Directories
Fun Stuff
while away a summer afternoon and winters see a makeshift ski slope go up near the west gate – thrill seekers can rent skis and inter tubes onsite. The delightful northwestern section of the park includes a lake, flower beds and grassy expanses where families can enjoy a picnic. RMB 5, RMB 2.5 (students), free for kids under 1.2m. Daily 6am-10pm (last entry at 9pm). 1 Nongzhan Nanlu, Chaoyang District. (6506 5409) www.sunpark.com 朝阳公园, 朝阳区农展馆南路1号 Chinese Ethnic Culture Park If staff dressed up in minority costumes pretending to be Tibetans isn’t kitschy enough, for a small fee you too can don an outfit and get your photo taken. Regular live shows. Extensive expansion (a whole second park) has just been completed. RMB 90, RMB 65 (students). Daily 8am-6pm, Nov-Mar 8.30am6pm (last entry 4.50pm). 1 Minzuyuan Lu, Chaoyang District. (6206 3640/3646) www. emuseum.org.cn 中华民族园, 朝阳区民族 园路1号 Liuyin Park Liuyin is one of Beijing’s most picturesque parks, with a duck- and lotusfilled lake surrounded by reeds, weeping willows and pavilions. Kids will prefer the play area with the usual kit (electric cars, trampoline, arts & crafts stand, playground with Little Tikes gear, shoot-the-duck-withwater-cannons arcade game) as well as bumper cars and paddleboats. Visit the charming outdoor tea garden on the island, which serves beer, soft drinks and snacks as well as tea. RMB 1. Daily 6am-9pm. Jiangzhaikou, Andingmenwai, Dongcheng District. (8411 3699) 柳荫公园, 东城区安定 门外蒋宅口 Longtanhu Park The park boasts a popular outdoor playground with many slides and swings, as well as a trampoline, an indoor playground and several rides including hovercraft-type bumper cars. There’s a roller skating area on the island, lots of gym equipment, badminton courts and boats in which you can explore the lake. Older kids may enjoy the climbing wall in the park’s southwest corner. Other things to discover include an old MiG fighter jet. Fun to visit during Chinese New Year, when the park becomes a giant fairground. RMB 2 for park entry, additional fees for rides. Daily 6am10pm. 8 Longtanhu Lu, Chongwen District. (6714 4336) 龙潭湖公园, 崇文区龙潭湖路8号 Olympic Forest Park Beijing’s Olympic Forest Park is a large, man-made nature park at the north end of the Olympic Green. Built for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the park is oval in shape and features lake Wa Biancun in the center. The park features many walking and jogging paths. Several small islands in the lake are linked by bridges. The southeast end of the lake has a handful of carnival rides for children. The south gate of Olympic Forest Park is accessible through South Gate of Forest Park station (森林公园 南门) on Line 8. Daily 6am-8pm (summer), daily 7am-7pm (winter).. 15 Beichen Donglu, Chaoyang District. (Southern Garden: 6452 9060, Northern Garden: 6452 9090) 奥林匹克 森林公园, 朝阳区朝阳区北辰东路15号 Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) The crowds that cluster predictably around the buildings and ruins in this imperial abode may dissuade you from visiting with the kids, especially on a spring day in cherry blossom season. The key to a happy family outing is to explore the little known corners of this vast park. Walk around the far lakes, rent a boat and then sit in the shade of a weeping willow and enjoy a picnic. RMB 30 (Apr-Oct), RMB 20 (Nov-Mar), students half price. Daily 6.30am-8pm (last ticket 6pm); 7am-7pm (Nov-Mar: last ticket 5pm). Yiheyuan Lu, Haidian District. (6288 1144) 颐和园, 海淀区颐和园路 Taoranting Park Why schlep the kids all the way down to Taoranting? Here are six reasons: 1) Its intelligently designed and clean playground, with padding on the ground, tall covered slides, swings,
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trampolines and more; 2) Water Land, an enormous water park; 3) Peacock Park, a weird, Yunnan-themed retreat with Dai-style buildings, the eponymous birds, monkeys and rabbits; 4) The symphony of colors that is the rose garden; 5) Car-shaped paddleboats; 6) Priceless signage: “No hunting animals in park,” “Transparent swimming suits are not allowed,” “Those swimming while drunk will be fined RMB 10-50.” RMB 2, RMB 1 (students), free for kids under 1.2m. Daily 6am-9.30pm (last ticket at 9pm). 19 Taiping Jie (near National Ballet of China), Xuanwu District. (6353 2385) www.trtpark.com 陶然亭 公园, 宣武区太平街19号 Yuyuantan Park Enormous Yuyuantan Park attracts families and student groups on full-day outings. They bring tents, hammocks and blow-up mattresses and kick back with sausages, tea, eggs and sunflower seeds. Kids ride bikes, blow soap bubbles (check out the Toucan Sam-shaped bubble “guns”) and fill the two large, well-stocked playgrounds. There’s plenty of room here to fly kites, and a big aquatic park with many slides and an area for younger children. You can catch the boat to the Summer Palace near the park’s south gate. RMB 2, RMB 1 (students). Daily 6am-9.30pm (summer), daily 6.30am7pm (winter). Xisanhuan Lu (across from CCTV Tower). East entrance on Sanlihe Lu (just south of Diaoyutai); south entrance (with parking lot) behind China Millennium Monument., Haidian District. (8865 3804/6) www.yuyuantanpark.com 玉渊潭公园, 海淀区 西三环中央电视塔对面 (东门在三里河路, 南门 在世纪坛后面)
