Beijing's Rock Village

Every rock musician who comes to Beijing has a dream. Even poverty cannot prevent the musicians from pursuing the dream. However, the reality is cruel, as the impoverished and unstable life brings all sorts of pressures over time. Therefore, while many people join this community, many others are defeated in this "battlefield" and disappear forever. In Shucun (tree village), this kind of scene is staged every day.

Shucun, even unable to be found on the map, is situated at Beijing's northern suburb. This is an ordinary hamlet, with muddy paths, trash, and old cottages scattered everywhere. However, in this ordinary village, there actually lives a group of passionate music-loving and freedom-yearning youths. Like solid seeds, these young people take root here and struggle for a future blossom.

The not-so-big Shucun is composed of local inhabitants, temporary workers, and several dozens of rock musicians, who come from different provinces, like Shanxi (North China), Jiangsu (East), Hebei (North), Henan (Central), and Yunnan (Southwest), as well as South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and many other areas in China. Some bands that have produced albums, like Elephant Tongue and Wooden Horse, came from Shucun.

In the northeast of Shucun is the famous Beijing Midi Music School, which is recognized as the springboard for the people who want to develop music in Beijing. Along with the northwest's Dong Beiwang, Xi Sanqi, and Huang Tudian, which all gather many musicians, this place, taking Shucun as the center, has already formed a special underground music group.

 Musicians' Real Lives

Musicians live in poverty in Shucun. They spend 100 or 200 Yuan (US$12 or 24) per month on renting a small room. Besides sleeping and eating, practicing musical instrument occupies most of their time. When the Chinese Spring Festival (the Chinese Lunar New Year) comes, in order to buy a ticket for going home, some musicians have to sell their clothes and musical instrument.

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