Location

Songzhuang Art District is in Tongzhou district, east of Beijing's CBD near the Hebei border. As one of the largest art districts in the world, it is home to a flourishing community of around 6,000 artists. During the retreat you'll be based in Xiaopu, a village within the art district, which is where many artists live and have their studios. It's the location of the hotel, the workshops and the CK Culture Centre.
The Workshops
You'll have the chance to experience traditional Chinese culture in four ways during the retreat.

 

Chinese painting workshop - learn to paint a pair of mandarin ducks (the Chinese symbol of love) in traditional Chinese shuimo (ink and water) style with experienced teacher Xiao Bing, who lives and works in the art district.

 

Taichi & Qigong - enjoy this relaxing session of taichi to gently wake your body up and prepare for the day, and special couples qigong where you’ll practice techniques together to enhance your connection.

Ceramics workshop - Make a pair of cups out of clay - or get creative and let your heart lead you to form whatever you'd like! The workshop location displays many ceramic pieces that are sure to inspire you!

Chinese calligraphy workshop - Teacher Li has been doing calligraphy for over 40 years, and you’ll join him in his studio to learn about the basic tools of calligraphy, practice some characters, and finally write a Chinese phrase to express your commitment to each other.