Are you someone who enjoys virtual realities? Or are you more of a nature person who enjoys lovely walks in the forest? If you like either of these things, Hyper Vision may be just the spot for you. Now, you may be wondering how virtual reality can coexist with nature. Yes, while most of the VR walks are about science and technology, some of them are exploring through the deep ocean or swinging on vines through the rainforest.
Hyper Vision VR is located in 798 Art District, where there is a variety of art galleries and cute shops. You can also find restaurants and cafés there. But we did not have much time to examine all these shops because our main focus of the day was to visit Hyper Vision (超维视界·VR院线) for a birthday party. Hyper Vision offers 13 themes (experiences), three of which are in English, one of which has English subtitles and the rest of which are in Chinese. And even some of the staff speak English, enough to guide the visitors. Thirty minutes in one theme costs RMB 99 per visitor.
I managed to do two VRs, for the price of RMB 198. The very first one I did was all about the ocean. When you enter that room, a staff member will fasten a headset on you, and that is when the experience will begin. This ocean VR begins on a boat, where you are enjoying the nice sun at leisure, then, after a small introduction in English, you enter a submarine, where you now descend deep down to the bottom of the ocean. It is here that you venture around, spotting all the underwater wildlife. As you descend, you actually feel yourself moving, but I do not wish to spoil this adventure for you, so I will not go into much detail. As you immerse yourself into the adventure, it becomes increasingly realistic. I even got to create ocean life myself in this VR!
The second VR I did was about the Jurassic period. I must admit, this one was not as enjoyable as the ocean one, because it was mostly just walking around looking at dinosaurs. Also, this theme was in Chinese only, with no subtitles. At first, we did have an exhilarating ride on a raft through winding rivers, but after that it was just okay. One good thing about this VR is that it can accommodate at least 15 people. Perfect for a birthday party. I would not recommend doing this VR, but I was told another VR about space was very fun. I would also have enjoyed the Tang dynasty theme as well! My mother participated in this VR, not wanting to miss out, and wanting to experience the virtual reality herself. She informed me of how awesome the Tang dynasty theme was! She recalled being on a boat chasing a thief and being sprayed with mist. Then she was blown about in a hot air ballon but was saved by the same thief that she was chasing!
We were invited to Hyper Vision for a birthday party. Each theme room was large enough to accommodate 15 kids. Though this VR place did not permit snacks or beverages, the hosts of the party escorted us kids to an Italian restaurant called Blu Lan (Blu意大利餐厅) for lunch and cake, which was within walking distance. Blu served traditional Italian dishes that were also kid-friendly, such as pasta and pizza, steak and baked salmon! The restaurant was very foreign-friendly – even the manager spoke English. The second floor of the restaurant even had a pool table and games that can be reserved for parties and events.
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If you feel like your time in 798 incomplete and want to visit some museums or art galleries, you can rent these adorable mini cars to ride around in, even just for fun. These yellow mini cars cost RMB 79 for 30 mins. There are so many nice art galleries, delicious restaurants, and cute shops that you can visit and enjoy. I hope you can put this article to good use. Stay tuned. And stay reading!!!
(Thank you so much, Mr. Vinh, Ms. Michelle and Cam the birthday boy for introducing this experience to us.)
If you’re looking for more kids’ birthday party ideas in Beijing, check #BigBeijingBirthdayPartyList for our recommendations of venues, entertainers, photographers and tips on how to save money while having fun.
Find it:
798超维视界·VR院线 HyperVision
798 Zhong’er Jie, 798 Art District, 4 Jiuxianqiao, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥4号798艺术区798中二街
Find it:
Blu Lan (Blu.澜意大利餐厅)
Bungalow 1, Bldg 49, 706 Changbei Changqu, Guoying, Chaoyang District
朝阳区国营第706厂北厂区第49幢平房1号
Images: Clark Yap
