As my family prepares for a summer cycling holiday through the Netherlands, we’re angling to build our 6-year-old’s confidence and stamina on two wheels. Our goal is for her to comfortably handle 25 to 30 kilometers a day – enough to cycle between cities. While Beijing isn’t known for long, traffic-free bike paths, we’ve slowly been discovering routes that work for kids learning to go the distance.

After trying out 10km rides in Olympic Forest Park and Chaoyang Greenway (both pleasant, but short), we were ready for more. That’s how we found the Qinghe Cycleway, a 17km loop that hugs both banks of the Qinghe River inside Wenyu Park in northern Beijing. This leafy, shaded path with riverside views is delightfully idyllic for a relaxing day on two wheels.

A Family-Friendly Riverside Loop

A standout feature of the Qinghe Cycleway is its gentle incline, making it accessible for cyclists of all ages and skill levels. The path is wide and well-maintained, with clear signage and safety barriers, ensuring a secure and easily navigable environment for families. My daughter, Leili, rode her own bike, I picked up a Hello Bike (Alipay’s ubiquitous bike-share), and we took public transport to Wenyu Park, entering via Laiguangying North Road. There are multiple access points (Runze Park also works well), and nearby parking lots are plentiful if you’re driving.

The Cycleway loop is cleverly designed with ramps that connect to nearby roads, which means that if your child tires halfway through, you can easily exit and call a Didi. That flexibility gave us peace of mind as we took on our longest route yet.

East Side Wins for Peace and Scenery

We have cycled the loop twice, and here’s what we’ve learned: If you prefer a shorter ride, choose the section east of Wenyu Park. It’s greener, quieter, and set farther from busy roads. The vegetation feels wilder, and the riverbanks are dotted with young people fishing (an interesting contrast to the older crowds you often see by the Liangma River). In early May, wildflowers bloom along the path, and Leili loved stopping to pick a few to make a bouquet for my bike basket.

By comparison, the western stretch runs closer to the road and felt noticeably more crowded during our weekend visits. Of course, if you opt to complete the full loop, the contrast between the two sides adds variety to the ride.

Pack Snacks, Embrace the Pace

One downside: There are no F&B stops along the route, so you’ll need to bring water, snacks and maybe even a picnic lunch. That said, the uninterrupted ride – without road crossings or traffic – is what makes Qinghe Cycleway such a gem, letting kids joyfully cruise at their own pace and build endurance. (A heads-up: Despite the clear prohibition, motorbikes are a common and unwelcome nuisance).

We took about three hours for the 17km, moving at a gentle pace with frequent stops for snacks, photos, flower-picking and watching fishermen cast their lines. The shine of the river in the sunlight and whistle of the wind in the trees offered a rare sense of escape from the city, even more so than Beijing’s busy parks.

Where to Next?

One great bonus: If you finish the loop and still have energy, you can continue west past Runze Park to reach the Olympic Park North Gate. From there, connect to the Chaoyang Greenway for an additional 10km stretch. It’s a lovely way to turn this into an all-day family cycling adventure.

Whether you’re training for longer distances or just looking for a scenic ride, Qinghe Cycleway is one of the best kid-friendly rides we’ve found in Beijing. Don’t forget your snacks – and maybe a little space in your basket for a bouquet.

Find it:
Qinghe Waterfront Promenade and Cycleway System 清河滨水慢行系统
200 Binhe Lu, Beiqijia Town, Chaoyang District
朝阳区北七家镇滨河路200号

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, Beijing Water

With everything essentially closed last month, Beijing’s residents have picked up jogging and biking. While parks and other public places are now open again, that doesn’t mean that the city’s most scenic biking routes will be left unexplored.

One Douyin influencer (eatforfun) explored a few of the photogenic biking routes within the city limits.

1: 台基场大街 (tái jī chǎng dà jiē)

I would tend to disagree with eatforfun on this being a hidden biking route, since there isn’t too much to see here. But what it lacks in beauty it makes up for in spacious open roads that generally don’t get much traffic.

