Some 50 kilometers to the northwest of Beijing, the great Yanshan mountain range parts abruptly like a theater curtain, opening into an enclosed basin of around 40 sqkm of peaceful, scenic countryside. When the great Ming Dynasty Emperor Yongle arrived here early in the 15th century, he realized that he had at last found the ideal place for himself and his successors to practice rutu wei’an (入土为安), a traditional Chinese funeral practice. Over the next two centuries, a total of 13 imperial mausoleums (or shisanling 十三陵) were completed in the valley. The complex has in modern times undergone considerable restoration work, and while only three of the tombs are now open to public view, a visit to the site provides
an insight into the styles and obsessions of the age, as well as making for a pleasant day out in a picturesque valley away from the busy central suburbs.

Sacred Way 神道
Almost better known than the tombs themselves is the Sacred Way, the 7km pathway leading to the central tomb that was the official approach for the imperial coffins. In the middle of what is now an isolated field, visitors will find a large marble paifang gate, composed of six pillars and five entrances. This is the first of three archways, which were constructed in 1540. They are the largest of their kind that exists in China today. Following paifang is the Great Red Gate, or dahongmen.

A short walk leads to the Shengong Shengde Stele Pavilion, which houses a great stele (an upright stone pillar bearing an inscription) resting on the back of an enormous tortoise. Beyond the pavilion stands an odd but fascinating series of six animals and human statues on either side of the path.

Find out more here

This post first appeared here on April 18, 2012.

Photos: archive

Some 50 kilometers to the northwest of Beijing, the great Yanshan mountain range parts abruptly like a theater curtain, opening into an enclosed basin of around 40 sqkm of peaceful, scenic countryside. When the great Ming Dynasty Emperor
Yongle arrived here early in the 15th century, he realized that he had at last found the ideal place for himself and his successors to practice rutu wei’an (入土为安), a traditional Chinese funeral practice. Over the next two centuries, a total of 13 imperial mausoleums (or shisanling 十三陵) were completed in the valley. The complex has in modern times undergone considerable restoration work, and while only three of the tombs are now open to public view, a visit to the site provides
an insight into the styles and obsessions of the age, as well as making for a pleasant day out in a picturesque valley away from the busy central suburbs.

Sacred Way 神道
Almost better known than the tombs themselves is the Sacred Way, the 7km pathway leading to the central tomb that was the official approach for the imperial coffins. In the middle of what is now an isolated field, visitors will find a large marble paifang gate, composed of six pillars and five entrances. This is the first of three archways, which were constructed in 1540. They are the largest of their kind that exists in China today. Following paifang is the Great Red Gate, or dahongmen.

A short walk leads to the Shengong Shengde Stele Pavilion, which houses a great stele (an upright stone pillar bearing an inscription) resting on the back of an enormous tortoise. Beyond the pavilion stands an odd but fascinating series of six animals and human statues on either side of the path.

Changling 长陵
Emperor Yongle’s own tomb was the first of the set and 600 years later, the restored tomb is still in splendid condition. The Central Hall of Eminent Favors, once the repository of the emperor’s finest possessions, has been converted into a museum exhibiting replicas of exhumed treasures.

The tomb itself is marked by a low, tree-covered hillock instead of an ultimate mausoleum building. Standing between the burial mound and the burial palace is the Soul Tower, a stone reconstruction of a wooden edifice that was struck by lightning in 1604. Climbing to the top of this – the tallest building in the tomb – will reveal the emperor’s stele, which serves as a kind of headstone for the grave.

Dingling 定陵
Dingling, the tenth imperial mausoleum and the first tomb of the group to be excavated, was the final resting place of the Wanli Emperor (1572-1620) and his two wives. In 1957, they were removed and their burial chamber was converted into an underground museum. The reconstruction of his grand cherry-red lacquer coffin and those of his empresses, lie in the rear hall behind a succession of marble thrones arranged in accordance with status with the emperor at the rear. Although there are a few reproductions of disentombed treasures similar to those on display in the tombs themselves, the nearby museum also contains some fascinating exhibits pertaining to the restoration of the Ming Tombs. The highlights are a detailed 3D model of the entire valley, and a miniature carved in wood of Changling’s Hall of Eminent Favors.

