Boutique Hotel in Sanlitun : The Opposite House

The newly created Swire Hotels group, owned by Hong Kong-based Swire Properties, opened its first hotel "The Opposite House" in Beijing in summer 2008.

lobby of the Opposite House

exterior of the Opposite House in Sanlitun, Beijing

The hotel with its green glass exterior and minimalistic interior offers 99 suites starting at 1850 CNY per night (minimum stay 2 nights).

all rooms feature wooden floors and are very bright

the bathrooms feature bath tube and double sinks made of oak wood

the only traditional Chinese accessory is a wooden chest used as coffee table or storage

 

a room (studio 95) with a balcony

Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the hotel is part of Swire's first integrated commercial project in China, a giant new shopping, lifestyle and dining development, called The Village, at Sanlitun in Beijing.  So if you wonder why all the old houses had to vanish, for what and why all these glass cubes look alike, then you know: it is all part of an integrated project by this Hong-Kong based company.

from right to left : the (South) Village, addidas store, Yashow market

If you have been in Sanlitun lately and have any dining or shopping experience in the Opposite House's neighbourhood, let me know what you think.

map and contact, click to enlarge

photo source: the opposite house

Beijing City Guide by Design*Sponge

Maybe you already know design*sponge, a daily website dedicated to home and product design run by writer Grace Bonney. This extremely successful blog also has a growing collection of city guides, that are compiled with the help of readers. Design*Sponge city guide to Beijing is quiet a complete list of things to do & see in this fast changing city.

Like many others which are planning a trip to Beijing the authors of this city guide came across my blog. They liked the "great beijing home/decor shopping list from beijing notebook" and included a link to this blog.
Thanks for the mention !

I can recommend to check out this new online city guide as it is compiled just recently, in August 2009 and includes all the new stuff - and the old stuff that has not vanished.

This Saturday in Beijing : Urban Carpets by Instant Hutong

click on flyer (including map) to enlarge

Stefano Avesani from instant hutong send me an email to post about their event on this Saturday in Beijing. Thanks, I love to announce it here on my blog.  -   If I would still be in Beijing I would definately go. I love the atmosphere of the neighbourhood in hutongs, the small aleys in old Beijing ! And the photos of the previous exhibitions of Urban Carpets look so interesting.

Here the details :

URBAN CARPET 8x5 · 都市地毯8x5

四 4th one day-only exhibition

2009年10月25日, 11am – 6pm

NEIGHBOURHOOD COURTYARD - 社区庭院
no.17 Cao Chang Tou Tiao, Xian Yu Kou Di Qu, Chong Wen District

北京市崇文区鲜鱼口地区草厂头条17号

完美地体现了源于近几年北京郊区在不知所措地迅速变化中的矛盾。房地产政策的目的是鲜鱼口社区原住民的再次回归。对城市的传统性的描述都不适合鲜鱼口,当前是特别有趣的城乡结合。城镇的空间和自然的空间,农村的习惯和现代设备的结合，细微地体现于北京的都市中心。

Xian Yu Kou district perfectly embodies the contradictions stemming from the rapid transformations which overwhelmed Beijing neighbourhoods in the past few years. The target of real estate policies has been partially abandoned and the spaces have recently been re-occupied by the former inhabitants. None of the traditional city descriptions can suit Xian Yu Kou, which is, nowadays, a surprising and totally fascinating combination of city and countryside, urban spaces and natural ones, rural habits blended in with contemporary facilities. This micro phenomenon is taking place at the very centre of the large metropolis of Beijing.

Works by·艺术家 :

MARCELLA CAMPA & STEFANO AVESANI - http://www.instanthutong.com/

photo via instanthutong

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I would love to hear from anyone who went their, please leave a comment.

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Learning the meaning of Chinese Characters

I (wǒ), the hand that is holding a weapon

When learning Chinese characters you will be tought that Chinese characters are divided in six categories (六書 liùshū or "Six Writings").

To one of the six categories belong the characters that are created by two or more pictographics to a  "joined meaning" (會意 huì yì ).


example:

木 ［木］ mù  = 1 tree
林 ［林］ lín =  2 x trees = forest


Here some more "joined meanings" or so called "ideogrammic compounds" :

 亻 man leaning at a  木 tree =  resting  休 xiū

日 sun and 月 moon  =  bright 明 míng

 女 woman with a  子 child   =  good   好 hǎo

 力 strength working on a  田 ricefield  =   male  男 nán

豕 pig under a 宀 roof  =  family, home  家 jiā

 手 hand  holding a  戈 weapon   = I   我 wǒ


Isn't this interesting how the Chinese sign for "I" (我 wǒ) was composed (above picture) ?

I am "The hand that is holding a weapon" !

This results from really rough times. If you cannot defend yourself, you cannot exist !

Actually, my latest Chinese teacher told me that the sign 我 (wǒ, engl.:  I ) is a combination of the sign for "corn" (or grain) and the sign for "weapon" (here: lance).  The corn is to feed yourself and the weapon is to defend yourself.

