Cutting Edge China
Contemporary Art in Beijing and Shanghai
Following the sell-out success of the October 2011 tour, join John McDonald on a second tour to China in May 2012.
Over the past two decades China has emerged as the most innovative force in international contemporary art. In the mid 1980s the Chinese said goodbye to Maoism and entered an age of reforms, but the past died hard. There have been three distinct waves of activity, as artists came to terms with the legacy of Modernism, exorcised their memories of Mao and the Cultural Revolution, and embraced a new individualism.
This tour will focus on the galleries and studios that are driving this new revolution, including major arts complexes such as 798 in Beijing, and Shanghai’s Moganshan Lu. In addition, we will visit the private studios of well-known Chinese artists, and witness the extraordinary scale on which they are working.
The tour will include visits to historic landmarks such as the Great Wall, Summer Palace and the Forbidden City and major institutions such as the Today Art Museum and the Shanghai Museum. There will be opportunities to shop, to explore, to sample a range of Chinese cuisines, and savour the atmosphere of two of the world’s largest, most vibrant cities.
Flower Stepping by Lv Peng courtesy Red Gate Gallery
ITINERARY:
Mon 14 May 2012: Australia - Shanghai
Morning departure from Sydney on Qantas to Shanghai. Arrive in the evening and transfer to your hotel located in the heart of Shanghai on Maoming Road near Huai Hai Road's great selection of designer boutiques and retail outlets. Since its opening in 1929, the hotel has received about 300 state leaders and heads of government.
Tue 15 May: Shanghai
After a welcome breakfast and briefing by John McDonald start your exploration of Shanghai with a city tour. Started in the 11th century as a fishing village, Shanghai is now China’s largest city and the new “Gateway to the Orient”. Visit the historic waterfront Bund, lined with grand European-style architecture from the 1920’s and 1930’s boom period.
After lunch visit Zhongshan Dong Road, the raised promenade provides an excellent view across the Huangpu River to the skyscrapers of Pudong – the “new” Shanghai. Cross to Pudong and visit the Pearl Orient Tower which houses an Observation Tower with spectacular views of the city and the Museum of the History of Shanghai. (BL)
Wed 16 May: Shanghai
Morning visit to private galleries such as Three on the Bund, Shangart and Eastlink among others in the Suzhou Creek gallery community. Much like Beijing’s art scene, Moganshan Road at Suzhou Creek is a little hidden and a little out of the way, but it provides a portal to a world of Chinese contemporary art that is fighting for the attention of the world. Behind the storied Suzhou Creek, which winds its way through Shanghai before joining the Huangpu River, the complex of art galleries and studios have not only managed to stay in existence, but are driving forward the city's art scene. Lunch will be followed by a visit to MoCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art. (BL)
Thu 17 May: Shanghai
After breakfast, visit the 400-year old YuYuan Garden. Built in 1559 in the Suzhou style by a high official in honour of his father, the garden has maintained its classic beauty over the centuries and is a graceful blend of traditional Chinese architecture, miniature lakes, bridges and rock formations.
Afternoon visit to the Shanghai Museum. Located on People’s Square, the political and cultural centre of Shanghai, this extraordinary building is shaped like a giant bronze tripod and houses one of the world’s top collections of ancient and modern Chinese art and artefacts.
Dinner at M on the Bund restaurant. (BD)
Fri 18 May: Shanghai - Beijing
Transfer to the airport via the Shanghai Expo site. If possible, visit the China Pavilion which is the only remaining pavilion.
Afternoon flight from Shanghai to Beijing. “On the banks of a great river in the province of Cathay, there stood an ancient city of great size and splendour which was named Khanbaliq, or the Khan’s city”. So wrote Marco Polo the first European to visit the city we now call Beijing. (BD)
Sat 19 May: Beijing
Morning exploration of two landmarks of the Chinese capital: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Covering over 100 acres, Tiananmen Square is surrounded by the Forbidden City, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the China Museum National Museum and the Great Hall of the People. In the middle of the square is the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall.