Zhaoling 昭陵
Following lines of tourists through Dingling and Changling, you may chance upon attractive views of other distant palaces across the valley. They are a fair walk away, but if you want to make the effort, you will be well-rewarded with encounters of grown-over versions of the main tombs. Only Zhaoling, the tomb of Emperor Zhu Zaigou, is open to the public – and with only a few restored halls, it is the most faithfully reconstructed of all three opened tombs.

Sacred Way 神道
Daily 7.30 am- 5.30pm. RMB 30 (Apr 1-Oct 31), RMB 20 (Nov 1-Mar 31). (8974 9383)

Changling 长陵
Daily 8.30am-5pm. RMB 45 (Apr 1-Oct 31) RMB 30 (Nov 1-Mar 31). (6076 1334)

Dingling 定陵
Daily 8.30am-5pm. RMB 65 (Apr 1-Oct 31), RMB 45 (Nov 1-Mar 31). (6076 1424)

Zhaoling 昭陵
Daily 8.30am-5pm. RMB 30 (Apr 1-Oct 31), RMB 20 (Nov 1-Mar 31). (6076 3104)

Ming Tombs 明十三陵
Daily 8.30am-5pm. Off-season: Nov 11-Mar 31, busy season: Apr 1-Oct 31. Foot of Yan Shan, Changping District (6076 1424, Chinese only) 昌平区燕山山麓

Getting there
Bus: Take the tourist bus from 6.30-8am from Tiananmen and Xuanwumen for RMB 170, but you must purchase tickets between 6.30-7.50am. You can purchase tickets the day before from the Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch, which has three dispatch centers in Tiananmen Square and Xuanwumen (6601 5622, 5298 0138).

You can also catch buses from Tiananmen and Deshengmen to Dingling. Buses run between 6.30am and 10.30am, for around RMB 120 per ticket. You can also take bus 314 to the tombs (RMB 1.5, stops at Dingling and Changling). Otherwise, take bus 345 from Deshengmen to Dongguan in Changping and change to bus 314. Alternatively, catch the 5 or the 210 from Qianmen, then switch to the 872 for Dingling. The trip takes around three hours.

Car: From Madian Qiao on North Third Ring road, take Badaling Expressway to Changping Xiguan (西关) exit, and follow signs to the Ming Dynasty Tombs.

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.

Dalian is one of those small fishing towns that only got moving in the 20th century – like Shenzhen. The difference is that Dalian’s strategic position at the lip of the Bohai Gulf made it a tempting prize for foreign imperialists. It was leased – under duress – to Russia by the Qing dynasty and occupied by Japan, during which time the spacious foundations and harbor facilities were laid out – the only positive legacy of the period. Enter charismatic politician Bo Xilai – Dalian’s favorite son, and now China’s Minister of Commerce – and Dalian, under a leadership that put municipal beautification at the forefront of its policies, quite simply flowered. Old colonial buildings were restored, ugly apartment blocks were replaced by graceful, classically inspired colorful ones and grass was planted throughout the city. Streetlamps were replaced by candelabra-style lanterns, streets widened, and old rocky shorelines were developed into world-class beach parks. For a Beijinger, it’s a weekend getaway that may well inspire multiple return trips.

The weather’s better than in the capital anytime, but summer is ideal for escaping the Beijing sauna and relaxing on the Dalian seashore. Try to make the International Fashion Festival this year from September 16 to 25 to see the city at its liveliest.

Must-See Attractions
The single most unmissable spot in Dalian is Xinghai Park – claimed to be the largest public square in Asia. Behind the rather extensive exhibition centers and museum, a broad park of concentric oval streets, terminating at what looks like a giant skateboard ramp (actually representing an open book), is surrounded by a bright row of trendy restaurants and watering holes that put Sanlitun to shame. At night, the whole area glitters with neon and floodlights, but it’s not hard to escape to the romantic shadows of the gardens or stroll along the waterfront to the sound of the waves.