I could not verify if corn (禾 hé) is meant here for the first sign or if it is rather the hand  手. If there is a Chinese expert among my readers, please feel free to comment about that post!


Check out this link - it will show a new Chinese characters any minute :


 
I added the link to my blogroll, so anytime you visit you can learn some Chinese.
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10 Simple Actions to contribute for a better Planet

Today is Blog Action Day and I am participating because our planet is in danger. Every human being that is able to think should be aware about how much our planet is threatened by climate change, global warming and shortness of resources, to name some environmental problems which again cause social unbalance that can result in poverty, terror and war. It is a very complex subject. Our children and grandchildren will face tough times.

But where to start and who to start ?
Today, blog action day is focusing on the environmental problem "climate change".
Please take a minute and read the following what you could do today and maybe next week and more and more often :

10 simple actions to contribute for a better Planet :

1) Replace regular light bulbs with an energy saving light bulbs

2) Move your radiator down 1-2 degrees in winter (and the aircon up 1-2 degrees in summer) - (editors remark: If you are already are allowed to heat in Beijing...)

3) Use less hot water (it costs energy to heat water)

4) Air dry your clothes instead of using a dryer as often as possible

5) Only run your dishwasher when there’s a full load and use the energy-saving setting

6) Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them (even when turned off, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. The energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working may account for 5 % of total domestic energy consumption !)

7) Plant a tree - or think twice before cutting down a tree ! (a single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%.)

8) Buy locally grown food (transportation is polluting and consumes energy) - and buy fresh food instead of frozen (frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce).

9) Eat less meat !!! (The production of 1 kg of beef consumes about 13,000 liter of water !!! And methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.)

10) Drive less ! Walk, bike, do carpooling or use public transportation !

(source: Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth)

Today I will buy fresh food at the farmer's market, eat no meet and use public transportation ! (It so easy! Every little effort of each human being counts !)

What is your contribution or tip ?!

Follow these links for more information about saving the planet (who is thinking, what to do and how to contribute) :

Club of Rome
Global Marshall Plan
An inconvenience truth

Blog Action Day: Climate Change 'co2' ideas

Climate Change 'co2' ideas
Originally uploaded by net_efekt

Yes ! It has consequences !

Dont' drive !
Ride your BICYCLE in Beijing today !

60 Years People Republic of China

Happy 60th birthday to PR China and its people !

Yesterday, the world could see the big party and parades on Tiananmen Square.

The Chinese government is good in well organizing big public parties and knows how to ensure good weather!

A hillarious parade of good looking tall Chinese female soldiers (above is a training photo by Reuters)

The media including internet provides tons of information and comments about this birthday and China in general.

I decided to provide the following links on this occasion  :

Ai Weiwei,  contemporary Chinese artist, blogs another kind of birthday speech for his motherland about 60 years of shame and ignorance.

At the moment Ai Weiwei stays in Munich (Germany) where he got operated because of an injury that he claims happened during beiing beaten up by Chinese police. But the main reason is the upcoming opening of his exposition "So sorry" on October 12, 2009 at the Haus der Kunst in Munich.

Don't miss Ai Weiwei's article on Times Magazine reflecting on the subject. 

(Images : Reuters)

Beijing Boutique Hotel: The Emperor

The Emperor Hotel is one of the few boutique hotels located right in the heart of Old Beijing. It is located close to the Eastern walls of the Forbidden City. Therefore, from the roof top of the hotel, from the gym & spa and the Yin Bar, you have fantastic views! Wangfujing Road, the pedestrian international shopping street with some other luxe hotels and Tiananmen Square are in walking distance.


Stylish rooms combining traditional culture and modern fashion. Complimentary 24h butler service for all rooms, flatscreen TV, Wireless Internet access, free minibar (?!) ...


The Emperor Suite - located on the South West corner of the hotel offers an exclusive private view on the Forbidden City - about 3999,00 CNY.


The gym & spa on the roof top with views over old Beijing, outdoor wading pool, hot tub and massage rooms.


The Yin Bar with views over the Forbidden City - you can rent the place for special occasion! - the photo was taken in June 2008, when we thought about hosting our farwell party here.


While looking up The Emperor on the www for actual pictures, I found often these two wrong information:
1) The Emperor Hotel is not the first Design Hotel in Beijing. It only opened in summer 2008, long after the Hotel Kapok which is another hipp boutique hotel in the neighbourhood of Old Beijing.
2) The Emperor Hotel is not located inside the Forbidden City


The Emperor
ADDRESS:
33 Qihelou Street
Dongcheng District
100006 Beijing, PR CHINA

ACCOMMODATION:
55 rooms including 9 suites

PRICE RANGE:
about 75 Euro (Superior Room) to 400 Euro (Emperor Suite)

ARCHITECTURE / INTERIOR DESIGN:
Graft Label


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You might also like my post about Hip Hotels in China
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