Places
Although it’s targeted towards Chinese families with kids ages 4-14, the library is still a great resource for native English-speaking children. Limited study space is also available for over achieving kiddies, though they must be accompanied by a parent. 6 Wanliu Xingbiao Jiayuan, Haidian District, Haidian District. (8256 7306) www.hdac.cn 海淀少年 宫, 海淀区海淀区万柳星标家园甲6号 InGeniousKids International Play Group Rm 109, 1/F, Bldg 18, Yacheng Erli, Tian’e Wan, Chaoyang District. (135 2185 4323 (English), 158 1122 2282 (Chinese), chamsclai@hotmail.com, arencibiaplaza@ yahoo.es, caohanj@qq.com) www.ingeniouskids.com 朝阳区天鹅湾雅成二里18号楼1层 109号 Workers’ Gymnasium Slated to hold Olympic boxing, the Workers’ Gymnasium hosts boxing and international basketball matches, among others. Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District. (6501 6300) 工人体育馆, 朝阳区工体北路 Workers’ Stadium With an estimated seating capacity of 72,000, the Workers’ Stadium is the first choice for spectatorbusting events like Manchester United-Guo’An exhibition matches. Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District. (6501 6655 ext 5033) 工人体育场, 朝阳区工体北路
Play Centers Beijing Youth Palace Offering music lessons and dance classes, as well as a multilingual cinema. 68 Xizhimen Nanxiaojie, Xicheng District. (6615 2211) www.bjqng. com.cn 北京青年宫, 西城区西直门南小街68号
Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers Located just off the Caoqiao exit on the East Fourth Ring Road in Fengtai District. The entire park is kid friendly and is typically filled with school groups and young families. For RMB 20, you can also rent a golf cart and scoot around the grounds. The grounds feature a man-made lake and seven floral exhibition halls. Daily 8am-6pm. Caoqiao Exit, north side of Dongsihuan, Nansan, Fengtai District. (8750 0840) 世界花卉大观园, 丰台区 南三四环草桥出口南四环路北侧
Fundazzle This cavernous, indoor playground has a huge two-story jungle gym, trampolines and a toddler area with small cars, swings, seesaws, toy houses and so on. On weekends, counselors put on shows, lead the kids in song and dance, and teach arts and crafts. RMB 50/child (weekend or weekday), three-hour limit. RMB 15/adult (weekends), free on weekdays. Mon-Fri 9am5.30pm, Sat-Sun and holidays 9am-7pm. Gongti Nanlu, Chaoyang District. (6593 6208) 翻斗乐, 朝阳区工体南路
Capital Library While its range of foreign language books is not as impressive as the National Library’s, it does offer foreigners the option of borrowing books. It costs RMB 10 to process a reader’s card and, depending on the type of card you choose, a deposit ranging from RMB 100-500. Foreign language newspapers and periodicals can also be accessed and regular lectures are organized on weekends. Daily 9am-7.30pm. 88 Dongsanhuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District. (6735 8114) www.clcn.net.cn 首都图书馆, 朝 阳区东三环南路88号
The Wiggly Tots Founded by licensed Kindermusik educator Alicia Tan, The Wiggly Tots offers Kindermusik and Tutu Tots Ballet classes for newborns and toddlers. Bond with your child as you play, sing, dance, and giggle together. Your child will learn and grow through activities that stimulate brain growth, build motor skills, enhance social-emotional development, and much more. Call or email to book for a free trial class. Classes take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10am to 10.45am. Studio, 1/F, Fuli Club (R&F Club), 59 Dongsanhuan Lu, Shuangjing, Chaoyang District. (183 0158 8133, info@ thewigglytots.com) www.thewigglytots.com 朝阳区朝阳区双井东三环路59号富力会健身俱 乐部1层
Donghuamen Night Market If you’re peckish and strolling the Wangfujing area of an autumn evening, stop by this lively strip of stalls for a snack. Donghuamen night market only emerged in the early ‘80s, since when it has gathered more and more food stalls complete with screaming vendors and hungry crowds of both locals and foreign travelers. The food has to be seen to be believed. Almost anything you’d want (or in some cases, wouldn’t want) to try is on show, from innards and scorpions to silkworms and sea horses. The food comes cheap – most chuan’r (kebabs) cost only RMB 2-10. Just daring yourself to try out the odder items is a lot of fun in itself. Daily 6-10pm. Donghuamen Dajie (west of Wangfujing Pedestrian Street), Wangfujing, Dongcheng District. 东华门夜市, 东城区东城区王府井大街往西东华门大街 French Cultural Centre Wed 10.30am8.30pm, Thu-Tue 10.30am-6.30pm. 18 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District. (6553 2627) www. ccfpekin.org 法国文化中心, 朝阳区工体西 路18号 Haidian Children’s Palace This library contains over 2,000 English language books.
