Hit the Ice with Santa
The end of the year is upon us, which means that the annual beijingkids Santa on Ice event is here again. Treat your family to an afternoon of skating, seasonal treats and cozying up to Santa. There will be free family portraits and gifts handed out by ol’ Saint Nick himself. Registration required. To buy tickets, email events@beijing-kids.com or call 5820 7700 ext 886. For full details, see Dec 15 listing.
Create a Winter Wonderland
Get into the holiday spirit by decking out your home in seasonal decorations and feasting on gourmet foods. Best of all? They are neither pricey nor hard to find.
Puns, Songs and Cross Dressers! Oh, My!
From December 6-22, Beijing Playhouse returns with its annual Christmas pantomime at the British School of Beijing, Sanlitun. This year’s performance is a satirical version of The Wizard of Oz featuring young actors, double entendres, audience interaction, and recycled pop songs.
Drift into a Festive Food Coma
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, Paddington Bakery has British-style puddings and pies for the entire family. To find out more, see Talking Shop. There are also a host of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dining events around town.
No Grinch-ing Allowed
The holidays are a time to be with family and reflect on those who are less fortunate. Make charity a year-long endeavor by volunteering to help some of Beijing’s most vulnerable groups.
The Root of the Matter
Many educators believe that kids learn best through actions, not words. What better way to instill environmental responsibility than through a hands-on outing led by a botanist at the Beijing Institute of Botany?
An Absolute Play-sure
Wangjing and Lido residents, rejoice! There is a neighborhood party venue for your birthday boy or girl. Founded by expats, the New City Center blends the family feel of a community center and the warm coziness of a cafe.
A Herb a Day…
Winter brings with it cold weather ailments such as dry skin, a runny nose, flu and colds. We asked a western medicine doctor and a traditional Chinese medicine doctor for their recommendations.
Due North
Hearty Dongbei (or northeastern Chinese) food is heavily influenced by Manchu cuisine and is perfect for long, cold winters. We head to the Dianping-recommended Liulaogen in Qianmen to sample authentic shazhu huicai and pickled cabbage.
Take a Crack at Porcelain
Porcelain is so closely linked with China that it is sometimes named after it. Our writer scoured the city to find Beijing’s best markets for porcelain and ceramic products.
Photos: Nature Zhang, Horia Varlan (Flickr), Courtesy of Beijing Playhouse, Ken
This article originally appeared on p12-13 of the beijingkids December 2013 issue.
Check out the PDF version online at Issuu.com