“Icy winds on your face are awesome!” said no parent with restless kids indoors ever. As the chill fades and the blossoms burst into bloom, it’s time to let loose your energy outdoors. Beijing’s parks are calling – whether it’s scaling obstacle courses, biking an 11km loop, or gliding around in a giant pink flamingo, there’s no shortage of ways to get active together. Truth be told, I’ve had my share of cop-outs where I encourage my daughter Leili to try something new while I “supervise” from the sidelines (aka backside on a bench plus doom-scrolling). But with her grandmother visiting, I wanted to make this April outdoors a family affair. So, pack the snacks, slap on the sunscreen, and let’s celebrate spring with these fun-filled adventures!

Treetop Thrills at Happy Gorilla

We kicked off our spring reboot by heading skyward. Suspended between tall trees, Happy Gorilla Tree-Top Adventure Park (快乐猩猩树上穿越主题公园) is a high ropes obstacle course tucked into the southwest corner of Chaoyang Park – a network of wobbly planks, cargo nets, swinging ropes, bridges, tunnels, and trapezes, all suspended in the air.

Happy Gorilla offers two difficulty levels, divided by height: under or over 140 cm. The junior course (starting from RMB 320) was perfect for our crew – Leili, Eva, and Enya, all age six. Harnessed in and helmeted up, they clambered onto the starting platform with big grins and a touch of nervous energy.

Despite a few shaky steps on the swingiest bits, the girls tackled it all with surprising aplomb – no meltdowns, no fear of heights, just giggling, pink-cheeked determination. The course ended with a mini rock wall and a breezy zipline to land back on terra firma. It took just over an hour, and while the area was lively with other families, we didn’t have to queue. For a dose of fresh air and adrenaline, this one’s a must-try.

Find it:
Happy Gorilla at Chaoyang Park
200m inside the No.7 East Gate of Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District
朝阳区,朝阳公园东7号门内200米
Subway Line 14: Chaoyang Park
Open daily from 9am-6pm

Biking the Olympic Greens at Olympic Forest Park

The next stop is Beijing’s green lung! Designed by Tsinghua University’s Urban Planning and Design Institute as a “back garden” to the 2008 Summer Games, Olympic Forest Park (奥林匹克森林公园) is the largest public green space in Beijing. Its whopping 680 hectares are split into north and south zones, linked by an “Ecological Corridor” – a bridge that cleverly spans the Fifth Ring Road.

Both zones are havens for running clubs, picnicking families, romping kids, and young cyclists. While adult bicycles are unfortunately prohibited, children’s bikes are welcome, making for an amusing dynamic of kids pedaling ahead while parents jog to keep up.

This imbalance is offset by the joy of the ride: 11km and 7.5km loops, respectively, in the north and south gardens. We entered via the park’s north gate and ended at the south gate, weaving through sections of both loops and stopping to see wetlands, scoop up blossoms from the ground, and savor an ice cream.

On a recent Saturday, the park was teeming with sports teams, vendors, dogs, strollers, and tents. After crossing the Corridor, we turned left to follow the western edge of the south loop along a near-empty stretch hugging a tranquil tree-lined canal. The route encircles Yangshan Hill (仰山) and winds down to the southern tip of Aohai Lake (奥海) (where crowds reappeared). The incline is mostly flat, making it accessible for those new to riding – we even saw younger kids on balance bikes. For a springtime ride, the highlight is catching glimpses of the iconic Olympic Tower through a flurry of pink and white blooms.

Find it:
Olympic Forest Park South Gate
33 Kehui Road, Chaoyang, Beijing
Subway Line 8, Senlin Gongyuan Nanmen (森林公园南门) station
Open daily from 6.30am-10pm

Captaining a Flamingo Boat at Aohai Lake 

We returned to Olympic Park on a quiet Tuesday with friends – this time, Laura joined Leili to co-captain a flamingo-pink boat across the glassy waters of South Garden’s Aohai Lake. Technically, this outing isn’t quite “active,” since the boats are electric rather than pedal- or oar-powered, but it’s the perfect cooldown after a bike ride: a chance to rest tired legs and take in the lakeside scenery.

A boat for six costs RMB 240 for unlimited usage time. Our captains took their mission seriously, taking turns navigating past ducks taking flight and steering clear of collisions with other boaters. The gentle pace, the fresh breeze, the Olympic Tower gleaming in the sun, and blooms ringing the lake all made for a meditative ride to soak in spring vibes.

