The capital of China is an overwhelmingly gigantic imperial city with vast avenues and grandiose public spaces but just a few minutes away from the Tiananmen Square it can be surprisingly cozy and intimate, even rustic.
The traditional hutong quarters have a very neighbourly feel, before you know shop vendors start saying hello to you in a very personal way. Yet the distances are huge, and walking is sure an option but not for the physically unfit.
Naturally for the capital of such a large and diverse country, Beijing is a mix of different cultures and influences. There are restaurants for every cuisine of China, and attractions range from the traditional Peking Opera to Catholic cathedrals.
Yabaolu is an odd curiosity in Beijing. Founded in the 17th century by Russian Cossacks fleeing the Tsar's rule, it is still a thriving community focussed around a large market. Ethnic Russians in China are significant enough to be officially recognized as one of the 56 ethnic groups by the People's Republic of China.
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After a long chill after the breakup between Mao and Stalin, last 15 years Russo-Chinese trade has been booming. The third wave of Russian immigration (the second one was White Guard emigrés and Chinese Eastern Railways staff) has given the area a major boost in activity. They may not be eyeing a permanent residency but New Russians are commercially minded and hedonistically inclined. Numerous Russian restaurants, night clubs, trade companies and travel agencies vie for visitor's attention with bright Cyrillic neon signs. The Elephant Restaurant (named so after an eatery featured in a famous Russian spy TV series) has gone to great lengths to recreate the nostalgic abandon of the 1920s, from Old World lamp-shades over the tables to the uniforms of the Russian-fluent Chinese waiters. The place is full, mostly with Russians: the combination of an extensive choice of well cooked Russian favourites and the atmosphere of a period drama is understandably irresistible. The show is just as traditional, marrying Gypsy-style boisterous exuberance and barely legal eroticism. Another typically Russian touch: tipsy dancing to the live band. It feels oddly more home than back home.
Beijing Opera is acquired taste, but none more odd than its European counterpart with its contrived manner of singing and ritualistic conventions. Catchy rhythms, spectacular costumes and on-stage acrobatics make it entertaining for the connoisseur fan and the uninitiated tourist alike.
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