A picture is worth a thousand words - 798 Art District

Hands down, the 798 Art district on the outskirts of Beijing's ring roads, has to be my second (only to the Great Wall) favorite place I visited. EVERYWHERE you look there is something happening. From graffiti to posters, sculptures to architectural buildings. the 798 district has it all... And I mean all. Cafes, wine bars, boutique clothing stores, real coffee (it is one comfort from home I cannot live too long without) bric-a-brac items and retro music - it can all be found here.

Putting it bluntly - I could live in this place!

The streets are a maze of sensory pleasures, constantly stimulating you as you move through the space.

Lonely Planet have a great little write up on this place with directions and comments from other travelers.

How do you get here - get a cab! its so cheap and it saves you a lot of hassel - Its about a 20min ride out of the heart of the city and will cost you about 70RMB (around $10AUD). Well worth a visit and save a whole day for it! It normal opens around 10am and its completely free to get in. There are some exhibitions though, inside the complex, that charge a very small fee of between 6-12RMB (about $1-$2AUD).

If there is one thing you must not miss in Beijing... the 798 Art District is it!