Zhan Wang's stainless steel rock sculpture stands on a roadside inside the 798 Art Zone. [Photo by Zou Hong / China Daily]

The newcomers included not only Chinese but also people from Japan, Germany, the United States and Italy. Artists lived and worked inside their studios, which were renovated from high-ceilinged factory houses. In 2005, the 798 Art Zone began to take shape.

"It was an unforgettable and special feeling to do create against the roaring machines and giant factory pipes," Zhu recalls.

Philip Tinari, director of the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, remembers visiting 798 in 2002 for the first time with artist Sui Jianguo and a curator.

"Now Sui's 'red dinosaurs', exhibited in 2002 for the first time, has become the signature of the UCCA," he says.

As the reputation of the district soared and prices for contemporary Chinese art flew higher, some galleries were forced to move out due to rising rentals, which increased tenfold.

Meanwhile, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, media companies and even a hotel moved in.

Renowned artist Liu Xiaodong once said that "the almost deserted land has turned to be a land of gold. As a result, some artists have been forced out of the place.

"Today art spaces and commercial spaces coexist and compete," Liu says.

"A good balance between art and commerce is vital. Otherwise, 798 Art Zone could be degraded to be a second-rate Wangfujing commercial street."

To promote that growth and balance, the administrative committee invited artist Guo Xiaoyan to curate the sculpture exhibition in the district's public space.

Previously, the scattered installations in the area had been put in by galleries or restaurants, Guo says, and some of them are "artless".

"For the ongoing exhibition, we gathered 21 Chinese artists to design and choose their sculptures specially for the public space of 798 art district," the curator says. "The sculptures usually aim at catching attention but this time we want the audiences to have a connection with the sculptures."

Sculptor and conceptual artist Zhan Wang has his stainless steel rock sculptures standing on a roadside.

Those passing by are curious about the artwork and take pictures with it, while some read the notes beside each sculpture to get to know the artist's statement.

"Sculptures are not made for consumption and entertainment, but to inspire and to evoke thinking," says the artist. "It's important to have the public involved."

"798 art district was a test lab for artists but now it serves more as a platform to introduce contemporary art world to Chinese audiences.

"It's hard to imagine a city like Beijing without a red-hot art center of Chinese art like 798. I think that those art-hungry tourists have an idea about art and now they need to know what good art is," he says.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn.