A Backwater No More: Why Wukesong is Well Worth a Visit

Plenty of Beijing establishments strive for an easy breezy vibe. But one of the few to literally attain that quality is Basic Element. This café, located only a few short blocks north of Wukesong's Live Hi-Up complex, has a sprawling floor space and picture windows that let in plenty of light. The employees are friendly and diligent, acting as guides to the florist with whom they share a space (an arrangement that also gives it plenty of background color). The menu features fancy imports like Costa Rican Geisha for a bargain RMB 39 (a price you'd never find at a more central Beijing café). They also bottle their own cold coffees for RMB 30, serving up the first Yirgacheffe we've ever had that wasn't piping hot.

This café's ambiance, while not groundbreaking, is nevertheless charming. The decor is notedly basic but benefits from a combination of spacious tables for laptop warriors and cushier laid-back chairs for idle friends meeting for java and a chat. Aside from lattes, Americanos, and other standard coffees for RMB 25-30, they also have a handful of desserts like fluffy coconut mousse (RMB 20) and mango layer cake (RMB 25).

Wukesong's cocktail scene is as parched as Sanlitun's is saturated. In fact, Lift pretty much goes it alone in that west-end haunt. It also stands out from the gaudy lighting of most other Live Hi-Up bars with a design sleek enough to rival Sanlitun's most hyped lounges. Lift occupies a very narrow space, but that only adds to the intimacy, and the drinks are even more appealing than the ambiance, including a refreshing and bitter-sweet Lady Basil cocktail made with vodka, watermelon syrup, vanilla liqueur, and basil. The Lolita's Secret, meanwhile, had a sweet and creamy yogurt liqueur. Our only gripe: the prices are steep for Haidian; hovering around RMB 90 for a cocktail. Lift otherwise raises us up with its creative drinks and charming ambiance.

These craft brewers have certainly come a long way since opening their first Beijing west-end brewpub at Huguosi in 2013. After trying their hand in Sanlitun with a now-defunct second location, NBeer rebounded with a bigger and better spot in Wukesong's Hi-Up complex in 2017. And there's little wonder why NBeer Wukesong's patio and interior are now often jam-packed with beer lovers. After all, this pub boasts 42 taps and an equally impressive 7,000 empty beer bottles placed around the bar. The latter were collected by co-owner Xiao Bian'r over the past dozen-odd years, prompting us to call it a "veritable beer bottle museum" after our first visit.

The original Pyro Pizza is a real stalwart of Haidian's restaurant scene, and also famous because after conquering studentville with his pizzas, owner Jade Grey then went on to have great success with pizza behemoth Gung Ho! Pyro is the lower-key sibling restaurant in this family (that has also birthed popular spots like Haidian student hangout Lush) but holds its own with creative pizzas like their chicken satay (RMB 65-180) or the Mediterranean lamb (RMB 80-210). Just like Hi-Up neighbor NBeer, their dozen-odd outdoor tables attract big crowds during the warm weather.

Owned by a Shanghai corporation that split bitterly from the now-defunct Gulou original (the former of whom went on to open a chain of live houses across China), this Mao Livehouse at Wukesong is a fun venue that has been gaining a lot of steam of late. Punk legends Descendents tore up Mao's stage this past spring, while esteemed indie vets Timber Timbre played a passionately bluesy set there not long after. When it opened in late 2017 we praised this latest Mao as a successful cross between its Gulou predecessor and the slicker Tango 3F livehouse, and we can't wait to see what exciting acts they attract next.

Beijing's prime venue for major musical acts, this 19,000 capacity arena played host to Fall Out Boy last year, not to mention other household names like Metallica, Bruno Mars (back when it was called the Mastercard Center in 2014), and even bigger draws like The Eagles in 2011. More importantly for sports fans: the venue was completed so that it could host basketball preliminaries and finals at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and since then it has continued to host top b-ball matches for the Chinese Basketball Association, including an all-star game in 2017 which attracted some 18,000 spectators.

Not content to dominate the sweet tea market, or clog up malls around town with their notorious queues, HeyTea has also broken into the bakery scene, with one such store recently opening in Wukesong's Hi-Up complex. The pastries at Hey Tea Bakery aren't as noteworthy as their tea – think Wedome's higher-end bakery that opened last year, rather than the more delectable textures and nuanced flavors found at artisanal dessert joints.

Finally, Beijing's biggest camera market is still standing, and still as popular as ever. About a 10-minute walk north of the Wukesong subway station, this multi-level mecca is the go-to spot for professional and amateur photographers and videographers looking for a wide range of kit and good bargains. All major brands and makes of cameras are represented here, as well as an enormous range of photography accessories and kits including tripods, lighting setups, camera bags, battery packs, memory cards, and much, much more. This is a one-stop shop for camera shopping, but the wide range of choices can be overwhelming, and almost no English is spoken here so do your research in advance and be prepared to haggle.

Photos: asia.uli.org, Tracy Wang, cranberriesworld.com, dianping.com, courtesy of Pyro (via thebeijinger.com), Will Griffith, gallagher-photo.com