Find it:
Olympic Forest Park South Gate
33 Kehui Road, Chaoyang District
Subway Line 8, Senlin Gongyuan Nanmen (森林公园南门) station
Open daily from 6.30am-10pm

Want more ideas for getting active outdoors this spring? Stay tuned for where to go for hikes, camping, fishing, and tree-planting excursions both inside and outside the city – coming soon!

Join Tara Fegelein and her family as she explores family-friendly destinations in and around Beijing. Click on the #Kidventures hashtag below to check out her full list of recommendations.

Images: Tara Fegelein

What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day last weekend than by inspiring girls to believe they can change the world? On Mar 8, our Daisy troop – Beijing’s youngest members of the global Girl Scouts movement – set off on a storytelling adventure to honor the extraordinary achievements of women throughout history. Each scout chose a heroine from the worlds of art, science, sports, politics, and beyond to read a short story about her life and legacy. To share these stories in a setting as grand as these legendary ladies, we headed to Beijing City Library (北京城市图书馆 Běijīng Chéngshì Túshūguǎn). Move over, Bird’s Nest, and make way, Pants Building! Designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta (of Oslo Opera House fame) in collaboration with local partner ECADI and inaugurated just over a year ago, this striking new landmark is a masterfully designed space that connects people, books, and nature.

The library is located in Tongzhou, so getting there takes some time. From the city center, it takes about an hour by metro or a 30-minute to drive – but the destination delivers. Turn it into a full-day outing: Wander around the library’s vast wonderland of books, watch a free movie in the children’s cinema, then let the kids run wild in the nearby Green Heart Forest Park (城市绿心森林公园). It’s shū (books) with a side of shù (trees)!

This place is a masterclass in integrating architecture with nature. The world’s largest indoor reading space is encased in a 16-meter-tall glass-walled atrium that bathes the interior in light and offers panoramic views of the surrounding forest park. The roof is supported by 144 soaring, tree-like columns that evoke the canopy of a ginkgo forest – a nod to Beijing’s botanical heritage. Carving through this vast space is the “Valley,” a meandering pathway that mirrors the course of the nearby Tonghui River and links the north and south entrances.

Visitors can ascend the Valley’s sculpted “hills,” which double as bookshelves and seating, feeling immersed in a continuation of the landscape outdoors. This visionary design earned the 2024 IFLA/Baker & Taylor Public Library of the Year Award, the highest honor in global library architecture. 

Here’s what you can expect:

• Take your passport along to open a Member Card for adults and children. It’s free and valid at all branches in the Beijing Library city-wide system.
• You can check out books for 42 days. Late returns incur a RMB 0.1 fee per day, per book. You can return books at any library branch.
• Spread over three floors, the facilities include reading rooms for ancient literature, periodicals, digital collections, media such as movies and music, exhibition spaces, lecture halls, conference rooms, and other areas that are helpfully signposted on maps throughout the library and in a brochure at the info desk at the entrance.
• All floors are accessible with ramps and elevators.

• The children’s section includes an extensive collection of foreign language books, primarily in English and for young children rather than adolescents. These books cannot be taken home, so be ready to grab a cozy seat and read on the spot.
• Book a day in advance for movie screenings at the children’s cinema, which go fast on weekends. Check WeChat for showtimes and a selection of kids movies dubbed in Chinese.
• Wifi service is provided in the library for members – your login and password are your member card number and date of birth.
• There are three cafes that serve beverages and light meals. Manage expectations – the coffee is less what you’d get at Metal Hands and more like 7-Eleven.
• BCL’s WeChat mini program lists their calendar of events. We popped into an exhibit called “Sounds of Beijing” and caught a musical performance in the auditorium.

Over the weekend, our Girl Scouts shared their heroine stories from the popular Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls in the children’s section, followed by a picnic lunch at a quiet tearoom on the second floor. It is worth noting that most areas are quiet zones, and library staff carry signs reminding visitors not to be loud. We wrapped up our visit by letting the girls unleash their energy by bike riding in the expansive outdoor space surrounding the library, which includes a performance hall and the Grand Canal Museum.

Find it:
260m southeast of the intersection of Shangmatou Lu and Huilin Lu, Tongzhou District
通州区上码头路与惠林路交叉口东南260米
Hours: Tue-Sun, 10am-8pm. Closed Mondays
How to get there: Tongzhou Beiguan station on Line 6 is the closest metro station. An on-site metro stop is currently under construction.
Admission: Free
Website: https://bjlib.clcn.net.cn/en
WeChat:

Images: Tara Fegelein