‘100 Days of Summer’ is a collection of various blogs from our beijingkids archive that we hope will give you some summery suggestions about what you should be doing with your kids now that they are free from the confines of their respective academic responsibilities. If you are looking for something fun, educational, and occasionally indoors, you can find it here, to make sure you are making the most of the capital during the summer break. 

A few minutes away from the Olympic Forest Park you’ll find the China Science and Technology Museum housed in a very modern looking building. The museum consists of the main exhibition halls, the Science Paradise, a special effects cinema, and a short-term exhibition center.

The Science Paradise is a section of the museum aimed at children 3-10 years of age. It’s similar to the Children’s Discovery Museum in that it is extremely child-centered and interactive, while remaining educational. However, the Science Paradise is smaller and not as well maintained as its significantly more expensive counterpart. Nevertheless, the activities on offer are great for families looking for something fun and educational to do on a hot summer day.

Can’t go wrong with a ladybug themed tricycle

My three-year-old took a real liking to the “bikes.” The purpose of this activity is for the children to pedal along a predesignated path, turn around, and then pedal back. Simple, but apparently so much fun. She was also very interested in another activity where you had to follow a color-coded system in order to match pictures of animals and plants to their natural habitats.

After this, we discovered a demonstration area where a member of staff was performing some type of science experiment for the lively children that surrounded her table. We spent a moment observing the goings-on here, but alas it was all in Chinese, so we soon moved on.

Musicians in the making

Our next stop was the audio learning center. Here children use various apparatus and musical instruments to explore the power of sound. Right opposite the audio center is a place that I’ll fondly refer to as “Bubble Land.” This is where children line up for their turn to use basins of soapy water and large metal rings to create enormous bubbles, to the sheer delight of both my daughters.

Water World!

Not far from “Bubble Land” is “Water World.” Here children explore the ability of water to move and be moved by different objects. As I expected, my girls were keen to experience the water in the fullest sense of the term. Fortunately, I was right onto their game, and quickly foiled their attempts to climb into the water tank.

Next, it was time for a spot of horticulture. In the makeshift garden, the children “planted” vegetables. Seconds later they “picked” the vegetables that they had planted moments before. In another part of the Science Paradise, kids sport hard hats as they work alongside fellow young builders to tile a roof or operate a crane.

Make sure to click around on these kid-friendly computers

Up a flight of stairs, we found a quieter area where you can use computers to further your scientific studies. We descended the stairs and stumbled upon a space where little learners can brush up (see what I did there?) on their oral hygiene skills, as they use a huge toothbrush to clean a giant set of teeth. In other parts of the museum, youngsters can pretend to be doctors or learn about food nutrition. There is even a space play area, where knowledge of the solar system is packaged in a creative and child-friendly format.

Lots to do, lots to learn, reasonably priced, and within walking distance from the subway station (Olympic Forest Park—line 8); all of these factors work together to make the China Science and Technology Museum well worth a visit.

Science Paradise (The China Science and Technology Museum)
RMB 10 for adults. RMB 20 for children. Daily 9:30am-5:00pm. Closed on Mondays (except public holidays). No.5 Beichen East Road, Chaoyang District (5904 1000) 北京市朝阳区北辰东路5号

Photos: Pamela Djima

Did you know that the largest film museum in the world is located just north of 798 Art District, that there’s a 4D cinema in the Olympic Village, and that the oldest cinema in China is in Qianmen? This month, our editors visited four movie theaters and film-centric museums to find the best of family-friendly cinematic Beijing. We also divised our own awards (see below) the best and worst feature of each venue.We will be posting all the reviews separately so be sure to catch them later on, first up is the China Science and Technology Museum 中国科技馆 . Happy exploring!

The 2008 party may have moved on, but China Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) continues to attract tourists to the Olympic Park area. Aside from the exhibitions, the museum also houses the self-explanatory “Huge-Screen Theater” and a state-of-the-art 4D cinema. In the latter, the fourth dimension refers to a combination of seat movements and other effects.

The Building
The abstract, interlocking shapes of the museum’s main building (and the huge metallic dome beside it) might look out of place were the CSTM not standing amidst the unusual structures of the Olympic Village. Depending on your taste, it could be seen as either a triumph of modernism or a dystopian nightmare. Either way, it is certainly very difficult to miss.

Screening Rooms
At almost 30m wide and 22m high, the display in the Huge-Screen Theater is only a few meters away from being the biggest in the world. When beijingkids visited, we had the best possible view of the gargantuan screen. On busier days, those at the front may get a sore neck (or miss some of the action). Nonetheless, it is a remarkable cinematic experience, made even more engrossing by a six-track surround sound system. While the 4D cinema cannot compete in terms of screen size, it is still big enough to accommodate around 200 people. The novelty here is the fourth “D.” Seats vibrate with the action, flashing lights simulate lightning, and puffs of air brush your head as 3D visuals appear to fly past viewers.

In addition, CSTM’s metallic dome houses a wraparound screen that acts as a virtual planetarium and shows short experiential films.

Movie Selection
At the time of visiting, the Huge-Screen Theater was the only one showing English-language films, with two subtitled Hollywood blockbusters alongside domestic movies. Because of the additional effects, the 4D cinema plays specially-made films which, while not theatrical masterpieces, are designed to enhance the viewer’s sensory experience. We were reliably informed by one of our readers that films in English have been shown in 4D in the past.

