Where are we now? Updates from Beijing's Culture Community!

原创 Cultural Keys CulturalKeysCK

Cultural Keys Chinese Culture Centre helps people access, experience and enjoy traditional Chinese culture. To stay up-to-date with all Cultural Keys' news and events, please click our name above and follow our Official WeChat Account!

"退一步进两步" Maneuver back one step, advance forward two steps. Whereas the current situation in China might be described by some as 'two steps forward, one step back', there are very few who could deny the current path is a very practical, beneficial one. With its most recent lockdowns, China strategically took one step back, so as we can all collectively move forward two steps in the very near future. Glass half full indeed!

But while we are waiting for that inevitable two-step advance, when we can all breathe a collective mask-free sigh of relief, what are your favourite Beijing culture providers up to? Read on to find out!

BElectric

E-Scooter Tours

"We have been running tours throughout these strange times because we are addicted to having fun and helping others to see the greatness of Beijing. It’s been an incredible journey of meeting awesome people (especially lots of amazing families) and spending time together exploring Beijing, whilst learning about the history & culture. We do it because we enjoy it, and this is why our guests also enjoy the experience so much."

It is very important to us to respect the local rules, community and mostly the people. On all of our tours, we can and do keep a distance from crowds of people and keep to a safe and respectable route. The great thing is that you can do all of these things and still see so much of Beijing, in the most fun and eye-opening way… by Electric Bike!

Although this time for us and many others has been a struggle, we are happy to see and hear that other local businesses are still here with us and looking forward to a prosperous future. We are especially excited that we have introduced 3 more tour routes, including a Foodie tour!

To find out lots more about the five tours BElectric now offer, please contact them via their WeChat: BElectric or by sending them an email at info@belectricbeijing.com

Lost Plate

Food Tours

"It has been a trying time here in Beijing with the new series of outbreak and as a small local business, Lost Plate is doing our best to get through this difficult time, and want to help you do the same by bringing you some fun!"

If you’re new to Lost Plate, check out our website at www.lostplate.com. Our top rated food tours take small groups to enjoy authentic and delicious food and drinks at off the beaten path family-run shops where you can see your food being made, and learn about the people that are making it.

Our Hutong Evening Food Tour (https://lostplate.com/beijing-evening-tour/)*, Flavors of China Restaurant Tour (https://lostplate.com/beijing-restaurant-tour/)* and Instagrammable Photo Walk (https://lostplate.rezdy.com/392252/now-available-instagrammable-photo-walk-of-beijing)* are all currently available and we are taking extra steps to make sure you are safe while on a Lost Plate tour. If you prefer to do the tour on a private basis, we’re more than happy to accommodate your request at no additional charge (with minimum 2 guests), just contact us directly via WeChat (Lostplate) or email info@lostplate.com to arrange.

* Please copy and paste the links into a browser to view!

We look forward to eating with you in Beijing, and when we can finally travel again, come visit us in Chengdu, Shanghai, Suzhou and Xi’an! Meanwhile, stay safe and hungry!

The Hutong School

"Where did the years go? Hutong School are proudly turning 15 next month! It’s been an amazing journey and we want to thank all of our students old and new for coming along for the ride."

This year has arguably been one of the strangest but it’s been wonderful to connect with new people wanting to use this time to do something positive and get back to the books.

As things return to normal for us and our students, we also want to thank anyone who has helped promote and support Hutong School during this time which includes our friends at Cultural Keys. We have some pretty nice deals to help anyone stuck in Beijing for the summer improve their Mandarin or conquer that elusive HSK level.

For more details, feel free to check this link or alternatively reach out to our Education Coordinator Angelina Lee at Angelina.lee@hutongschool.com or via WeChat at ange_lee.

Cultural Keys Chinese Culture Centre

As some of you may have noticed, Cultural Keys has been a lot quieter than usual this past month. We had been planning for June to be our big reopening after the long Beijing lockdown, but obviously that didn't quite work out!

So, what now? While we have full faith in the Beijing authorities to take any necessary steps to protect the public and ensure swift control of any future outbreaks, and know that the Beijing community will fully support any steps needed to protect their health and the health of others, we have still taken the decision to not schedule any public events for the foreseeable future. That means that for the rest of the summer, we won't be arranging any open events, such as calligraphy, painting or kung fu classes.

That doesn't mean we will disappearing completely, however! We are so grateful to the many, many people who have contacted us over the past few weeks, asking when our regular schedule of events will resume. To help those who are still looking to engage in more cultural activities in Beijing, we are planning the following:

- more articles on travel and exploration in and around Beijing's lesser known areas (update on our Visit Songzhuang article coming very soon!)

- new online presentations about Chinese life and culture

- new collaborations with our partners in the Beijing culture community

- starting from August 1st, taking bookings for private group events (up to 4 people at the culture centre), team building events (off-site) and educational events for schools.

Aside from those points, we also have a lot more programs in the works, some for the near term, some for the long term, details of which we are excited to be able to share with you as soon as possible.

For more details on booking a private event with Cultural Keys, please email us at events@culturalkeys.cn, or add us on WeChat at AJDonnelly.

On behalf of both Cultural Keys and everyone in our small cultural alliance, we are so very happy to be able to provide the Beijing community with continued access to quality classes, activities and events. We are also looking for other organisations to join with us and expand our small group. If your company or school offers Chinese cooking classes, TCM services or other cultural activities and you would like to be included in posts like these, email us at ajdonnelly@culturalkeys.cn. We would love to hear from you!

Photo credit

- BElectric, Lost Plate Food Tours, Hutong School, Cultural Keys

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. No company or individual whose articles we share are paid, nor is Cultural Keys paid to share their contributions. Some of the organisations whose articles and information we post are partners of Cultural Keys, some are not. All contributions are assumed to be the original work of the submitting company or organisation. Neither Cultural Keys nor any of our staff, partners or associates accept any liability for the opinions, information or advice shared in these articles. Articles may have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

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