When I got an email that Hanggai (my favorite Mongolian folk-punk band) was hosting a music festival just outside of Beijing, I was in. I did some checking to see if any of my friends wanted to come and many did but none were available so I decided to go solo. With a friend’s help, I booked a plane ticket, a hotel, and purchased my festival ticket and in a few days I was off! I have to admit I had no idea what to expect because I did basically no research before I left Shanghai. Armed with the address of my hotel in Chinese to show the taxi driver I was off! I landed and my first impression of Beijing is that it is rainy and cold! Shanghai is farther south than Beijing and therefore warmer and sunnier than the capital city of China. When I arrived it was raining hard and I was glad to have my umbrella. The taxi ride was a pleasant one and checking in was relatively easy though this was clearly a hotel that was used more by Chinese than foreigners. I got a lot of looks everywhere I went but I am pretty used to that by now!
My first order of business was to pick up my festival ticket at the ticket vendor. It was raining which made catching a cab difficult, also as a foreigner it is harder to get a taxi sometimes. After about 30 minutes of trying, I accepted an offer of taking a small motorcycle cab with a covered attachment on the back which allowed for whizzing between cars, going on the sidewalk, and occasionally the wrong way on the road to get to the destination. I arrived safe and dry and thankful for the ride. I got my ticket without incident and directions to the shuttle bus the next morning for the festival. My ride back to the hotel was in a small pedicab (a bicycle with a cart attached) which was quite bouncy and a little wet but available and the driver was so nice and friendly that it made the journey pleasant enough.
After a much needed nap, I inquired at the front desk about where I could go eat and then maybe listen to some music. They directed me to Houhai neighborhood which as it turned out had several bars, restaurants and clubs around a lake. Since it was pouring, it was not easy to find a cab so with a little prayer to the powers that be; an unlicensed cab offered me a ride. Surprisingly the driver spoke English so I spent the drive chatting with “Dragon” my driver about what to do in Beijing. I arrived safely at my destination and promptly went and found a restaurant where I had the best Chinese food I’ve ever had in my life! Also I was really hungry : )
After eating, I strolled around the area and popped into a small club next door called “Sex in Da City” which cracked me up. As it turned out, this particular place featured two girls who did pole-dancing acrobatics while the crowd watched. I was befriended by a friendly Malaysian man while at the bar and I told him about the festival the next day. He was there on business and had finished a day early and decided to go to the festival too. I stayed until the place was shut down at 12:30 in the morning (much earlier than Shanghai shuts down) and walked out with some friendly Australians I had been chatting with.
My first order of business was to pick up my festival ticket at the ticket vendor. It was raining which made catching a cab difficult, also as a foreigner it is harder to get a taxi sometimes. After about 30 minutes of trying, I accepted an offer of taking a small motorcycle cab with a covered attachment on the back which allowed for whizzing between cars, going on the sidewalk, and occasionally the wrong way on the road to get to the destination. I arrived safe and dry and thankful for the ride. I got my ticket without incident and directions to the shuttle bus the next morning for the festival. My ride back to the hotel was in a small pedicab (a bicycle with a cart attached) which was quite bouncy and a little wet but available and the driver was so nice and friendly that it made the journey pleasant enough.
After a much needed nap, I inquired at the front desk about where I could go eat and then maybe listen to some music. They directed me to Houhai neighborhood which as it turned out had several bars, restaurants and clubs around a lake. Since it was pouring, it was not easy to find a cab so with a little prayer to the powers that be; an unlicensed cab offered me a ride. Surprisingly the driver spoke English so I spent the drive chatting with “Dragon” my driver about what to do in Beijing. I arrived safely at my destination and promptly went and found a restaurant where I had the best Chinese food I’ve ever had in my life! Also I was really hungry : )
After eating, I strolled around the area and popped into a small club next door called “Sex in Da City” which cracked me up. As it turned out, this particular place featured two girls who did pole-dancing acrobatics while the crowd watched. I was befriended by a friendly Malaysian man while at the bar and I told him about the festival the next day. He was there on business and had finished a day early and decided to go to the festival too. I stayed until the place was shut down at 12:30 in the morning (much earlier than Shanghai shuts down) and walked out with some friendly Australians I had been chatting with.
The next day was raining and I was worried since it was the day of the festival and the festival was outside. I went and bought gloves and coffee and found the shuttle without difficulty where I met my new Malaysian friend as well as another Australian who also had come just for the festival. The ride to the festival was uneventful and after an hour and a half we were there! The festival was on a farm and we were dropped off at the entry area and then walked up a large hill which opened up into the festival area with a large stage, a grill area, several yurts, and farm animals on the outskirts. Thankfully the weather had cleared and it was very pleasant outside though muddy.
Shortly after arrival, Hanggai the host-band played and they were amazing! They are this very fun and unique combination of rocking beats with more chill influences like throat singing that leave you feeling both calm and energized at the same time. They played for only about forty minutes and then the other bands started. The crowd was an interesting mix of westerners and Chinese which was great and everyone was just loving the music and taking in the experience. After Hanggai there were several other bands that also were an interesting mix of eastern and western styles. I spent the day going back and forth between the stage and the grill area. I chatted with the fellow from Malaysia, the Australian girl, several Norwegians, and even the band (via interpretation of course).
It was truly a fantastic day! I ate yummy grilled lamb and beef on a pita, drank beer, and even had a gin and tonic and cocoa once the sun went down. The evening ended with the lead singer of Hanggai singing acapella on stage which felt very special. Sleepy, we all trekked to the shuttle busses and had a quiet bus ride back to Beijing. Once we got there, I went and had a two hour Thai massage courtesy of my Malaysian friend who just happened to have a certificate for a free massage that he gave me. It was amazing and just what the doctor ordered because it helped work out the kinks from standing on a muddy field for most of the day. All in all, it was a truly perfect day. After the massage, I drifted off to sleep feeling satisfied and incredibly lucky.