2: 圣弥额尔大教堂 (shèng mí é ěr dà jiào táng) St. Michael Basilica

Located in the center of the city, this is one of Beijing’s historical Catholic churches.

3: 法国邮政局旧址 (fǎ guó yóu zhèng jú jiù zhǐ) Former site of the French Post Office

After hundreds of years, these buildings still look like they’re in pristine condition. It’s a favorite photography location among newlyweds, and definitely worth adding to your Beijing must-visit checklist.

4: 中国法院博物馆 (zhōng guó fǎ yuàn bó wù guǎn) Chinese Court Museum

This iconic Beijing landmark has been the backdrop of photo enthusiasts for years. Take a ride along these streets and you’re sure to be met with plenty of social media influencers grabbing their perfect summer shots.

5: 正义路 (zhèng yì lù)

While there isn’t exactly a historical landmark, this street is full of beautiful thick trees that cast a nice cool shade when you’re out biking on a hot summer afternoon.

Check out our article on biking with kids before heading out, and enjoy your time out and about in Beijing!

Images: Uni You, Mina Yan

Following our discovery of the free outdoor playground that opened up in a cosy neighborhood park across from the MOMA residences, we are thrilled to share that another outdoor playground has opened in a free park, this time southeast of central Beijing in the Guanzhuang neighborhood not too far from Happy Valley.

官庄公园 (Guān zhuāng gōngyuán) Guanzhuang Park just opened late last year, and sports new, clean facilities, including a freshly painted 860-meter fitness trail, a colored pencil wall, and brand new playground areas! The 948-hectare park itself is huge, as attested by our 1.5 hour exploration that covered less than half of it.

According to the park directory, there are designated areas such as “wetlands,” “butterflies garden,” and even a “moonlight forest,” but due to the winter chill, you don’t really see those attractions yet. What you will see is a big lake that’s currently frozen (and which sadly doesn’t allow ice-skating), as well as several new gazebos and sheltered areas for sitting.

Plus, of course the spanking new kids’ playgrounds! Right now, you can only enter through the west entrance of the park, and the quickest way to the playgrounds is to turn right and walk east until you reach the river, then cross the first bridge. There are three locations identified as public restrooms on the map (look for number 19), but we didn’t manage to find them ourselves.

Following the path you’re set on, the first playground you’ll see is the giraffe. It’s a fun one for little kiddos 3 and under. Further east past that one, you’ll find a larger playground that offers some climbing and balancing challenges, which is best suited to slightly older kids up to 7 years old. Close to that is another toddler playground, this one in the form of a airplane. Around the corner there’s also a slide with a sand pit, as well as some fun natural structures like this one that resembles a wooden igloo.

With huge open spaces and multiple playgrounds within city limits, the park is already a massive draw. But one more thing: Guanzhuang park is one of the few parks that lets kids bring their bicycles and scooters in to ride! The park and the playgrounds are definitely worth a visit, even on weekends when the crowds descend － the space is large enough to accommodate most!

Find it: 北京市朝阳区广华大街
běi jīng shì cháo yáng qū guǎng huà dà jiē
Guanghua Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing

KEEP READING: Beijing’s Newest Playground Has Us Tickled Pink

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush

Beijing was built to be bicycle-friendly, with numerous bike rental apps and countless bicycles on every street. Plus, it has a dedicated bike lane on most roads! Well, at least that’s how it was intended. In reality, cycling through the city can be a bit of a nightmare, even for the most experienced of riders. Firstly, the dedicated bike lane is shared with electric vehicles – including larger “beng beng” cars – and sometimes even actual cars, not to mention pedestrians. Likewise, the sidewalk isn’t much of an option, since it’s too narrow to share with trees and folks on foot. Besides, they often come to an abrupt end, leaving you stranded in the middle of the road like a deer in headlights. 

