Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC) is the brainchild of Ching Tien who herself used to be an under-privledged girl from rural China, but who was lucky enough to be given the chance for a new life. Since its founding, EGRC has educated and lifted hundreds of girls out of poverty through financial sponsorship and emotional support, as well as providing career advice and opportunities for graduates. By offering to cover tuition and living expenses for rural young women, EGRC gives them the biggest gift of all – education that opens doors to a new world, to opportunities that these girls would not have otherwise had.

EGRC believes that education is the key to changing the lives of young women and that educated women have educated children. It’s the key for whole communities to strive for better lives for themselves and their future generations.

Over the years, philanthropic programs of all sizes have come together in support of EGRC – from the annual Chi Fan for Charity to small acts of kindness like 5-year-old Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) student Nola donating her Girl Scout cookie money. EGRC has grown into a mission that we can all get behind.

On Sep 16, the EGRC executive committee in partnership with Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB), and Canada China Business Council will be hosting their 2nd annual Gold for a Cause – a day of friendly golf tournament followed by a fabulous gala dinner all to raise money to change the lives of young women forever.

To enter in the golf tournament, contact Michelle via the QR code on the poster above. The fee is RMB 1,000 to play a round of golf during the day and the gala dinner at night. For those who want to join in on the fun but don’t golf, a ticket to just the gala dinner is RMB300. If you’re looking for a great evening out with your partner or a girls’ night and an excuse to get dressed up, this is the place to be!

Images: EGRC

With the easing of Covid restrictions this past week, we have been able to finally restore some normalcy in our lives and get back to our daily activities, fun stuff included.

I guess we all have forgotten what normalcy is ‘cause I’ve actually been kind of in awe of the variety of places I can go and take my kids to now. One of these places I’m talking about is Peanut Tour Golf, a cozy indoor golf studio tucked away in the elegant setting of the MOMA complex in Dongzhimen.

The studio actually serves as the main office and base for China Long Drive Championship, an organization that aims to promote the sport of long drive in China and other Asian countries. For those not familiar with this particular sport, it’s golf where players need to hit a ball as far as humanly possible. Sounds fun and quite simple, doesn’t it? So why not head over there and give it a try? Even better, let your kid take a swing too and make it a fun family day out.

Other than being a gathering spot for long drive enthusiasts, this little gem offers golf lessons to both adults and children. So, whether you are already an avid golf player, need a break from your routine and are looking to take up a new hobby, or just want to make it a one-time thing and try something new for fun, you can do so by picking up a golf club and learning some cool techniques. It can also be a great way of showing your kids that trying new things can be a fun learning experience where you get to spend time together and have a blast!

I recently had the opportunity to visit the place, and as soon as we stepped in, I noticed the big projector screen with a swing pad in front of it and a big selection of golf clubs. My son Noa, of course, went for the biggest and heaviest one, although there were shorter clubs available that were more suitable for kids. So don’t worry if you don’t own any golf equipment and have absolutely no clue how to choose. The coach will find the best option for you or your kid, but of course, you can bring your own set if you own one.

According to Shine Liu, the managing director of China Long Drive Championship, as soon as a kid turns 4 he/she is ready to start playing golf, although mine had loads of fun at only 3.

As a father of two young kids himself, Shine said “I don’t want my kids spending hours sitting in front of a computer screen playing video games. Combining video games and real sports where our kids actually participate and are physically active is ideal.”

The studio provides one-on-one coaching sessions at prices ranging from RMB 800 to RMB 1,800/hour, depending on the coach and the number of lessons you choose. There is also a free trial class available, so why not go for a swing, just for kicks? You may end up with a new hobby! But even if you only get a fun afternoon out of it, it won’t be wasted time (or money). You can also just sit back and relax (there is a nice comfy sofa right by the hitting platform perfect for this) and watch your kid get all excited about having his first golf lesson.

The studio is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 9pm, and weekends from 8am to 9pm. You can call them at 84388177 to schedule a free trial class.

Find it:
Peanut Tour Golf 花生游高尔夫
T3-102 Dangdai MOMA, Dongcheng District
北京市东城区香河园路一号当代Moma T3-102
Tel: 8438 8177

Images: Pexels, Courtesy of Shine Liu, Sanja Stojkov

We hate to admit it, but autumn is right around the corner. Soon it will be time for jumpers, and our summer shorts and sandals will go into storage, to be used again in Beijing’s next summer. But there are still a few days of glorious weather to be had now that we have turned the corner and the stifling heat of Beijing’s July and August is behind us. It’s perfect weather for a lavish day of golf followed by a sumptuous lakeside dinner, and scintillating conversation with some of Beijing’s greatest golf enthusiasts.

