Canadian Emma Lundgren is the customer services director at OASIS Healthcare. Her husband Marc De Beer (the Netherlands) is the general manager of Hilton Beijing Wangfujing. Emma and Marc have two kids: Ellen (10) and Alexander (12). This is the family’s second time in Beijing; they last lived here eight years ago. Since then, they have also resided in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Brussels, Belgium.
Favorite Shopping Spots
Emma likes Oriental Plaza for herself, where she shops for shoes. For the kids, the family likes Zara and The Gap; they’ve grown out of the kid sizes, but fit well into the adult small.
Favorite Place to Play Outdoors
Chaoyang Park and Ritan Park
Favorite Day Trip
798 Art District has cute cafes, interesting art, and music shops to visit for inspiration.
Favorite Weekend Activities
The family enjoys horseback riding at Sheerwood Beijing Equestrian Country Club and taking their pugs Ike and Abe out for long walks.
Family Rituals
Having Sunday brunch at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, Capital M, or The Orchard.
Kids Beg Us to Go
Blue Zoo Beijing, swimming at the Beijing National Aquatics Center, and pet shelters anywhere, anytime. Ellen follows BHAEEC (Beijing Human and Animal Environmental Education Center) via her Roots and Shoots group at the International School of Beijing. She makes regular donations with her pocket money to support the dogs there.
Date Night Spot
Temple Restaurant
Rainy Day Activity
When it rains, the family stays in and plays board games like Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (pictured here).
Family Rituals
Having Sunday brunch at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, Capital M, or The Orchard.
Newest Discovery
Beijing Opera House is great for walking the grounds, seeing concerts, and admiring architecture.
Favorite Family Restaurant
Punjabi Indian Restaurant in Solana. It’s kid-friendly and has a relaxed atmosphere.
This article is excerpted from beijingkids April 2012 issue. View it in PDF form here or contact distribution@beijing-kids.com to find out where you can pick up your free copy.