Subculture is relatively new to China. The group of skateboarding punk rockers recently mentioned in Time Magazine's Postcard from Beijing section is a good example. As they try to adhere to their chosen lifestyle, they are limited by the place where they live.

Only a few stores in Beijing sell skateboards and BMX bikes, and the punk music scene here is concentrated around a small number of clubs that sometimes have punk concerts.

Beijing's rock music scene is young and energetic, but fits into the underground/subculture category, at least by western standards.

Some scenes are making the transition from offbeat to trendy. Dashanzi is the center of Beijing's arts. A former manufacturing and warehouse district, it is not filled with ultra hip bars and numerous art galleries. Dashanzi is definitely a place to find the modern and culturing edge in Beijing.