On September 19,Riviera Beijing in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Beijing will be hosting the East Golf Tournament at the Beijing Country Club, followed by a lakeside dinner at the Riviera. The event will be in support of the Migrant Children Foundation (MCF), Morning Star Foundation Beijing, and Dew Drops Little Flower; three organizations working tirelessly to support disadvantaged children all across China.

Enjoy Beijing’s fall weather among the greenery.

Do not be alarmed, the event will not be black tie. Feel free to dress casually and comfortably. Transportation will be provided for those interested in participating in the golf tournament, after which the buffet dinner shall take place by the lake in the stunning Riviera hotel. On the other side of the lake, a kids zone will be open for children to have fun and enjoy their meals so that parents can have a wonderful adult dinner. The kids’ zone will also have a large screen on which kids will be able to watch movies.

The Riviera Hotel is a beautiful spot for such a worthwhile event.

Take this opportunity to indulge your love of golf, or give in to your curiosity about the sport, and all for a lovely evening in a stunning location for a good cause!

Photos: Courtesy of event organizer, Unsplash 

Stephen Cowan is a golf coach from Christchurch, New Zealand. He has lived in Beijing for the past 18 months.

What organization or company do you work for?
Citee Golf Performance Centre.

What do you coach?
Golf, specializing in Junior Development and Junior High Performance programs.

How long have you been coaching? 14 years.

What made you become interested in coaching?
From a young age I had an interest in understanding how things worked, and how athletes perform in competition. In my early twenties my passion for coaching overtook my passion for playing, and in 2003 I completed my three year Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) traineeship.

What coaching qualifications do you have?
New Zealand PGA Class AAA Coaching Professional, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Level 2 Certified Coach, K-Vest Level 1 Certified, and Trackman Facility.

What were your favorite sports to play when you were a student?
Cricket and golf.

How would you describe your coaching style?
I am an enthusiastic coach who loves to see his students improve at every level of the game. My passion for coaching allows me to encourage, inspire, and create self-aware junior golfers who are confident and willing to challenge themselves to be better players.

What do you find most rewarding about coaching?
Seeing golfers at every level of the game achieve personal bests and the enjoyment they gain through the experience of improving.

And most challenging…?  
Without doubt it would be the challenge I task myself with each and every day; "How was I a better coach for my students today." Being humble enough to understand you can always learn something new is the biggest challenge of all.

To contact Cowan, call 185 0038 2605 or e-mail: stephen@citeegolf.com

Citee Golf Performance Centre
1 Xiang Jiang Beilu, Chaoyang District

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Courtesy of Citee Golf

There’s lots going on in Shunyi this Easter weekend. Egg painting and delicious cuisine is the order of the day at Green T. House. A treasure hunt and hot cross buns can be found at Citee Golf. Over at Pinotage, the Farm to Neighbors farmers market makes its debut in Shunyi. For the perfect Easter dinner, Culinary Capers will gladly do the catering for you.

Farmers Market
The popular Gulou neighborhood Farm to Neighbors (F2N) farmers market has gained support and popularity over the past year. Voted “Best Food Entrepreneur”, in the Beijinger’s 2015 Reader Restaurant Awards, F2N is now coming to Shunyi. Every Saturday you can look forward to a wide range of healthy, fresh, and organic products. Organic vegetables and fruits, Tibetan yogurt, grass-fed beef, free-range pork, chicken, and eggs, handmade tofu, French artisanal cheese, baguette and sourdough breads, organic pasta and sauces, fresh fruit preserves, organic cold-pressed juices, traditional rice wine, natural skincare, and even healthy homemade dog food.

Pinotage (west of Beidong flower market) will play host to their debut Shunyi market, on Saturday April 4 from 11am to 4pm. Pinotage will be preparing South African street foods, doing wine tastings, and offering dining discounts. For more information, contact farmtoneighbors@gmail.com

Easter Sunday Family Fun
This Easter Green T. House is all about eggs – chocolate eggs, painting eggs, and fresh egg cuisine. For all dining guests and families on Easter Sunday, there will be a chocolate egg hunt in the beautiful gardens of Green T. There will be fresh farm eggs, from their very own chickens, for you to paint and decorate, and to dine on. Enjoy their new Spring T. Cuisine menu, which includes homemade egg noodles, salted eggs with caviar, smoked trout salad, poached sea bass, and spiced chicken. For reservations (6434 2519, 136 0113 7232, reservations@green-t-house.com)