For daytime visitors, there’s a hot-air balloon that resembles a football – Dalian’s favorite sport by far – and a bungee tower not far away, where for RMB 180 (not refundable for the cowardly) you can leap yourself into an adrenaline panic in the presence of Dalian’s stunning harbor views. Light buggy-sized aircraft can whip you around the coastline for an aerial perspective, or for the more acrophobic, bicycles can be rented to ride along Binhai Lu – China’s only true scenic drive. To get there, head out towards the majestic-looking European castle overlooking the square, which, despite its impressive appearance, is actually home to a museum of seashell displays that has been under renovation – either way, it’s not worth a visit.

For daytime visitors, there’s a hot-air balloon that resembles a football – Dalian’s favorite sport by far – and a bungee tower not far away, where for RMB 180 (not refundable for the cowardly) you can leap yourself into an adrenaline panic in the presence of Dalian’s stunning harbor views. Light buggy-sized aircraft can whip you around the coastline for an aerial perspective, or for the more acrophobic, bicycles can be rented to ride along Binhai Lu – China’s only true scenic drive. To get there, head out towards the majestic-looking European castle overlooking the square, which, despite its impressive appearance, is actually home to a museum of seashell displays that has been under renovation – either way, it’s not worth a visit.

The Development Zone, on the other hand, encourages foreign
visitors, and a light-rail connects the two city centers. More commercial than industrial face of Dalian, it has its own beachfront that is even better than those in central Dalian itself. Jinshi Tan looks like a genuine resort with its
ocean-facing condos and sapphire-blue swimming water. Walk along the
beach to see the interesting cliff-face sculptures, some of which depict
life-sized fossilized dinosaur bones, and become one of a long list of tourists who’ve had their photos taken emerging from a dinosaur egg. A short way inland on Tongniu Hill is what seems to be a landed UFO – it’s actually a
stylized lookout which affords comprehensive views of the zone, a smart-looking and well-planned city that didn’t exist twenty years before.

A Taste of Korea and Italy
If you are into Korean meals, do visit Koreatown when you’re back in Dalian central. It’s a little-known area just past and opposite the Shangri-La and near the Customs Building. One street back from Renmin Lu is a network of alleys full of the most authentic Korean joints in China. Several are decorated in traditional Korean style and the Korean Hangeul script adorns every building. More well-known are the Japanese and Russian culture streets, both marked on the local map, where just as in Koreatown you’ll find restored foreign architecture, signs in the local script and good restaurants. The Russian street is the largest of all three, a short bus or taxi ride away from the train station, where the opulent mansions of a hundred years before have been prettified in pastel colors as if they’d just been built. Duck into a left hutong halfway down for the real thing. Here you’ll find several other streets of the same style homes in a disheveled condition more befitting of their age, each one inhabited by several Chinese families piling up the fallen bricks to section off extra rooms.

If you’re in the mood for slurping spaghetti, there’s Barolo Italian Restaurant in the south harbor of Dalian. It is one of many signs that massive foreign investment has shaped this city into an international locale in the Northeast. So if you’re not in the mood to go see another temple in the countryside on your next weekend out, visit Dalian and go swimming instead.

Getting there
Train: Take train T81 (9.21pm, arrives 6.58am) or T225 (6pm-6am) from Beijing Railway Station to Dalian.
Car: Take Jingshen Expressway from either East Fourth or Fifth Ring Road to Panjin city in Liaoning Province, to the Panhaiying Expressway (Panjin 盘锦–Haicheng 海城–Yingkou 营口). At the Liupan (六盘) tollbooth, take the Shenda Expressway (Shenyang 沈阳-Dalian 大连) and follow signs to Dalian.
Approx distance: 840 km

Shangri-la Hotel
RMB 1,638-RMB 23,000. 66 Renmin Lu, Zhongshan District (0411 8252 5000) www.shangrila.com 大连香格里拉大饭店，中山区人民路66号

Swissotel Dalian
RMB 818-RMB 8,020. 21 Wuhui Lu, Zhongshan District (0411 8230 3388) www.swissotel-dalian.com 大连瑞士酒店，中山区五惠路21号

Haiyun International Youth Hostel
RMB 25-90 per bed. 104 Jian, 667 Zhongshan District (0411 8239 4400) 大连海韵国际青年旅社，中山区667号104舰

Barolo Italian Restaurant
Daily 11.30am-10pm. 14 Zhongnan Lu, near Qiqi Jie, Zhongshan District, Tianjin (0411 8273 8078B) arolo意大利西餐厅, 天津中山区七七街中南路14号

