city – Beijing Kids

THIS Reporting – Tour Beijing in One Day with a Teen Beijinger

Jessica Suotmaa — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 05:06:23 +0000

From Sanlitun (三里屯), to Solana (蓝色港湾), to The Place (世贸天阶), to HouHai (后海), Beijing is a city full of endless entertainment and wonders. The beauty of the incredible CCTV Tower in Guomao, the stunning LED ceilings in The Place (世贸天阶), the Beijing traditional zhajiangmian (炸酱面) in Houhai, and the outdoor luxury shopping malls in Solana are all attractions you cannot miss!

Speaking of these places, why not allow me, a real teen Beijinger, take you on a one day tour in this vast city? Grab your cameras, and let’s get going!

7:00 am: The Early Bird goes for an early walk in my neighborhood, Merlin Garden

It’s always nice to start your day off with a walk early in the morning when the air is still fresh in Beijing.

Shall we take the subway to Sanlitun? The Beijing subway might seem like a jungle, but you’ll never know how convenient it is for getting around Beijing! We will be taking Subway Line 6 for nine stations from BaiShiQiao Nan to HuJiaLou, then switch to Line 10 for one station to reach TuanJieHu.

10:00 am: Off to TaiKooLi, Sanlitun

TaiKooLi, Sanlitun houses the best shopping malls, restaurants, and is known for its bar street. It has some of the biggest brands that teens love such as Apple, Hollister, Adidas, and much more. Tag your friends along for a shopping spree.

12:00 pm: Lunch

Even though we’re in Beijing, foreign foods are still the tastiest, but it’s nice to try Chinese-style pizza once in a while. Lets head to TubeStation Pizza in the north of Sanlitun. Sit down with your friends and chillax while you eat. Other than the gigantic pizzas, french fries with cheese is a must!

Pizzas: Small: 48 RMB – 60 RMB, Medium: 115 RMB – 170 RMB, Large: 150 RMB – 220 RMB; Salads: 33 RMB – 45 RMB, French Fries: 23 RMB, Fries with Cheese: 29 RMB, BBQ Wings: 34 RMB, Onion Rings: 23 RMB, Soft Drinks: 15 RMB

Let’s take a taxi for a change. Experiencing a Beijing taxi ride is like riding an everlasting roller coaster. You look outside the window and all you see are cars, trucks, and bicycles jammed together.

2:00 pm: Off to Solana

Solana here we go! This outdoor shopping mall houses the most luxurious shops, foods, and outdoor environment in the city.

6:00 pm: Dinner at Houhai

Houhai has some of the most traditional Beijing restaurants around the city. Order zhajiangmian, try some noodle soup, sit down with your family, and enjoy the beautiful Houhai at HaiWanJu. It will be a night to remember!

Zhajiangmian: 20 RMB, Guanchang: 18 RMB, Spicy Tofu: 25 RMB, Meatball: 27 RMB, Noodle Soup: Free

*There are a lot of dishes in this restaurant. The list above has my personal recommendations.

7:00 pm: The Place is the Place to be

Now that dusk is approaching, why not spend a few minutes strolling down The Place in Guomao? The Place is known not only for luxurious shopping and gourmet restaurants, but also for the biggest LED screen in Asia. The art, the space, the colors, the lights projected on the screen are extraordinary.

10:00 pm: Fun in the pool

End your night by taking a swim in one of Beijing’s luxury hotels, The Westin along the Financial Street in XiCheng.

12:00 am: View the view

Lastly, wrap your day up by appreciating the stunning view of the Financial Street in the heart of XiCheng.

What a day! Beijing is such a beautiful city with the tastiest food, luxurious malls, and the best attractions.

It has been a long, fun, and certainly memorable day. Of course we didn’t get to visit all the places in Beijing, but if there’s a chance, I would love to take everyone on a Tour in Beijing 2.0. For now, share the memories and selfies with your friends, and show them how amazing Beijing is!

