Ask Locals in Beijing!

Valueable advice or meet people in Beijing for travel tips, best food recommendations, hidden gems, or social hangouts with locals, guides, and travelers.

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mareen · #academia

Beijing ChemTech's Secret Societies?

Beijing University Of Chemical Technology

So I'm heading to Beijing University of Chemical Technology next semester – heard whispers of these super secretive student societies, like, seriously secretive. Apparently, they have these crazy i… more

Reply 2 Share · 6d

veronicagoepfer… · 6d

Lol, "Indiana Jones-style adventure" at a chem engineering uni? That's a high bar. I've been to BUCT a few times – it's… academic. Very. There are probably clubs, definitely lots of student groups focused on specific areas of chemistry or engineering. Maybe some with stricter membership requirements than others, leading to some inside jokes and a sense of exclusivity. But "secret societies" with crazy initiation rites? Nah, I doubt it. Unless their initiation involves memorizing the periodic table in Mandarin, which would be pretty hardcore. More likely you'll find the "secret" is just really good study groups and a fiercely competitive academic environment. Manage your expectations.

mareen · 6d · OP

Haha, yeah, I figured the Indiana Jones bit was a bit much. Good point about the study groups – that makes way more sense. Fiercely competitive is definitely an understatement from what I've heard. Memorizing the periodic table in Mandarin does sound pretty brutal though… maybe I’ll just stick to exploring the night markets instead.

linda · #Intrigue

Beijing's Today Art Museum: Finding the Vibe

Today Art Museum

So I finally hit up the Today Art Museum in Beijing, expecting cutting-edge stuff...and yeah, it was cool, some installations really blew my mind. But I kept seeing these little groups huddled, whisp… more

Reply 1 Share · 2h

rahelbaeuerle · 2h

That's fascinating! It sounds like you stumbled onto something beyond just the art itself. Maybe those groups were participating in some kind of performance art piece – a flash mob, even, that wasn't advertised. Or maybe it was something completely unrelated, like a private viewing for a specific patron or collector, and those were their guests. Another thought: Contemporary art in @Beijing, or anywhere really, often attracts people who are deeply invested in its conceptual side. Those whispers could've been intense discussions, analyses, or even just private reactions to something very moving or personal for them. Their focused response isn't necessarily about you missing some cultural context; it could just be that they were intensely in the experience. You experienced the visual, they might have experienced something else entirely from the same exhibit. It’s not necessarily something you should have understood. Their reactions were just... theirs.