In these times, local government funding agencies allocated one million yuan annually to restore and maintain this genuinely delightful valley park, and it has been money well spent. Developers have made obvious efforts to ensure that cleanliness is upheld – park restrooms are exemplary – and the artifact restoration work has been subtle and respectful. Tourist areas aside, local residents of the charming Humen Township at the foot of the mountain are visibly unaffected by the industry, and thrive cheerfully in humble agricultural surrounds. This provides an engaging option for visitors who wish to stay over with a local family – inquire in town for details.

There are many squat dagobas scattered throughout the vale, but the focus of the park is the array of five Jin dynasty towers on the scoured foundations of the Fahua Temple, known at the time of their construction as the Da Yan Sheng Temple – then an eminent place of Buddhist learning. The towers contain the ashes of prominent monastic teachers of the age.

Silver Mountain itself makes for a good hour’s climb for the fit and the enthusiastic, and provides good views of the pagoda forest and surrounding areas. The path to the top, while occasionally steep, is well marked – and stairways have been cut in for difficult slopes. The perspective will give visitors insight into the seclusion that the valley enjoys – the one factor that has protected the ruins throughout the decline of the dynasties. This isolation does make the park slightly tricky to get to from Beijing in comparison to the other better-known attractions nearby – the Huanghuacheng Great Wall and the Ming Tombs – but the peaceful air and the idyllic scenery make this a tranquil and relaxing alcove for a day’s visit.

Silver Mountain
Daily 8am-4pm. RMB 15 (Nov-Mar); RMB 20 (Apr-Oct). Xingshou Town, Changping District (8972 6426, 8972 6425)
银山塔林，昌平区, 兴寿镇西湖村

Getting there
Bus: The fastest bus route is the 845 express (RMB 9) from Xizhimen (the stop is between Xizhimen and Chegongzhuang subway stations on Xizhimen Nandajie) north to Changping Dongguan – a taxi from there should cost RMB 100-200 (RMB 300 roundtrip), or a bumpy 50-minute ride on the 31 minibus is RMB 4 (bus stops are unmarked, but wait at the stop where you get off the 845 and go in the same direction).Other buses to Changping Dongguan are 345, 345 express and 919. Route 31 takes you to Humen Town, from which it’s a 10-minute walk straight up the main road to the park gate. The last bus back leaves at 4.30pm for Route 31.

Car: Take Anli Lu (安立路) from Anhui Qiao (安惠桥) on North Fourth Ring Road to Lishuiqiao (立水桥) and eventually merge onto Litang Lu (立汤路) heading north. Pass through the Daliushu Roundabout (大柳树环岛) in Xingshouzhen (兴寿镇), following the sign to Silver Mountain Pogoda Forest (银山塔林). Parking is RMB 5 for cars and RMB 10 for larger vehicles. Approx Distance: 60km
 

While non-Japanese readers may wonder if a day spent tree-spottingreally constitutes a good time, rest assured that there’s enough variationin the exhibits – including superb picnic areas and a quiet temple – to make it a pleasant escape from the Beijing bustle.

The grounds, which in total cover an area of 400 hectares (making this the largest botanical exhibition in the county), are divided into various distinct gardens – each of which showcases the beauty of predominantly northern Chinese flora. This is not just a park – it’s a scientific reserve, and from every tree in the enclosure, both rare and common, hangs a detailed plaque.

It’s the specialty gardens that make for the most rewarding viewing,and all of them except the tropical conservatory are free. The conservatory(RMB 50) is a massive greenhouse with politely laid-out walkways leading through an artificial jungle of colorful orchids, broad-leaved green tropical trees, cacti and other rare plants, including a good selection of carnivorous varieties, and there’s a special display prepared every month. For something a little more delicate, wander through the peach and cherry blossom gardens (when in season), and try to remain unmoved as the breeze gently carries the thousand-fold silky petals through the air. The blossoms of each orchard shyly blush in distinctive pastel shades, making a stroll through these gardens a simple delight. The peony gardens are perhaps the most stereotypically Chinese, with large, colorful flowers prized for their decorative and medicinal properties, and referred to in China as the "king of flowers."The rose garden alone covers seven hectares and contains over 1,000 varieties of roses. Other gardens feature lilacs, conifers, maples, bamboo and pines.

