Yiliyaer Aliyouli hails from Xinjiang Province and Marisella Figola is originally from Italy. Yiliyaer works at the Swedish Embassy. The couple has lived in Beijing for 13 years, and they have two kids: Raphael (5) and Asia (2). Here, they share some of their favorite spots in Beijing.
Favorite Day Trip
Beijing Botanical Garden and Miyun County
Favorite Family Restaurant
Annie’s, Rumi, Union Bar and Grille, and Blue Frog are all kid-friendly.
Favorite Dessert
The pain au chocolat from Eurobakery and any good ice cream.
Favorite Places to Shop
Marisella likes Uniqlo and Watson’s, while Yiliyaer prefers Yashow Market or the Silk Market. For the kids, they shop at Zara, Solana Lifestyle and Shopping Park, and Mothercare.
Rainy Day Activity
The family watches cartoons, bakes a cake, or plays games together at home.
Best Place to Play Indoors/Outdoors
Outdoors, the Aliyoulis go to Ritan Park and Chaoyang Park. For indoor playgrounds, they go to Fundazzle, Beijing Blue Zoo, or Yu Kids Island at The Place.
Kids Beg Us to Go
“Our friend Jacopo’s house!”
Best Place for Special Occasions
The family celebrated Raphael’s fourth birthday at Fundazzle; it was a lot of fun for the kids.
Favorite Neighborhood
Ritan Park; the kids love the area dedicated to children’s games.
Family Rituals
Every weekend, the Aliyoulis go to Sanlitun Village for a family lunch.
This article is excerpted from beijingkids Jun/Jul 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.