798 Art District, Beijing: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

798 Art District occupies a cluster of decommissioned military electronics factories in the Dashanzi area of northeastern Beijing, originally built in the 1950s with East German Bauhaus-influenced architecture. Artists and galleries began moving into the disused workshops in the early 2000s, and the zone now holds over 300 galleries, studios, and design firms. The UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, founded in 2007 in a renovated factory hall, is the district's anchor institution. The saw-tooth rooflines and exposed-pipe interiors of the original buildings remain largely intact, and open-air sculpture installations line the main corridor. is just one of many options in Beijing. Major attractions worth considering include Back Lakes (Hou Hai), Beijing National Stadium, and Capital Museum.