Jing Wen is currently a junior at Tsinghua International School. She writes for the school newspaper, Spartan Times, and is a member of her school’s dance club. Outside school, Jing is passionate about life and loves socializing with different people from a variety of places. Through the student correspondent program, Jing hopes to share stories about her life, school, and her Beijing experiences with the rest of world!

The beijingkids student correspondent program provides a resource for guidance, feedback, and real-life training to high school students interested in writing and journalism. If you are a student interested in becoming a beijingkids student correspondent, or you know a student who is, please contact jessicasuotmaa@beijing-kids.com.

Photos: courtesy of Jing Wen

Art in Everything: 798

emberswift — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:00:00 +0000

The art gallery district is always full of eye candy and thought-provoking installations, but on Saturday afternoon when we took the kids to 798, this particular exhibition called “Elmgreen & Dragset: The Well Fair” at the UCCA got them excited with its bright colours and huge canvases.

My daughter has been showing a lot of artistic skill. At just four and two months old, she draws details into her work that surprise us all. Frills on dresses, eyelashes separate from eyebrows, braided hair on her princess drawings, etc. Then she painstakingly colours them with her tongue out, concentrating while gripping the pencils in her left hand. She is a lefty like her grandfather—my dad. And he is an exceptional visual artist. Genetics never seemed that amazing until I began to witness their power in my own children .

So, when their dad suggested we take the kids to see some galleries, my daughter was excited and she bounced around in the large gallery spaces taking in the colours and forms with a huge grin on her face. The fact that she rather matched the colour scheme with her bright yellow jacket had me smiling too.

Even though the art was interesting to her, the highlight of the excursion were the cupcakes, however. Even when we returned home, the feedback to her grandmother was all about the yummy white icing and the “cute box” that the cupcake had been packaged in. I suppose the craft of cupcake-making and its interesting packaging ought to count as a type of art too. After all, it was purchased in the gallery district!

All life is art, if you use your eyes.

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift

UNIT-E: City vs. Suburban Life

morganshang — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:00:25 +0000

In 2006, American writer Mike Davis foresaw an upcoming milestone: when the majority of the global population will live in cities. Now, over half the people in the world live in cities and the ratio continues to increase. Over the next 25 years, the urban populations of Africa and Asia are expected to double as more people move into cities to find opportunities. In this case, “cities” are defined as metropolitan areas, including both core city centers and suburbs.

Although both types of areas are experiencing vast population growth, the distinction between the “big city” life and suburban lifestyles remains drastic. Nowhere else is this stark contrast in lifestyles more apparent than in the international community of Beijing, where people are largely divided into two categories: city dwellers and Shunyi denizens.

Reasons for choosing one or the other are complex and are often more about relative location to key establishments (such as schools) than personal preference. Nevertheless, just as there are people who love the smell of fresh suburban air, there are individuals who enjoy the bustling city life. So where does the difference lie?

Big City, Big Dreams

The epitome of a huge, bustling metropolis, New York City is an example of the dense amalgam that defines a big city. In New York, financial castles from the business world are built alongside world-renowned liberal arts colleges. It is where an artist and a businessman can squeeze in the subway or line up together for a cup of today’s brew at Starbucks. While New York is already known for a skyline packed with towering skyscrapers and an extensive subway system with stations scattered every few hundred feet, the city continues to grow and make way for new creative minds to flourish.

Many people aspire to live in large cities such as New York. The city life is indeed a pool of opportunities for young people. There is something for everyone, from theatres, to art galleries, to fine restaurants. It is also a great place to meet new people with similar interests. Transportation is never an issue with distinct yellow taxis at every turn, complemented by extensive bus and subway routes. Some cities (like Beijing) even have bike lanes! The availability of transportation in a metropolitan area is unheard of in suburban districts.

However, there are still downsides to city life. For example, the high financial cost of living in a city: the money used to buy a spacious house in the suburbs, complete with a yard, would only procure a tiny apartment in the city. Also, as any seasoned Beijinger knows, traffic is horrible in the center of the city. With a symphony of honking cars on the roads, pollution from exhaust is sure to be produced. On a more serious note, crime and gang violence is on the rise in large cities. Cases of stabbing are reported in London daily, just as the sound of gunfire is often heard in New York.

