central village of Songzhuang explains, "the location is really calm, right in the countryside".  "The rents are much cheaper than in Beijing", adds someone who studied fine arts in France for five years.  Wendy Wronski, his French partner and a hostess in the Songzhuang Reception Centre doesn't contradict him; "Space is unlimited here".

The community at Songzhuang is often compared to Dashanzi, the famous art centre not far from Capital Airport, but without good reason.  "Dashanzi is used primarily as an extended gallery and collection of shops, whereas Songzhuiang is also where the artists live", explains Li Guanglin. Other differences include the ten public museums, 160 private museums, 100 galleries and 1,500 artist studios that cannot be found at Dashanzi, all of which are worth a look at.

The Songzhuang Art Centre, located in the village of Xiaopu, was only finished in summer 2007.  The imposing two storey building boats beautiful pure white walls and ceilings, lit by the large, plate glass windows.  A few kilometers up the road, the MOCA Museum of Beijing seems more rustic.  The grey coloured flags of the UN float in the wind in a work by Qin Chong entitled "Black-White UN" contrasts interestingly with the colour of the bricks on the building.  The gravel path is punctuated by stone sculptures, graceful poplars and and other exhibited objects give the place a unique air of indefinable beauty.