Beijing Late Night Skating Scene

I’m not actually sure if there is a scene or not but I may as well start one. In my free time (which is basically, all the time) this month I’ve picked up a pair of inline skates and skate around generally from midnight to 3-4 AM when the city dies right down. I’m not the only one either, I have run into a couple others and joined them as we cut our way through the city. Language barrier not a problem. I think. It’s all a bit Jet Set Radio without the crazy nightlife of Tokyo.

So I tried my hardest to get some photos but you see it’s surprisingly dark after midnight. It’s also cold. So here’s my best efforts with a point and shoot on long exposure outside the forbidden city. Trying desperately to stay perfectly still on the skates while wearing 3 layers of pants to keep slightly insulated from that Mongolian cold front. Behind is a nearly empty Tiananmen Square with just a few soldiers grouped together in the minivan outside the Forbidden Palace entrance, rubbing their hands in front of the vehicle cabin heater wonder what the fuck I’m doing.