A place to create a creative space
It’s where imaginative youth imagine.
Soft music wafts from a record player perched next to the cafe’s bar.
Young people surrounding it thumb through books, massage paintbrushes into artworks and fiddle with their phones.
Several engage in heated discussion at a lecture in the next room. Others rest in their own rooms upstairs.
It’s like any Friday afternoon at 706 Youth Space.
The establishment is a blend of a library, coffee shop, hostel and event center.
“706 is a cultural and information harbor catering to young people’s needs,” founder Wu Fangrong says. “It offers alternative lifestyles.” The space is located in Beijing’s Wudaokou area, which houses thickets of universities, including some of the country’s most elite.
Its patrons hail from all walks of life.
That includes a subculture of “slashers” — people, who each have several “slash careers” — seeking a place to live and a platform to make friends and showcase talents.
The opportunity to sleep in a rooftop tent drew Nankai University graduate Wang Xing jian to 706 when he came to Beijing. “It sounded interesting,” he says. “So, I gave it a shot.” Wang decided to make it his temporary residence while in Beijing because of its various activities and convenient location.
He has met many fascinating people there, including a yoga trainer, engineers, musicians and academics.
“It’s a special place where you can learn and engage in meaningful conversations,” says Wang.
706 has morphed since its 2012 founding from a private space for college students to talk and host activities to a sharing community that fuses private and public functions.
“Public areas like the cafe and library enable people to make connections and exchange ideas,” Wu says.
“Private spaces are mostly for living.”
Zhao Danmeng learned about 706 from a friend when she worked in Japan two years ago.
“I was interested in the idea of a youth space and library,” she recalls.
“I told myself I’d like to live in a place like that if I ever returned to China.”
Zhao has lived there since starting a new life in Beijing early last year.
She runs a spiritual-healing workshop that enables her to exchange experiences with others.
“I feel like I’m back in school,” she says.
“It offers a slow pace of life and meaningful communication.”
That’s not to mention emotional support.
Zhao says others are going through similar things, like working late and feeling disoriented.
“You don’t feel alone here,” she says.
“You have support, no matter the stress and challenges you face.”
706 also offers incentives, such as free accommodation, to young people committed to creative endeavors, such as documentary making and writing.
“We want to support people who are passionate about their respective fields but face various obstacles,” says Wu.
“Some financial and human-resource support may help them realize their aspirations.”