The fast-paced city life can be a downer for some, while remaining an excitementfor others. Such a lifestyle may be too stressful for some people to cope with, and emotional alienation in a big city may affect a person’s relationships negatively (New Yorkers are at the top of a “rude list” poll!) However, for people who feel unaccomplished without some measure of excitement in their lives, there is no better living option than that of a large metropolis.

Small Town, Cozy Living

“I hate the fact that I have to step into an elevator every time I want to leave this place. The grass also smells fake here!” says a student who recently moved from a suburban district in Canada to the Central Business District of Beijing.

In suburban districts, one can find privately owned bakeries, cafés and grocery stores. Because the population of a suburb is much smaller than that of a city, many inhabitants are well acquainted with each other. This creates a warm communal feeling that a big, enveloping city cannot recreate.

Suburban life is peaceful and relaxing. Stress is minimal, as the environment is less tainted than that of a smoggy city. Education before college level is generallybetter, as the small population means smaller teacherto student ratios.

However, life in the suburbs is not without its disadvantages. A relatively small population means that there is low demand for specific services such as hospitals and emergency facilities. Thus, these services are often strategically placed between several such suburban regions to serve a larger community. Compared to a big city, suburban areas lack job opportunities and promotion prospects.

In conclusion, both the big city and the communal suburb provide possibilitiesfor a fulfilled lifestyle. While the bustling metropolis may be unparalleled in terms of opportunity and excitement, the grounded suburb may be the best option in terms of maintaining a peaceful, warm lifestyle. Thus, it’s no wonder that populations in both areas are rapidly growing as the century progresses.

About UNIT-E
UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photo by Flickr user: Michael McDonough

The Grass Is Greener (and Duller) on the Other Side

Sisi_Chen — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0000

In a thought-provoking piece for The New York Times, columnist KJ Dell’Antonia wonders what effect her and her partner’s choice to move to the countryside may have had on their children’s independence. She quotes Dr. Richard Jackson, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California: “Children who grow up in suburbia can’t meet their life needs without getting a ride somewhere.” For many expat families living in Beijing, this sentiment is likely to hit home.

When people look for a place to live, they consider factors that affect their family’s safety and well-being. One of the most basic is the rural-urban divide – or, in the case of many local expat families, the urban-suburban divide.

In her piece, Dell’Antonia writes:

The amount of time my children spend in a car being driven somewhere isn’t about being overscheduled or my hovering tendencies. It’s about the fact that unless I drive them, they’re limited (…). There are no sports, no movies, no after-school activities without my help.

One psychologist, Daniel Gilbert, noted in his book Stumbling on Happiness that people are happier when they live closer to friends or family. This brings up a lot of questions about how we should be choosing our homes. Does a backyard matter so much if you live close to bike trails or a major park? Can the same neighborhood be good for small children but terrible for teens?

There may also be other, more tangible benefits to living in an urban setting. One commenter said:

When we lived in New York City, our kids walked 2 miles (3.2km) a day just getting to and from school (and I walked 4, or 6.4km). When we arrived in Houston, we all immediately gained weight.

Living in Sihui, my boyfriend and I often wish that more of our friends lived in the area. We didn’t choose this neighborhood for its well-kept parks or hip hangouts (as it has very few of these things), but rather because we were rushed and on a budget. Still, I’d rather live here than return to the sleepy Montreal suburb that my sister and I grew up in. The joys of backyards and riding my bike around the block quickly wore off in middle school, when going to a friend’s house meant long bus rides and 30-minute wait times in -30°C and 30°C weather alike.

Though I wouldn’t choose to live in the suburbs myself, I can certainly empathize with the appeal of rural or suburban settings. My own parents traded in the tumult of China for a quiet home ringed with lilac bushes and maple trees, citing safety, breathing space, proximity to nature, and a strong sense of community as prerequisites for raising a family.

How have your lifestyle choices influenced your children’s independence? Why did you choose your current neighborhood? How are you taking pains to foster autonomy in your kids?