Movie Times
The Huge-Screen Theater plays movies regularly through the weekdays, with more on weekends and evening screenings after the rest of the museum has closed. The 4D cinema can only be accessed when the exhibitions themselves are open, though there are six screenings a day during the week and eight each on Saturdays and Sundays.

Movie choices and screen times on the website were not up-to-date when we checked, so we recommend inquiring and booking in advance. There are English-speaking staff members and the website also recommends emailing ticket@cstm.org.cn if you have trouble calling, though beijingkids did not receive a response to its online inquiry.

Family-Friendliness
Despite the additional effects at the 4D cinema, it was designed for kids of all ages and adults alike. The fourth dimension is not too intense and we received a very positive review from a 5-year-old. At the Huge-Screen Theater, the only limitation for bringing the family will be individual film ratings. When we visited, none of the English-language films were suitable for under-13s.

Food
When we visited, the snack stall at the Huge-Screen Theater was closed. Also, bear in mind that there are no snacks available at the 4D cinema so bring your own (assuming you can hold onto popcorn in the midst of all the movements and effects). As a next resort, there are plenty of reliable restaurants about ten minutes east of the museum on Datun Beilu (大屯北路), including the Sichuan flavors of Meizhou Xiaochi (眉州小吃) and pizzas from Papa John’s.

Location
The location is a key part of the cinemas’ appeal. Given that they are housed inside a family-friendly museum, it makes a lot of sense to include a film screening into a longer day trip. The nearby Bird’s Nest and the water park at the National Aquatics Center (the Water Cube) can be built into an itinerary of sightseeing and activities with the kids.

How to Get There
Bus: 328, 379, 419, 484, 617, 628, 630, 751, 913, Yun Tong 110; Get off at Wali Nankou (洼里南口) bus stop.
Subway: Take the northeast exit at Olympic Green (Line 8), walk north for a couple of minutes and then turn right onto Datun Beilu (大屯北路) and you should see the museum’s huge silver dome.

Practical Info
Tue-Sun 9am-4.30pm (museum), but screenings at the Huge-Screen Theater run until after 10pm. 5 Beichen Donglu, Chaoyang District (5904 1188) www.cstm.org.cn 朝阳区朝阳区北辰东路5号

Photos by Oscar Holland

This article originally appeared on p64-65 of the beijingkids November 2013 issue.

Check out the PDF version online at Issuu.com

The original China Science and Technology Museum located on the north Third Ring Road (and not to be confused with the newer facility, which opened last year at the Olympic Forest Park) is set for a radical makeover, courtesy of award-winning architects KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten International.

Dating back to 1988, the museum was the first of its kind in China and featured an iconic geodesic dome that houses an "Astro-Vision Theater," among other attractions. Based on the artistic renderings, the new design looks far more grandiose, and, according to evolo.us, features a "floating structure measuring 133.5m x 133.5m, which rises above the pedestal building at a height of around 20m."

This roof is supported by numerous, extremely slender columns, which, based on the image of a bamboo grove, form a concentrated forest of columns. They create a spatial transition from the public road to the scientific exhibition area

No word yet on what attractions will be housed within, but from the looks of it, you can expect some truly-state of the art exhibitions.

Meanwhile, we recently took a trip back to the new China Science and Technology Museum, located a ten minutes’ walk east of the south gate of the Olympic Forest Park. The museum is easily accessible by metro line 1 and the attractions include four theaters, a cafeteria, and an area especially for kids’ exhibits.

The whole building is nicely air-conditioned, making it a great daylong activity for these hot summer days. Tickets for the main exhibition area are RMB 30 for adults, RMB 20 for students with ID, and include four floors’ worth of attractions, over which the obligatory dinosaur skeleton looms.

The attractions themselves are split into are themed areas ranging from "healthy living and nutrition" to "physics." Familiar tricks, such as pendulums and Rube-Goldberg devices, scatter the floor along with block puzzles and ocean life exhibits. All posters and information are written in both English and Chinese, though the scientific details may escape younger visitors.

Once your kids start to tire of wandering the floors, head back to the ground floor and check out the theaters. The Beijing Science and Technology Museum boasts an impressive array of four cinemas: the Dome Screen, 4D Cinema, IMAX Cinema and 3D Motion Cinema. The Dome Screen is reminiscent of a planetarium, with shows such as “Cosmic Voyage” and “Journey to the Stars.” Meanwhile, the 4D Cinema has cute animated films such as “Turtle Vision,” which should appeal especially to younger kids, while the IMAX theater has international films such as “The Ultimate Wave,” a film about Tahiti’s surf scene dubbed smoothly over into Chinese.

Finally, the 3D Motion Cinema should be a good choice for elementary to middle-schoolers, incorporating movement and special effects into selections such as the “Extreme Log Ride 3D.”

The museum has a number of dining options featuring both basic Western options – i.e. hamburgers and hot dogs – and Chinese selections consisting of the standard set meals (tao can, 套餐）with servings of rice, veggies and meat, and a variety of drinks. Prices for these tend to fall in the RMB 20 range for a meal. More options are available in the cafeteria area downstairs, which has both a greater variety of cheaper set meals and a Pizza Company buffet for RMB 49.

China Science and Technology Museum. 中国科技馆
2 Beichen Donglu (ten minutes east of the south gate of the Olympic Forest Park). Chaoyang District. (5904 1000) 朝阳区北辰东路5号