10/10 for 700 Club

Interested in escaping the city for the day? How about getting a chance to buy exquisite, hand carved reproduction furniture in unusual colours? Or, maybe you'd like to invite a group of friends for a Christmas party in an exclusive setting?

You can do this and more at the 700 Club.

A sister venue to the Yu'an Chamber, an exclusive haunt of Beijing's fashionable elite in Shichahai, the 700 Club is 40 minutes from downtown via the Airport expressway, a pleasant jaunt out of the city and a perfect spot for a day out and some kicking back.

A year old, the 700 Club is a private members-only club that lies hidden behind high walls and down a tree-lined driveway, perfectly situated alongside a lake, in Jinzhanxiang, in the city's outskirts.

Serving upscale clients from business and celebratory circles, the peacefully situated club is set on a couple of hectares and incorporates novel ideas for entertaining and dining with a retail business involved in selling reproduction period furniture and exhibiting art.

Tasteful and innovative, the club provides private dinning facilities, a bar and an entertainment area. The gallery space, also available for hire, is particularly suited to alternative uses such as parties, receptions and shows.

The 700 Club is managed by Zhang Li, aka Crystal, who is keen to promote the club in as many innovative ways as possible.

"For example, the gallery would make a perfect venue for fashion shows, with a full length catwalk running down the middle," she said.

Spread out across a number of buildings, separated by abundant flowering clover and cleverly designed waterworks, the club has a retail furniture space that showcases reproduction antique furniture made and designed on the club's grounds. The 700 Club specializes in producing furniture made with red sandalwood, now imported from Africa and India, but at one time available in Southern China. The furniture retails from 1,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan and is made to order.

The enterprising club specializes in producing Ming- and Qing-dynasty period furniture but with a modern twist, colouring dining chairs and side tables in vibrant primary shades of black, purple, green, gold and silver. It is a twist particularly suited to this laidback and affluent atmosphere.

"Our club slogan is zhuizhu secai gudian ye liuxing in Chinese, which means "In pursuit of colour, rich and various, classical and fashionable," Crystal said.

The 700 Club has future plans which include extending dining facilities as well as providing more overnight accommodations. So far, only one bedroom is available, an opulent affair with western-style furniture, available for 400 yuan a night.

Close to the year's end, the Club's lake freezes over, and provides a perfect opportunity for nighttime ice skating, with the lake romantically set with lanterns and warming bonfires.

For further information contact:

700 Club

700#玉安会所

Add: No. 700, Beimafang Village

Jinzhanxiang, Chaoyang District

朝阳区金盏乡北马房村700号（路过金港汽车城）

Tel: +86 10 8432 7832

Fax: +86 10 8432 7832

E-mail: crystal_yuan700@sina.com