BEIJING SPACE & SCIENCE MUSEUM – BEIJING – GRADE B-

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-.

GREAT MALL OF CHINA – GRADE A-

On the smoggy outskirts of Beijing, far beyond where the subway line finally ends, and the dust dunes roll over the border into Hebei Province, right there on the border, that is where you will find the Great Mall of China. Construction started five/six years ago when the small border town Yanjiao was slated to become the next border boom town. This led to a run on house building and general craziness in the area. Years later, these dreams never came true, and the town, like the Great Mall of China, is deserted.

Getting into the mall is quite simple: find the tunnel under the nearby hospital: emerge and find the pipe under the bullet train railway, jump over the fence and you’re in.While there is security, and by the sound of it heavy work going on, the place is virtually empty, and the two guys on the roof didn’t even pay any attention to me. The smog and dust in the air make a mask necessary on this trip.

Grade A- (would have been more if I could have gotten further in)

   

URBEX – BEIJING CAPITAL STEEL – Grade A+

Beijing Steel Works is a rare beast in the Urbex world. Not only is the site in an almost vacuum state where it feels like all the workers just put down their tools one day and left, but also the site is huge with more rust and corrupted cranes, pulleys, and conveyor belts that you could see in a week. This is definitely a Grade A site for Urbex.

Remember, if you or your friends would like to come Urbexing with me just send me a message, and we can set up a time to meet.

WARNING – This is an extremely dangerous site. Be careful for falling objects.