Raying Temple is a self-sufficient musical enclave. A band could get the idea, practice, perform and record all in one place, with booze and beds on-site to fuel the process. The weird ambience and well off-the-beaten-path location in Tongzhou makes Raying Temple a welcome alternative to the more established “Beijing proper” clubs and fosters a self-selecting DIY community.

The singer of Canadian hardcore band Fucked Up shares his perspective on why shows in China felt more “like home” than Japan, some of the standout Chinese bands he encountered, and a few pointers for foreign bands considering making the trek out to the Mainland.

When I first moved to Beijing full-time I was surprised to learn there were two experimental nights every Tuesday. After reading Pete DeMola’s thorough article on D22’s Zoomin’ Night, I wanted to profile its late counterpart: Waterland Kwanyin at 2Kolegas.

Check out Miss Eden’s EP release, 6 years in the making

Our friends at the shop are supporting Shanghai-based fashion designer Zhang Da in a project called Hidden.Fashion, wherein the designer repurposes donated cloth “to investigate the relationships between our bodies, clothing material and life.” Participate by donating and having your old cloth transformed into a unique work.

La Loupe proves that it is possible to start a successful band in Beijing with little more than an idea, a few guitars and the willingness to play the odd Sunday night behind gulou. Click through to hear four tracks from La Loupe’s new album, which is being released at the Pangbianr Music and Film Festival at 2kolegas.

I helped curate my friend Roman Lojko’s most recent show on WMBR Cambridge, which focused on China. You can stream the show on WMBR’s site and hear music from Offset: Spectacles, La Loupe, Hot & Cold, Which Park, Fanzui Xiangfa, Walnut Room, Ajinai, and Xiao He, among others.

Your last chances to catch La Loupe in Beijing for a while, since Maia is moving on to Taiwan in August.

Coming to a D22 wall near you.