TreeHouse Family Cafe and Playground Dear mamas and papas! Are you looking for fun, engaging activities to do with your children? Families are invited to play and learn together at TreeHouse family cafe! We are located in the beautiful neigborhood of Sanlitun Soho, right across the road of Sanlitun Village. We offer a great space for independent play, library and a little crafts corner for all ages. All of the food at TreeHouse is made with the finest, freshest quality available. We offer a variety of organic, healthy dishes for adults and children. Our comfortable cafe also features coffee, soft drinks, freshly-squeezed juices and wi-fi. Come join us for what is promised to be a fun-filled day of learning, relaxation, and exploration! Come and know more about our specially designed classes and the schedule for the next several weeks and try our organic western food and drinks! Tue-Sun 10am-8pm. B1/F, B1-115, Bldg 1, Sanlitun Soho, Chaoyang District. (8590
0746, thetreehousebj@yahoo.com) www. thetreehousebj.com 朝阳区三里屯Soho1号楼地 下1层B1-115 Who Am I – Family Play Center Located across from Sanlitun Village, this bright and airy two-floor play center features themed areas and rooms. Bilingual, qualified teachers lead free activities throughout the day, including Kindermusik sessions, soft gym, climbing wall, arts and crafts, drama sessions, storytelling, cooking, role play with dress-up, sand pits, and a big tree house filled with balls. Drop-off service is available, along with an onsite cafe. The schedule is uploaded on a weekly basis onto Who Am I’s website. Tue-Sun 9am-7pm. 5-128, Bldg 5 (street level), Sanlitun SOHO, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District. (400 068 5855) www. whoamibj.com 朝阳区工体北路三里屯SOHO5号 商城楼5-128室 Yosemite Art Center Mon-Fri 9am-5pm or 8pm, Sat-Sun 8am-8pm. Shangye Jie, 5 Wanke Gongyuan, Tianshui Yuan Jie, Chaoyang District. (8571 4258/30) www. yosemiteartcenter.com 音琴美诗艺术生活中 心, 朝阳区甜水西园街万科公园五号商业街 Yu Kids Island The Place’s well-kitted indoor play area boasts a palm tree carousel, a bouncy slide, waterfall tunnel and a wind room filled with huge balloons – all wellpadded for maximum safety. Come and go as you like with a RMB 50 day pass; frequent funners will benefit from discount cards (RMB 500/30% discount; RMB 1000/50% discount). Daily 10am-10pm. 4/F, South Bldg, The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District. (no phone) 爱乐游园地, 朝阳区光华路9号世 贸天阶南楼4层
Playgroups & Activities China National Children’s Center Although the language of instruction is only Chinese, this center hosts a number of creative classes for children, such as music, art and drama. Tue-Sun 8.30am-4.30pm. 43 Ping’anli Xidajie, Xicheng District. (6616 4010) www.ccc.org.cn 中国儿童中心, 西城区 平安里西大街43号 Class by Stephanie Daily 7.30am-10pm. 1/F, Bldg D, Global Trade Center, 36 Beisanhuan Lu, Chaoyang District. (5825 6778, classbystephanie@gmail.com) 朝阳区北 三环路36号环球贸易中心D座1层 The Clubhouse at Qijiayuan Qijiayuan Parents (mostly moms) gather to socialize while their offspring roam the padded playroom. Age range currently eight weeks to about 4 years old. Fri-Wed 7am-9pm, Thu 10am-12pm. Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound (The Clubhouse is situated at the left of the lawn, next to the tennis courts), 9 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. (8532 1782) 朝阳区齐家园服务楼, 朝阳区建国 门外大街9号 (网球场旁边,草坪的左边) DreamArts Center This center provides art, piano, ballet, modern dance, Pilates and yoga lessons. Adult and children classes are taught in English, Korean, and Mandarin. RMB 50-200/lesson. Daily 9am - 5pm. Classes are 10am - 9pm. A1905, Lead International Building, A2 Wangjing Zhonghuang Nanlu, Chaoyang District. (8472 0257, 8472 0357) 筑梦艺术中心, 朝阳区望京中环南路甲2号佳境 天城A1905 Fangjia Kitchen Thu-Sun 11am-2pm. 13 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District. (159 1096 2965, fangjiakitchen@yahoo.com.cn) 方 家美食工作室, 东城区方家胡同13号 HLCC Culture Center 2751, 5/F, Bldg 27 Capital Paradise, Shunyi District. (8046 3328) http://www.hlcc.asia/ Hutong Cuisine Trained chef Zhou Chunyi can adapt her lessons in traditional Guangdong and Sichuan cooking for families or kids. Classes size: 1-6 people. RMB 220/ person. Market tour: RMB 70/person. Daily class: Tue-Sun, 10am-2pm; Market tour: 9-10am. Courtyard 3, West Bldg, Shajing