China and the Wuhan Coronavirus flu have been in the news lately, so it seemed appropriate to share this little impromptu video I shot while in Beijing, discovering friendly local markets, some killer street food, and the very cool 798 Art Zone in an abandoned military factory.

We were staying at the East Hotel], which is a phenomenal place in itself. Connected to an opulent mall that puts most in the US to shame, it is a palace of light and glass, with amazing shops, fantastic restaurants, and luxurious accommodations. While this complex certainly exudes Western sensibilities, the Jiantaixiang district it’s located in is very much proletariat China.

Taking one of their loner bikes out, my friend Mikko and I donned our very necessary face masks to battle the thick haze, and went for a little adventure. Traveling south over the Bahe River on the busy Jiuxianqiao Road we ducked off down a quiet alley to come to a sprawling  market, overflowing with energy. Sliding inside I felt like we were seeing the real city, not the one built for Westerners. Butchers and fish mongers, spice sellers and repair men, this place was like Amazon.com but alive and visceral. Eels were being skinned and frogs chirping as we waded through the crowded isles. Off to the side a woman used an electric sander to descale a river fish, scales flew like sparks off a grinder, and a female butcher slurped noodles sitting amidst large bricks of pork.

For me it was a beautiful site, to see such a collection of interesting food and services under one roof, people buzzing from stall to store arguing about the price or weight, but it made me understand how easily influenza and disease can spread in places like these. I never understood how they could trace a pandemic back to a single market, even a single animal, but once you see how fluid everything is here, you see contamination isn’t a possibility, but a probability. If you have Netflix, and want a quick and well produced understanding of exactly how this happens, let me suggest watching “Explained: Pandemic” produced by Vox. It’s excellent (albeit frightening) 

Looking back, it’s a pretty ballsy move to eat street food anywhere, especially in a market with livestock. That said, I think irrational fear is truly the scariest thing of all, and keeps all of us from exploring and connecting. I’ll gladly risk an hour in the bathroom to make the world a smaller place. With this benevolence, I dove into one of the hawker stalls making some sort of fried dough sammy that smelled pretty damn good. Basically a pancake in a pancake with a fried egg, it was a delicious snack (meal) that would fuel another few hours of bike riding.

One thing that has to be said is that the people were outstanding here. Lovely, friendly, interested to share, and made an equal effort to try to communicate. I’ve been to countries where I fluently speak the language that aren’t remotely as welcoming as China, so discovering the people here was a true gift.

After a quick game of Chinese Hacky Sack, we headed north to the 798 Art Zone, which is a reclaimed abandoned Military Complex that is now full of contemporary and street art. This place is not to be missed, first the art here is provocative and brilliant, but the complex itself is a bit of a wonder. In a country so controlled by the state, having a military complex turned into a center for free thinking and art is remarkable, and the art doesn’t hold back from viciously commenting on the current state of affairs. It reminded me of the Biennial in Havana many years ago, where the art movement fueled revolution from the art galleries to the streets. In any case, this area is lousy with shops and restaurants too, a bit safer than pancake sammy’s in the back alley.

While I love making more in depth/produced segments, I do cherish these random off-the-hip videos that to me illustrate the true nature of “place”. This is an experience that literally anyone would have jumping on a bike and cruising round Beijing, although it does make me laugh seeing a 200 lbs Italian kid from NYC trying to make friends in a river of Chinese shoppers.

Oh, if you are wondering about my bondage gear (camera strap) they’re this super hipster jam called Holdfast. I did a little video about them too … they rock, and definitely save your back.