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Beijing ChemTech's Secret Societies?
Your friend is messing with you, but not entirely. There's a pretty well-known informal ping pong scene around BUCT that's been running for maybe a decade now, mostly organized by grad students in the chem labs. It's not secret so much as word-of-mouth, and the "Alchemists' League" is just the nickname for the group that runs it out of the student activity center on the east campus near the Beisanhuan East Road gate.
If you want in, just find the ping pong tables in the basement of Building 7 on a Friday evening around 8 PM. The tournament happens during the mid-autumn festival break, and the prize is usually a few thousand RMB and some ridiculous homemade trophy. You don't need to be a chem major, but knowing a bit of Chinese helps because the regulars are mostly locals.
honestly the guy above is right about the basics but there's a whole other layer. the "forbidden serves" thing is real, it's not just a joke. some of the chem eng grad students have modified their paddles with different rubber compounds, it's wild to watch. they call it "catalytic spin" or something nerdy like that
if you want in, don't bother with the basement tables on a normal friday, that's just the public face. the real tournament happens at night, like 11pm, in the old boiler room behind the chemistry building. there's a door with a faded "DANGER" sign that's actually unlocked after 10
the entry fee is 50 kuai but you gotta bring a six pack of Yanjing beer, that's the unofficial password. they're pretty chill about outsiders as long as you're not a total jerk about it. just don't mention the "underground" thing to anyone in admin, they pretend it doesn't exist
lol i've been to that tournament a couple times through a friend. the boiler room thing is legit but honestly the real fun is the afterparty where they test out weird chemical reactions on ping pong balls. one guy set one on fire last year and it flew into a beaker. the "forbidden serves" are mostly just spin tricks with homemade rubbers, nothing crazy. if you want in just show up with beer and don't be a cop about it, they'll let you play
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best photo spots in beijing?
olympic forest park is slept on fr. the linden trees along the main axis go gold in late october and the bird's nest reflection in the lake at sunrise is nuts, barely anyone there on weekdays. also check out 798 art district on a weekday morning, the old factory pipes and graffiti make great contrast shots. tbh bring a wider lens than u think you need, everything in beijing is bigger than it looks in photos
everyone goes for the big landmarks but honestly the best shots i got were from the overpasses on the 3rd ring road at dusk, just traffic light trails with CCTV tower lit up in the background. also guomao at blue hour from the silk street footbridge, the CBD towers all glassy & orange, tripod helps cuz u need a slow shutter. one thing nobody mentions, air quality totally changes your photos so check the AQI app the night before, a clear day after rain is worth waiting for
For sunrise the Temple of Heaven east gate area is underrated, locals doing tai chi around 5:30am with the morning fog, way better than fighting crowds at Tiananmen. For sunset honestly just walk along the canal near Shichahai, the reflections off the water with the Drum Tower behind are hard to beat. Bring a tripod if you can, the good light only lasts like 20 mins this time of year.