I've often described Badr Benjelloun as the quintessential example of a "Renaissance Expat," and this was never more obvious than when he opened Cu Ju, Beijing's first (and only) Moroccan/Rum/Sports Bar in one of the city's 1,000 year-old hutongs (alleyways). It was seen by many as a living example of the unique cultural mash-up that can only happen when you bring together disparate peoples into a city full of migrants. His #MigrationStory, which includes a stint as the "Blogger of Record" tracking Beijing's dynamic music scene in the 2000s and 2010s, illustrates how migration enlivens and enriches a place, and how people who come from abroad bring new ideas, perspectives and cultural ephemera to a city, making it a more vibrant, enjoyable place to live.

If you're in Beijing, check out Badr's restaurant-bar-livehouse, Caravan:

• https://caravanbeijing.com

Get in touch with comments, suggestions or interview recommendations:

• Twitter: @zax2000
• eMail: [email protected]

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