Caochangdi Village, Wuhuan Beilu
HOURS: Most galleries open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
METRO: Sanyuanqiao (Line 10)
Farther off the tourist trail from the 798 Art District [1] is Caochangdi, a collection of galleries and artist studios near the North 5th Ring Road. The village is made up of low brick buildings and quiet walkways, and was established in 2000 by contemporary artist and bête noire of the authorities, Ai Wei Wei.
Caochangdi is home to some excellent galleries, like Pekin Fine Arts, PKM, Galerie Urs Miele, and the Caochangdi Work Station. There is also an offshoot of Shanghai-based ShanghART.
Caochangdi came to international attention in 2007 thanks to an article in the New York Times travel section, but it’s still far enough off the beaten track to remain free of crowds.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/beijing-shanghai/beijing-arts-and-leisure/798-art-district