So I was duly impressed when Beijing Mom Eva Biehl told me that she had cycled from her home near Chaoyang Park to Side Park 4km away, with her husband Andreas and son Nikolai on their own bicycles. If the thought of cycling through Beijing with your kids in tow has ever crossed your mind, then you’ll want to check out tips from the Biehl family and others in our guide below. Do remember firstly that local law only permits children above 12 years old to ride their bicycles on the road. 

Safety

First things first, choose an age-appropriate bicycle for your child by ensuring that both feet can easily step on the ground when they are seated. Other general guides recommend 12 year-olds above 1.4m ride a 26-inch bike wheel bicycle. 

Always wear a safety standards-approved helmet when cycling. Brands like Giro can be found in the many Giant bicycle stores around the city, and Schwinn helmets are readily available on Taobao, where you can also pick up Cairbull’s folding helmet, Fender. For night riding, ensure you have a headlight and reflector installed on the front and back of your bicycle. 

An optional safety feature you could consider would be side-view mirrors. This greatly reduces your chances of getting sideswiped by passing vehicles that tend to travel at higher speeds. Alternatively, train your kids, and yourself, to check your blind spot often. 

Appropriate attire is also paramount to your kid’s safety. Open-toed footwear such as sandals are not recommended as they can either fall off easily, or straps can get caught in the spokes of the bike wheels. 

Planning

“Plan enough time since cycling is so much slower,” says Biehl. We can back her up on that. Most accidents occur as a result of rushing when we are late or short on time. Be prepared to take breaks if necessary and start with shorter trips first, with the intent to build up your kid’s stamina over time. She also advises “[planning]a nice destination so they are eager to go.”

Rules on the road 

“Mom and Dad are the bosses on the road,” states Biehl. “We stop at each crossing, and dismount to walk our bicycles across.” It is also critical to assess upcoming road conditions on behalf of your child and let them know of any impending obstacles or how busy the road is. Biehl learned from experience that teaching our children how to assess road conditions even before they get on a bicycle would be beneficial as “they learn to understand why we ask them to keep to the right, so we don’t have to constantly remind them.”

Top tips

Keep your child in between two adults if possible. If you are riding alone with your children, it might be best to keep them between yourself and the pavement. Don’t hesitate to stop, get off the bicycle, and push the bicycles on the pavement if the road is just too crowded.

KEEP READING: Bike for Your Buck: Unlimited Pass on Hellobike

Images: Unsplash, Eva Biehl 

I love cycling. It’s fun. It’s good exercise. Second only to walking, it’s the best way to get to know the geography of a city and – depending where you’re going – it’s often faster than public transport or taxi. More importantly, with COVID cases rising yet again, it’s essential to stay active in a safe way, and cycling enables you to do just that by staying outdoors where the virus can’t spread as easily.

But best of all, cycling is empowering. Whether Beijing is the first foreign city you’ve lived in, or your tenth, you can probably appreciate how disempowering the process of moving somewhere new can be. As a newcomer like me, it’s so easy to feel like things are just happening to you: you’re getting lost. You’re getting ignored. You’re getting shouted at. You’re unable to exercise much choice about what to eat or drink or even breathe. Loss of agency like this is mostly temporary, but it can seriously affect your mood and outlook.

Yet cycling is a powerful way to, ahem, get back in the saddle – the second rubber meets road you’re in control, an active participant in the game of city living.

I’ve been getting around on two wheels for years now, so no matter how many well-intentioned friends and family flapped their hands and wailed about how dangerous and terrifying it would be, I never considered not getting a bike and cycling in Beijing. What I didn’t expect was how enjoyable it would prove.

Here’s why:

The infrastructure is great

Compared to many Western cities, the bike lanes in Beijing are gigantic (Chang’an Avenue, anyone?), and in great condition. Wide bike lanes mean easy overtaking, which is essential if you want to keep both the lycra set and 80-year-old cyclists happy. Narrow bike lanes on the other hand cause bottlenecking, which in turn puts pressure on people to ride fast, causing an unreasonable and potentially dangerous situation. Wide lanes also solve the problem of bike lanes being obstructed by the delivery trucks, scooters, and cars, hazard-lights merrily blinking, an irritating but unavoidable fact of cycling the world over.

