A True Moment of Pollution Free Happiness in Beijing

Roundabout organized a two day temple fair last weekend, and my daughter and I were lucky to venture out to Shunyi under beautiful blue skies.The weather was perfect for the fair and we were exited to see our first dragon dance in China. All the proceeds of the temple fair are for two young kids who are in the hospital with leukemia.

My daughter and I were greeted by volunteers selling organic apples and cookies, so naturally we bought both. We then found dancers on the square in Shine Hills shopping center. The groovy beat was so inviting that we danced a bit as we got some funny looks from our Chinese bystanders. We proceeded to the table that had golden eggs sold at RMB 30 a piece, we smashed them with a hammer to reveal a surprise gift prize. My daughter won a beautiful plastic necklace, that she still treasures three days later.

We visited the inside market where we found the usual vendors and some new ones. A table filled with purses and bags from the organization Love&Hope captured my attention. I found out that migrant children attending a vocational training school in the north of Beijing had made these bags. These vibrant colored bags priced from RNB 145 to RMB 280.The bags are made with felt, and can be produced to order in any color you would wish. please contact Jenna Kim at lovehope1004@sina.com for more info. Naturally we had to support the cause and buy a purse.

After shopping we had a ride in bumper carts, note that it might be best to not actually bump with the carts when in China. Parents tried to avoid us, but we were the wild couple that day. After our reckless driving adventure we savored lunch at Element Fresh. The dragon dance at the end of this day was magical. The dance was a memory for the books and I was happy to have had this experience in Beijing.

Pauline van Hasselt has been working for beijingkids since October 2016. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of this year. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.