"Some boutique hotels provide interesting art experiences, like the Opposite House Hotel in the Sanlitun area of Beijing. 'Their permanent art collection is second to none," says Hong Kong-based art consultant Alison Pickett. "And they have ...

You don’t have to have lived in Beijing long be- fore you’ve heard someone complain about the quality of something. The city and country have developed so fast that progress has often come at the expense of quality. Buildings only months old already show signs of wear and tear, clothes fall apart after just one washing, things break imme- diately after purchase ... There’s no end to the list.