Of particular interest is the penjing collection – more commonly known as bonsai, although the tradition originates from China, not Japan – which features miniature trees from around the country, including one 1,300 year-old gingko. Displays encourage visitors to learn more about the subtle and contemplative nature of the art as well as to explain how it’s done.

In the far north of the park, a long, tree-lined avenue leads to the entrance of the Shifangpujue Temple, more commonly referred to as Wofo Si, which means the Templeof the Sleeping Buddha. The name refers to the 54-ton reclining Sakyamuni Buddhacast in bronze back in the Yuan dynasty in the year 1321 AD. The temple was built to house the Buddha and the completion of the project cost 10 million guan (the currency of the age) and required the efforts of 7,000 slaves. Despite the name, the Buddha is not reclining in sleep, but dying. The clay figures around his expiring form are receiving his last instructions. Despite its age, frequent repairs have made the temple look as sparkling as the day it was completed – which may convey an inauthentic tone to enthusiasts of traditional Chinese architectural sites.

Wander up behind the temple grounds to discover some very attractive grassy areas with nice scenic views – the perfect spot for a picnic.Cao Xueqin found it just as ideal when he stayed here while working on his manuscriptfor Dream of the Red Chamber, which would become one of China’s four greatest classic works.
An exceptional complex, Beijing Botanical Gardens is worth a visit for families looking for a peaceful day amidst China’s history and nature.

Beijing Botanical Garden 植物园
Tickets sold daily 6am-7pm, closes 9pm (summer), tickets 7am-5pm, closes 7pm (winter).RMB 5. Wofosi Lu, Xiangshan, Haidian District. (6259 1283) www.beijingbg.com海淀区香山卧佛寺路北京植物园

Conservatorium 温室
Daily 8am-4.30pm (summer), 8.30am-4pm (winter). RMB 50. (6259 1561)

Wofo Temple 卧佛寺
Daily 8am-4pm (summer), 8.30am-4pm (winter). RMB 5.

Getting there
Bus: Take bus 714 from Fuchengmen, 318 from Pingguoyuan, 331 from Xinjiekou, 360 from Dongwuyuan (the zoo) or 904 from Xizhimen.
Car: Take Xi Sihuan and get off at the Sihai Qiao exit (四海桥), head northwest and take Beiwucun Lu (北坞村路) or Minzhuang Lu (闵庄路) and follow the signs.
Approximate distance: 19km

If you’ve heard of Attachment Parenting – the movement founded on the notion that babies thrive on physical contact and closeness with their parents – you’ve probably heard of “babywearing.” As parents explore natural ways to nurture their children through touch and a sense of closeness, many of them are rejecting strollers and choosing to carry their children close to the body, where they can be lulled to sleep by the sound of their parent’s beating heart. According to second-hand baby items trader Karen Patterson of NU2YU Baby Shop, here in Beijing more and more parents are beginning to inquire about slings, wraps and other babywearing products. Karen invited American mom and babywearing expert Liora Pearlman to teach tbjkids about some of the many different ways you can wear your baby.

Meitai
In Asia, it’s not unusual to see mothers in more remote areas carrying their infants in wicker baskets or inside folded padded blankets slung over their shoulders. But the most common and comfortable traditional baby carrying item in this part of the world is definitely the meitai. Now very popular in the West, the meitai is a broad cut of fabric with four straps that tie around the body. It’s highly portable, easy to put on, and provides a privacy shield for nursing. Because it enables your baby’s head to rest comfortably against your chest, it’s also highly conducive to bonding. The drawback to the meitai is that the baby’s weight is borne completely by the back and shoulders. See below for a step-by-step guide to putting on a meitai.

Slings and Wraps
There are a number of babywearing products made from simple lengths of cloth or tubes of fabric that can be buckled or wrapped around the body. Many of these, particularly wraps without rings or clips, take some time to learn to use, but once accustomed to them many parents find slings and wraps to be comfortable, adjustable and convenient tools for supporting children who are awake, nursing or sleeping. Experienced wrap users can use a simple long cloth to tie a five-point harness that will distribute a child’s weight evenly from shoulder to hip and allow you to hold him in a number of different positions. Older babies (6 months and above) can be positioned facing outwards to watch what their parents do with their hands. See below for a step-by-step guide to putting on a side sling.

