Beijing streetlife at night – in pictures

Preparing food near the Drum and Bell Tower, Beijing. Photograph: Jens Schott Knudsen

“Life in Beijing happens in the streets,” explains Jens Schott Knudsen (@pamhule), a lawyer and freelance photographer who lives in the Chinese capital. “The scarcity of personal space pushes daily activities outside – from eating and drinking to singing and exercise. At night, Beijing’s streets transform into social hubs. Communal life and an outdoor culture still define much of the city.”

Through his pictures, Knudsen aims to capture both this outdoor culture and the tension between new and old in the cityscape – from the architecture to the lights and activity. As a photographer, he has collaborated with historians and urban planners to document Beijing’s rapid changes, which provide him with constant inspiration. An exhibition of his photography is currently on show in the city.

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Shopping in a small alley behind Beijing’s central business district, Guomao.

In an alley near the Forbidden City.

Scrap collection near the central business district.

Father and son boxing.

A woman prepares noodles outside a restaurant in an alleyway near Chongwenmen, a hutong neighbourhood.

A cook stands in a restaurant in the Dashilar neighborhood. ‘It’s common that restaurants in Beijing place their kitchens by the street so they can serve both customers inside and out.’

Watching TV in a convenience store.

Above Nanluoguxiang.

Night market on Liuxue Lu near the Temple of Heaven.

A store owner holds up his dog in an alleyway near Chongwenmen.

A storekeeper closes his shop at midnight in Baochao.

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