无限城(wúxiànchéng) Board Game Bar

By admin, 2010年 6月 27日

This is a guest post contributed by Wilson Hailey.

Board games. We’re not talking your staples, like Monopoly, Risk, or even Axis and Allies- we’re talking Settlers of Catan, Agricola, and Puerto Rico. If you have no idea what those are, no worries, 鼓楼’s(gǔlóu) 无限城(wúxiànchéng) will help you there.

For some reason board games are taking the young Beijing business world by storm. More and more board gaming bars are popping up around Beijing, portraying themselves as alternative meeting places for companies, which goes against every connotation “card/comic shop” has back in the states. And it’s true. Board games provide a backdrop for conversation and interaction between otherwise unfamiliar people, and are therefore a brilliant form of team building.

Where 无限城 stands out is in its environment and staff. The two story building near 鼓楼(gǔlóu) is quaintly decorated, comfortable, and quiet. With one wall on the second floor being all glass, and considering the fact that it is the tallest building around (nothing but old 胡同(hútòng)s over there), the view is nice, and the sunlight that spills in makes for a great atmosphere. What’s more important is the people. They all love playing games together, but they also love teaching games. You can go in and pick any game on their shelf, and you and your friends will be treated to a personal lesson on how to play. Additionally, you may often find yourself in need of other players, or other strangers may need you to join them. Feel free to ask the staff. One of their favorite activities is throwing complete strangers together into a bloodthirsty competition.

To get there: Take the subway to the Gulou Dajie (鼓楼大街站) stop on Line 2 and take exit B. Walk south on Jiu Gulou Dajie (旧鼓楼大街) roughly 200m until you hit Dashiqiao hutong (大石桥胡同), which is on the west. Walk down it for another 200m or so, and on the south you should see a brick building with a purple sign in traditional characters 無限城 (wúxiànchéng).

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