The geography is in your favor

This is an obvious one: Beijing is as flat as a pancake. Whether you’re riding with a zillion gears, an Ofo, or on a fixie, you’re unlikely to break a sweat while riding around, unless you actually want to.

History provides a strong tailwind

Unlike in the West, as recently as ten or 15 years ago, cycling was pretty much the only way to get around in Beijing. Everybody rode. Everywhere. While this may no longer be the case, there are still far more cyclists in Beijing than Paris, and there is a historical and cultural acceptance of cycling as a normal thing to do. Furthermore, compared to every other place I’ve cycled, drivers here have a much lower sense of entitlement to the road. Truly.

Culture flows into everything

Is it the result of growing up with over a billion other people? The need to endlessly navigate around each other in confined spaces? Or is it the impact of ‘face’ which prevents petty outbursts of dissatisfaction? I don’t know. I just know that Beijingers move around public spaces in a surprisingly easygoing way. Road rules are mostly guidelines, and despite the frequent cutting-off and pulling-into-busy-traffic-without-even-pretending-to-look, most of the time people adjust to accommodate one another without a word. Don’t believe me? Ride the wrong way up a bike lane in Beijing and see what happens (nothing). Now try that again in London, New York, or Paris. Shannon Bufton from Serk relates this to a phenomena he calls “negotiated flow,” explaining, “when you come to an intersection, everything slows down because [road users]don’t know who should be first since there is no steadfast rule … you look everyone in the eye, and then you personally negotiate the space, which makes it very, very safe.” The added benefit of this system is, in his view, “if something goes wrong, by the time you’ve slowed down to that speed, it’s just not dangerous at all.”

In the West, personal space is sacrosanct and people are less willing to adjust their trajectories. The upshot is that if you’re alert and sensitive to your surroundings, riding in Beijing can be a relatively harmonious experience.

The author with her “disco bike”

Tips and Tricks for staying safe on Beijing streets

• Never wear headphones and ride: you need to hear what’s going on around you.
• Expect the unexpected. People will cut in front of you, step out randomly into the street, and stop abruptly. Be ready, and go with the flow.
• Be aware of the “turning right is at all times allowed rule” and always watch out for rogue cars when approaching junctions.
• Invest in a good anti-pollution mask for bad air days (but don’t forget that even on a bad day, it’s still healthier to cycle).
• Deck your bike with some bright LED front and rear lights for night riding, and if you’re feeling extra jazzy, wear a reflective vest.
• Wear a helmet. Seriously.

Disclaimer
I am an experienced urban cyclist, so my standard for what is “normal,” “scary,” or “unacceptable” may be different to others just starting out. Saying that, we should all learn sometime, and despite the perceived chaos Beijing makes for a great city to adopt a set of wheels. Now strap on your helmet and get exploring!

READ: Train Hopping in Southern China: A Guide to Exploring Sichuan’s Sights by Rail

Photos: Anna Pellegrin Hartley, Giphy

Together with the Great Wall and the Karez Well, the 1,700-kilometer-long Beijing-Hangzhou (Jinghang) Grand Canal has been described as one of the three greatest building projects in China. Often lauded as the largest and longest conservation project in the world, the canal starts at Beijing, passes through Tianjin, and ends at Hangzhou in the south.

Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park has been built to spread the culture of this project. Covering a total area of 3.68 million square meters with a length of 4600 meters, this canal park is a multifunctional place that includes sports, boating, fishing with drones as a creative  idea we got from dronesuavreport.com, camping, recreation, education, and tourism for all ages.

How to Get There

Last time we took subway line 6, and got off at exit A of Beiyunhe West (北运河西) station. It was not difficult to find shared bikes around the subway station. For those don’t care about the quality of the bikes and don’t want to go through the hassle of renting a bike from a store, it’s convenient to take a shared bike to the canal park since it only takes about 20 minutes.

