The question “What makes 798 so great?” has been trapped in my mind as we strolled through the artistic streets of 798. This is one of my favorite places in Beijing, and it’s because all the elements that exist here are somehow distinct, but they still fit together perfectly. All the art galleries, cafes, restaurants, stores of merchandise and manually made goods. There was a contemporary and minimalistic to 798, but simultaneously, it also brings vintage-core feelings. The place seems like somewhere middle-aged people would stroll at, a place where young adults would work in, and a place for teenagers to hangout in. There are just too many to explore in this area, and the diversity is what makes this area such a unique place.
We first visited the UCCA Art Gallery, where they are displaying an exhibition on Geng Jianyi, but the gallery also consisted of two distinct sections, one which consisted of artwork that I found fearsome. There were a few rooms of nothingness but sound, as I walked into these rooms, it felt like a parallel, new dimension that separated us from reality, but at the same time, it also brings back a sense of nostalgia. In connection to this nostalgic perception, the other section of the gallery included many photographs of influential artists, images of objects taken in black and white tones, and other paintings. The gallery is separated into many rooms, and each of these rooms conveyed a different feeling, and that is a dominant reason to why I enjoy coming to art galleries.
Afterwards, we walked down the street, exploring a variety kind of different stores. We stopped by at a records store, which I couldn’t afford anything, but I enjoyed the vibes there. The manager seemed outgoing, she insisted to play one of my groupmate’s favored albums, and the lively music not only satisfied my friend, but it also brought in a new vibe for the store. The store covers a variety of music genres, including classical, pop, rock, electronics, and even city pop. There’s also music tracks from TV series and movies, which makes this store an ideal place for anyone interested in music. 
There were also some small stores that sold hats, jewelries, pins, and so on. One of the stores we explored was quite interesting. The store manager wrote small signs around the store, which are from the first person view. She tries to make it seem like the products are speaking to us. For example, the sunglasses had a small handwritten sign next to them saying, “Please feel free to try me on, but don’t touch my lenses!” It seems quite entertaining, and it elevates the whole atmosphere.
