architecture | Burbex – Beijing Urbex

Nestled near the entrance to the Hutongs (alleyways) near Qianmen Gate, the entrance to the famous Tienanmen Square, lies this haunted hotel. Upon asking locals about the hotel, they said that it used to be the residence of a Nationalist leader before the revolution in the nineteen-forties, but after the revolution it was abandoned and then later turned into a cheap hotel.

Unlike much of the surrounding area which has been demolished and gentrified to give Beijing’s history a more polished look, this building exerts power and more than a little menace over its small corner. The architecture of the building crosses western and Chinese styles which was very typical of the period. On the outside it looks like a western orphanage, but on the inside it is one hundred percent Chinese.

Going in you can hear every door in the whole place creaking in the wind. Entering into the hotel rooms you get a strong sense that these rooms have seen a lot of visitors and that some of them might never have left. It has three floors, and there is possibly a cellar which might connect to the underground city, but this is still yet to be found.

This is an easy place to get into, but beware the balconies as they are very rickety and could collapse at any time adding you to the list of guests who never check out,

Just a stone’s throw from The World Trade Towers in Beijing is the derelict site of Beijing Space and Science Museum. Along with the Planetarium and the The Natural History Museum nearby in the compound, all of these buildings are due for demolition soon. The Space Museum has recently been abandoned by the security guards which makes entering much easier than before.

The museum is spread over nine floors, and the sixth floor opens out onto this awesome roof area affording some great views of the local area. The central roof is made of glass panels which from the atrium below looks magnificent. Unfortunately most of the building has been gutted, but there are a few exhibits remaining in a few hidden corners. It is also very easy to get lost in the maze-like basement, but there are some great rooms to be found.

Like a lot of buildings in Beijing, it was built in the run-up to the Olympics and then just abandoned after the finish of the games. This is a relatively easy place to get into, and there is a lot to see, which is why this earns itself a hearty B-.