Soft Packs
The most oft-requested brand of soft pack is the BabyBjörn – a highly structured baby carrier that supports the baby in an ergonomic position in front of the parent. They’re more expensive than other brands on the market but are generally found to be far superior and safer, despite feeling a little heavy to wear. They are adjustable and feature a hood for sleeping babies. A smaller Japanese version, the Chichi, is lighter, foldable and appeals to moms looking for a more feminine carrier.

Backpack Carriers
This style of baby pack is usually bulkier and frumpier than the soft pack style. As with a real backpack, weight is well-distributed thanks to a hip belt and shoulder straps. (NU2YU has a few of these items for hire for weekend hikers who want to take baby along for a day out at the Great Wall.)

Don’t know how to say it? Can’t understand what you’re hearing? tbjkids to the rescue!

to carry
bàozhe
抱着

carry the baby
bàozhe yīng’ér
抱着婴儿

close to the breast
jǐnkào xiōngqián
紧靠胸前

parent-child bonding
qīnzǐ guānxì
亲子关系

attachment parenting
qīnmì yù’érfǎ
亲密育儿法

curled up
quānsuò bào
蜷缩抱

lying flat
hēng bào
横抱

sitting up
zuò shì bào
坐式抱

facing inwards
miàn chāonèi bào
面朝内抱

facing outwards
miàn chāowài bào
面朝外抱

hugging
shù bào
竖抱

snuggling
yīwèi bào
依偎抱

breastfeeding position
bǔrǔ bào
哺乳抱

too loose
tài sōng
太松

too tight
tài jǐn
太紧

well-supported
láogù zhīchēng de
牢固支撑的

stretchy fabric
tánxìng bùliào
弹性布料

support the baby’s head
zhīchēng yīng’ér tóubù
支撑婴儿头部

breathing space
hūxī kōngjiān
呼吸空间

baby carrier
yīng’ér bēijù
婴儿背具

harness
yīng’ér bēidài
婴儿背带

meitai carrier
yīng’ér bēidōu
婴儿背兜

sling
yīng’ér diàodài
婴儿吊带

wrap
yīng’ér guǒbù
婴儿裹布

soft pack
yīng’ér bēibāo
婴儿背包

backpack carrier
yīng’ér bēiyǐ
婴儿背椅

When it comes to purchasing items for their kids, foreign parents in Beijing rarely take advantage of low-priced local brands – safety comes first when junior’s concerned, and many parents prefer to spend a little more on imported brands they know they can trust. Of course, Beijing’s expats hail from all over the globe, and different folks are loyal to different labels on the international market. We conducted an informal survey of the city’s families to find out which brands experienced parents seek out, and where they do their shopping. Here’s what we found.

North American Parents
Good quality clothing is getting easier to find in Beijing reports American mom Eliot Bikales. For standard kids’ clothing, Bikales regularly shops at Decathlon. “Their clothes hold up well, and with four active kids, that’s important,” she says. Bikales occasionally finds GAP seconds at local markets or at the stores in Pinnacle Plaza – she likes this brand because there’s no guesswork involved in the sizes. To cater to the more alternative tastes of her 11-year-old daughter Maral, Bikales turns to the Internet, buying goth gear from fashion website Hot Topic.

For sporting gear and clothing, Angela Mueller, also from the States, is another Decathlon fan. “The equipment we bought there a year ago is still in great shape, and the clothes are washing and wearing very well,” she states happily.

For kids’ parties, Mueller shops at Exquisite, and she particularly recommends their Wilton baking supplies. “Exquisite has all kinds of party supplies, children’s custom cakes and decorations. The Wilton baking supplies allow you to create your own cake, which is great fun for kids. They also have classes, which are a great activity for the children as well.”

African Parents
Foreign parents who speak Chinese are often more comfortable buying Chinese brands, observes Cecil Pollydore, a father of three from Guyana. “Those foreigners who travel back and forth will bring things back from home, but those of us who settle in Beijing learn to make do with what is here.”