If you want to go by bus, you can take bus 24 at Dongzhimen Station (东直门站) and get off at Beijing Station （北京站）. Walk to Beijing Qianjie Station （北京前街站）, and transfer to bus 804, then get off at the Qiji Village Station （七级村）. From there, biking or walking to the north gate of the canal park takes less than 20 minutes.

Main Attractions to See

There is one river, two pathways, six gardens, and eighteen scenic spots (一河、两岸、六园、十八景) in the Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park. If you are on one side of the canal, It is a very long way to cross to the other side. Therefore, packing a lot of water is a must!

Along both sides of the river, there are six scenic areas. Entering from the north gate, the first place we saw was the Taoliu Scenic Area in Luhe River (潞河桃柳景区), which covers a large area of flowers, weeping willow, and fruit trees. Biking towards the south, we stopped at the Wenying Scenic Area in Moon Island (月岛闻莺景区) to enjoy a peaceful moment, taking in the beautiful flora and fauna. It was pleasant to see many lotuses and to feel the breeze at the end of summer.

               
The further south we biked, the more people we saw. The southern side is definitely more popular, but if you want to go for a picnic, the north is better. Passing by Yinfeng Autumn Scenic Area (银枫秋实景区), at Jungle Scenic Spot (活力丛林景区) we found a mini version of the amusements in Chaoyang Park. It had been shut down previously, but now it’s back for kids to play. There are also signs saying you can camp along the way, but it’s not permitted to stay overnight there.

If you want to rent a cruise boat, Mingjing Yizhou Scenic Area (明镜移舟景区) is a good place to go. It costs RMB 50 and above to rent a boat depending on what kind of boat you pick. Around the wharf area, docks, a food warehouse, stores, bars, and inns can all be found here. Finally the southernmost part of the park is the Gaotai Pinglin Scenic Area (高台平林景区), where you can find a lot of big trees and little hideaways to explore.

Facilities in the Park

Restrooms, playgrounds, and parking facilities are found along the path at irregular intervals, and while food and beverages are available from local communities, it may be a few miles between them.

Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park 通州大运河森林公园
Daily until 11 pm. Free entry. Songliang Road Nanduan, Tongzhou District. 通州区宋梁路南段 (6156 9200)

Photos: Wendy Xu

Beijing will improve over 900 kilometers of bike lanes while extending the urban rail network to 630km this year as part of an effort to increase the availability of green transportation options in the city. The Beijing Municipal Traffic Authority has announced that “green travel” will account for 73 percent of all transportation in Beijing by the end of the year, according to Xinhua.

Beijing currently has over 1,000km of lanes theoretically for bicyclists and pedestrians. According to China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, Beijing non-car commuters will be able to enjoy 3,200km of sidewalks and bike lanes by 2020.

A special “bicycle highway” is also being built between Huilongguan and Shangdi in northern Beijing to open later this year. The new 6.3km lane will run to the north of the city and connect the Huilongguan area with the tech-heavy district of Shangdi in Haidian. Authorities have emphasized that unlike other bike lanes in Beijing, this one will actually be for cyclists.

There were six million cars on the roads of Beijing as of 2016, the last year for which statistics are available. Many motorists consider bike lanes to be useful places to pass other cars illegally or as convenient curbside parking spots. Bike lanes have also seen increased popularity with the proliferation of electric delivery vehicles and scooters, the drivers of which appreciate the extra space when the sidewalk becomes too crowded with annoying pedestrians.

Competition for bike lanes has been particularly fierce this past year as the shared-bike economy exploded onto Beijing’s streets. The municipal government has capped the number of shared bikes at 2.5 million. Many bikes have been abandoned as companies go out of business or decide that rounding up broken bicycles is too expensive.

While some commuters will no doubt rejoice at the increased number of bike lanes and sidewalks, the true test of the municipal government’s commitment to green transportation will come from whether restrictions on automobiles and other motorized vehicles using spaces set aside for cyclists and pedestrians are enforced.

Photos: peopleforbikes.org, scmp.com, Wikimedia

This post first appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger.