Most embassies in this city you only ever see from the sidewalk. This Thursday, November 12, the Embassy of China is letting a roomful of curious people in for the evening, and the plan includes a buffet, an open bar and a ping pong coach who will take on anyone brave enough to grab a paddle.
The night is put together by Things To Do DC, the same group behind the Tanzania embassy dinner we wrote about last month, and it runs from 6:30 to 9 pm. Young diplomats from the embassy will be around to answer questions about China, travel there, and US-China relations. The walls are lined with paintings and artifacts, and embassy staff will walk you through what you’re looking at. The theme is winter and two cities, the Forbidden City and Shanghai. There’s also calligraphy, a dessert-making demo and, according to the listing, a giant panda appearance. We’re guessing someone in a costume, but we’d still line up for the photo.
The part we’re most curious about is the ping pong. The embassy’s master coach plays a few rallies to show what he can do, then picks people from the audience to challenge him. Score enough points and you win a prize. Practice your serve in the hallway mirror if you have to.
The details: Thursday, November 12, 6:30 to 9 pm, at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, 3505 International Place NW. Tickets are $78.95 on Eventbrite, and the listing says sales end soon, so book ahead. You can’t just show up at the gate. Students can email the organizers for a discount. Worth knowing: the fee pays for the event and none of it goes to the embassy. The organizers are also clear that it’s a cultural night, not a political one.
Getting there from the hostel: from U St/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo, take the Green or Yellow Line to Gallery Place-Chinatown, switch to the Red Line toward Shady Grove and ride to Van Ness-UDC. A rideshare up Connecticut Avenue is the easier move if there are a few of you. Our tip: get there right at 6:30. You won’t feel rushed at the buffet, and you’ll get a good spot for the ping pong before the crowd fills in. If you want a coffee first, Brew On U downstairs pulls a solid espresso.
More to do this week
- Embassy of Portugal: Evening at the Residence, Thu Nov 19, 6:30 pm. A Portuguese wine tasting and a small concert by Portuguese guitarist and composer Pedro H. da Silva at the ambassador’s residence in Kalorama. It’s capped at 80 people and almost full, $168.21. Tickets
- International Chocolate Tour of Embassy Row, Sun Nov 15, noon to 2 pm. A guided walk down Massachusetts Avenue that stops at embassies from Ireland to Indonesia, tasting chocolate from around the world as you go. Meets at Dupont Circle Metro (north exit), $45.85. Details
- Capitals vs. Devils, Sat Nov 14, 7 pm, Capital One Arena. It’s the Caps’ Veterans Day game, and it’s an easy ride on the Green or Yellow Line to Gallery Place. Schedule and tickets
- Doja Cat with Latto, Sat Nov 21, 7:30 pm, Capital One Arena. It’s a week and a half away, but that’s the Saturday everyone in town will be talking about, so sort out your tickets now. Event listing
If friends are flying in for any of this, we’ve got capsules and private rooms right on 13th Street, and you can book direct here. New to the city? Our guide to hostels in Washington, DC covers the rest.
Top photo: User:kallgan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped) (source)