For the widest range of international kid’s items, he tends to rely on the stores at Scitech Plaza and the Yansha Shopping Mall, although he warns that items bought here are on the expensive side.

“When I first moved to Beijing several years ago, reliable children’s products were hard to find – now, there are more products to choose from every passing day,” says Pollydore. “I find that if you’re willing to go walking and searching through the local markets, you can find good prices and quality.”

Pollydore’s preferred hunting grounds include the Alien Street Market and lesser-known Dongjiao Market (southeast of Soho New Town on Dawang Lu). Some local brands Pollydore has come to trust are Goodbaby (for strollers and other gear) and Anta (for kids‘ shoes). “Anta is cheap, good quality, and not fake,” he reports.

European Parents
Dutch daddy Michael Sahlsberg laments that the “practically indestructible” handmade items like cotton diapers and woolen baby underwear he buys in his wife’s native Sweden aren’t available in Beijing. He manages to import some, however, from Ullrike. But there’s a hazard involved with purchasing this website’s quality clothing: “Your baby won’t need so many layers of clothing and a father on his own will soon find himself cornered by local pensioners screaming ta leng (she’s too cold)!”

Middle Eastern Parents

Peter Marvian from the United Arab Emirates hasn’t yet needed to import any products for young Sam, finding most of his needs answered at supermarkets like Hualian, Carrefour, and Ito Yakado. In terms of specific brands, Marvian goes for the reliable Japanese baby products label Pigeon and for internationally recognized Johnson and Johnson. For strollers and children’s furniture, Marvian is happy with the cheaper stuff on offer at Five Star Market on the North Third Ring Road.

East Asian Parents
Korean products enjoy a good reputation for quality, and Korean import stores in the Wangjing area serve the local Korean community well. Little Soo Hong’s mother, Kandy Choi, shops at Ice Cream for kid’s clothing from Korea. The quality is good, Choi reports, but she warns that the stuff is “not that cheap.”

Like many foreigners in Beijing, local father Li Xianming recommends Johnson and Johnson, saying that it’s the international brand that Chinese parents respect the most. “It’s known to be non-allergenic, and safe for kids with sensitive skin,” he explains. As for local products, he has great respect for San Lu baby milk brand, but now often shops for imported Nestlé. It’s getting easier and easier to buy good imported products in China,” he says, “as smaller supermarkets are now stocking wider varieties and better brands.”

If anything can be considered a universal heart-warmer, it’s the sight of a sleeping child snuggled underneath his blankets. No matter how rough the night before, no parent can stay grumpy in the face of that totally relaxed, utterly innocent expression worn by a child absorbed in sleep. Oh, if only they were always like that! Inevitably, however, the sun slips over the horizon, and the little ones must be reeled in from dreamland. How do Beijing parents deal with this sometimes heartbreaking task?

Every morning, local mother Shen wrestles with her conscience when it comes time to rouse her 3-year-old, Keyi. “All kids need more sleep than adults,” she says. “If I have to wake her up, she will cry – it wastes a lot of time and it’s hard to get her clothes on.” Grandma’s old-school approach is to apply a cold towel to baby’s face to snap her out of sleep, but this is a practice that Shen disapproves of. “A better way is to play her favorite music from low to high, and then she will wake up with a smile,” she says.

If this musical wake up call fails, Shen goes even further to avoid Keyi’s discomfort: “If she has to be at school but it’s too difficult to wake her up, I will let her stay asleep and get her fully dressed, and carry her in my arms to the gate of her classroom, and then she’ll wake up when she sees her classmates and teacher. She won’t cry and will be very good and sit there for breakfast. This is the best way to give a child the longest sleep – carry her to school while she is still sleeping.”

American expat journalist David Wivell has a similar strategy, albeit one that only goes as far as the bathroom. “Our eldest daughter attends primary school, so she has to get up a bit earlier than our little one. I get up first, so it’s my responsibility to get her out of bed. She responds to me picking her up and plonking her in the bathroom. She doesn’t get picked up as much as the little one – she likes it and pretends to still be asleep.”