Continue with a tour of the incredible Forbidden City. Originally built (by more than 200,000 men) in 1420 for the Emperor Yongle, this former Imperial Palace is an architectural masterpiece with a breathtaking symmetry of palatial pavilions, courtyards, gates, treasure halls and gardens.
After lunch visit the Temple of Heaven. Built between 1406 and 1420 as the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Temple of Heaven covers 273 hectares and represents a Golden Age of Chinese Architecture. Laid out according to the needs of sacred ceremony, it is believed to be the one place on earth with direct access to heaven, although only for Emperors who were regarded as celestial go-betweens. (BL)
Sun 20 May: Beijing
After breakfast visit the Red Gate Gallery, opened in 1991 by Australian Brian Wallace. Continue to the 798 Art Space. ‘798’ is located in the Dashanzi area, to the northeast of central Beijing. It is a site of state-owned factories including Factory 798, which originally produced electronics.
Beginning in 2002, artists and cultural organizations began to divide, rent out, and re-make the factory spaces, gradually developing them into galleries, art cenrtes, artists' studios, design companies, restaurants, and bars.
It became a "Soho-esque" area of international character, replete with "loft living," attracting attention from all around. Bringing together contemporary art, architecture, and culture with a historically interesting location and an urban lifestyle, "798" has become one the major centres of Beijing’s thriving contemporary art scene. Dinner at the Three Guizhou Men restaurant. (BD)
Mon 21 May: Beijing
Excursion to the Great Wall of China at Badaling, 80 km from Beijing. Built section-by-section between the 5th century BC and the 16th century AD, the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty and a unified China decided to link up the separate walls, formerly built by different Kingdoms to protect their northern territories. This mammoth project covering more than 6,700 km, took over 10 years and 1,000,000 people to complete and is a poignant reminder of the power of China’s ancient civilisation.
Enjoy lunch at the extraordinary Commune by the Wall – a boutique hotel and 12 private contemporary residences designed by 12 leading Asian architects. (BL)
Tue 22 May: Beijing
After breakfast discover some of the stunning new architecture in Beijing including the newly built stadiums for the 2008 Olympic Games - the ‘Water Cube’ and the ‘Bird’s Nest’- plus the Olympic Village, the CCTV Building, China National Museum and the National Centre of the Performing Arts, known as ‘the Egg’ (exterior views only).
Continue to the Today Museum, Beijing's first non-governmental and non-profit art museum. The museum focuses on the promotion of Chinese contemporary art. (B)
Wed 23 May: Beijing
Full day exploration of the new art gallery districts that showcase the city's burgeoning contemporary art scene. (BL)
Thu 24 May: Beijing
Morning visit to the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). Located 10 km north-west of Beijing, Yiheyuan was the summer retreat of the imperial family during the Qing Dynasty. Its beautiful gardens are renowned for their architectural grandeur and stunning natural beauty. The large classic Kunming Lake makes up three-quarters of the total area of 290 hectares, while the balance (Longevity Hill) contains a complex of imperial residences rebuilt by the Dowager Empress Cixi in the late 19th century.
After lunch explore a slice of ‘old Beijing’ with a visit to one of the ancient Hutong areas of the city. Hutongs are ancient alleyways lined with siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences, which are linked to form delightful historic neighbourhoods dotted with communal squares.
Tonight attend a traditional Beijing Opera performance. (BL)
Fri 25 May: Beijing
Day at leisure to enjoy the wonderful shopping opportunities that abound or simply take in the pulse of this exciting city. Tonight join John McDonald and fellow art lovers for a farewell dinner. (BD)
Sat 26 May: Depart Beijing
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Hong Kong connecting with an overnight flight to Sydney on Qantas. (B)
Sun 27 May: Arrive Australia
Morning arrival in Sydney.