David’s wife Zhihua, a local Beijinger, is in charge of waking their younger daughter. “She doesn’t pick her up,” he says fondly, “she just tells her to get out of bed! We certainly don’t have any worries about them getting enough sleep; they get more sleep than we do. My wife would like them to get more sleep, but I don’t really mind – I figure if they get up early then they’ll sleep better at night.”

Older kids need some discipline of their own. Local mom Liu Yin has been encouraging her daughter Jin Meng to be self-disciplined about waking up in the morning since Jin Meng first began attending school. “Chinese teachers are very strict,” says Liu. “Chinese people have no choice but to be self-starters. I don’t want to scare her awake – I bought her a cartoon alarm clock that she has to switch off herself.”

As a nurse, Liu is aware of how important it is for growing children to get adequate sleep. At the same time, her daughter’s academic pressures leave little room for a good night’s rest. “Her private time is taken up with study, so there’s no other way but for her to sleep at school. She usually sleeps through her history class. She can get out of bed if she knows she can sleep at school. I don’t like it, but there’s no choice.”

There may well be no sure-fire strategy for easing the kids into the day. Everyone’s little precious is unique in terms of sleep needs and morning disposition. In March this year, research on the PERIOD3 gene further corroborated evidence that the difference between early risers and night owls is part of our genetic code, suggesting that some kids are going to struggle through their mornings no matter what you do to urge them along. So go on, softies, and let them have those five extra minutes.

The art of not wearing a seatbelt is so well-perfected in Beijing that many expats here eventually shrug off the dangers and pick up the bad habit of riding buckle-free. Leaving all common sense at the roadside, we sit in the passenger seat unfettered and fearless as our madcap taxi drivers weave between cars and swerve around jaywalkers at frightening speeds.

It’s one thing to take risks with yourself, however, and a whole different thing to take them with your kids. Then again, if you’ve ever tried to convince a taxi driver in Beijing to help you fit a car seat in the rear of a cab – assuming there are seatbelts installed back there in the first place – you’ve probably already come to the conclusion that car seats and Beijing taxis just don’t mix.

The simple truth is that child car seats are not widely used in China or even generally held to be of any safety benefit. And manufacturers with dreams of selling car seats to China’s enormous market have little chance of changing this. In the absence of a safety certification system in China (plans are underway to introduce one in 2008), serious players would quickly lose their market share to low-cost copycat manufacturers with unproven safety records. Manufacturers, therefore, have no incentive to spend money on campaigns to educate the public about child passenger safety. Disappointing buyer interest has discouraged firms such as the Ningbo-based manufacturer Baby-first from enlarging their operations. For the time being, the local car seat market is in a quagmire.

In most developed nations, car seats for children are mandatory, and children under a certain age are not legally allowed to be passengers in any motorized vehicle without them. Although standards and age limits vary from country to country, there is an international consensus, backed by considerable scientific research of the most rigorous variety, that child car seats save lives. Parents in Beijing need to be able to insist on using them or they are putting their children’s safety in jeopardy.

Karen Patterson, who sells secondhand imported children’s items at her popular store NU2YU Baby Shop, notes that the great majority of her car seat customers buy them for use in their own vehicles. “There are strict standards governing their use and no guarantee that taxis will meet them,” she says, adding that some car seat brands require the installation of a restraining hook as well as an approved seatbelt. “It’s my understanding that this pushes some people to buy their own car.”

Believing that quality can’t be overemphasized when it comes to car seats, Patterson is extremely selective about the secondhand seats her store carries. For parents looking to purchase an imported car seat that hasn’t been used before, she recommends shopping at Chicco. She does not advise purchasing brands intended for the local market.

Child passenger safety is an issue for older kids, too. Beijing’s international schools generally take the issue of safety on school buses and vans very seriously, but smart parents should still inquire about how standards are enforced at their child’s school. Should you discover that your child’s bus driver fails to check seatbelt use, allows children to sit on each other’s knees, or fails to come to a complete stop when children disembark, be sure to inform your school’s management.

There are a thousand ways in which Beijing’s laid-back, age-old culture makes life in China different, and expatriate residents in Beijing inevitably find themselves changing their habits to adapt, often for the better. However, some habits and practices shouldn’t be compromised, and ensuring your child’s safety in vehicles is one of them.