Signature Easter Dinner
Culinary Capers can help ease the stress of cooking for family and friends this Easter. Their signature Easter dinner includes smoked salmon, deviled eggs, and fresh broccoli salad. For the main event choose from oven roasted glazed bone-in ham, served with apple sauce or rosemary garlic lamb chops, served with pimento and mint. Sides include scalloped potatoes, glazed carrots, and spring peas. For dessert indulge in their homemade carrot and pineapple cake with frosted cream cheese icing and finish with traditional hot cross buns. The Easter dinner serves six for RMB 1,200. If you are looking for just a ham, their chefs will prepare a bone-in oven ready ham for you to roast at home. RMB 850 includes apple sauce and gravy. The latest delivery/pickup time is 5pm on Monday, April 6. To order contact (6431 7199 / 6432 3899, cindy.wang@culinarycapersbeijing.cn)

Easter Treasure Hunt
Citee Golf Performance Centre embraces a fun family environment and what better way to celebrate Easter than with a treasure hunt. On Sunday April 5 at 1pm, your whole family is welcome to participate in their treasure hunt. Adults and kids alike can hunt for golf lessons, Nike shirts, pro shop vouchers, café vouchers, and of course chocolate Easter eggs. Why not make a day of it and dine in at their Kiwi Café & Cellar, with a delicious menu and there’s even hot cross buns to enjoy.

Hot on the tail of the Easter Bunny is The Masters Golf Tournament. One of four major championships in professional golf, The Masters is held each year during April, at Augusta National Golf Club. Citee Golf will be providing full coverage of this year’s championships, from April 5-12. With a special Masters Week menu, final day breakfast, pro shop specials, and a lucky draw competition, you won’t miss any of the action. For more details on both events, call 8430 8226 (ext. 0) Citee Golf Academy, 1 Xiang Jiang Bei Lu (opposite Bejing Riviera) www.citeegolf.com

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Michael Coghlan, LeslieUnfinished, Liliana Fuchs (Flickr)

There are plenty of winter camps to choose from this year, with activities including karate, ice skating, swimming, and golf. A great way to keep the kids busy, fit, and most of all having fun. If you’re still trying to decide what to do for Christmas dinner, Loft Eatalicious have a fantastic Italian Christmas menu that’s available for lunch and dinner. Alternatively, you can order in a turkey dinner from Culinary Capers. If you have a keen golfer in the family, why not gift some golf lessons this Christmas. Citee Golf has a range of gift vouchers for everything from putters to golfing pants.

Karate Winter Camp
Flips & Kicks Plus will be running a five day karate winter camp at BSB Shunyi, from December 15-19. There are two options available – half day camp from 9am-12pm RMB 1,800 or the full day camp from 9am-2pm RMB 2,800. Each day will begin with karate basics, followed by sessions that throughout the week will cover pads and mitts, rolls and falls, cardio and grappling, and sparring. Suitable for children 7-15 years old. Children are asked to bring their own lunch, but water and one piece of fruit per day will be provided. All BSB students and current Flips & Kicks Plus members are eligible for a ten per cent discount, ISB, WAB, Daystar, Ganeinu, and DCB students a five per cent discount. To register for the camp, email info@flipsandkicksplus.com (and CC to yderstrom@hotmail.com) or call Fredrik on 151 2009 8062.

Dulwich Winter Camps
All of the Dulwich winter camps run from December 15-19, with activities suitable for children 5-18 years old. At the DCB Legend Garden Campus there is basketball, swimming, football, ice hockey, figure skating, and synchronized skating. At the DCB Riviera Main Campus there is tennis and dance, and a golf camp will be held at Citee Golf Performance Centre. For details on prices and venues, see their winter camps brochure here. Registration and payment can be made at DCB Legend Garden Sports Dome, Riviera Main Campus, and Little Riviera. All camps have a maximum number of students. For more information contact (6454 9150, DCP@dulwich-beijing.cn

Italian Christmas Dinner
Loft Eatalicious will be serving up an all day Christmas Menu feast which can be enjoyed between December 24-26 at any Loft Eatalicious restaurant. For RMB 398 per person, you will be welcomed with canapés and sangria and enjoy dishes that include foie gras, herb tart with red onion marmalade, homemade black ink ravioli, asparagus with white truffle oil, paccheri pasta, mussels, duck confit tortellini, Italian sausage, and pan-roasted cod fish. To finish is a decadent Christmas chocolate and vanilla tree cake. For bookings contact (134 2607 6099, johnny.lu@eatalicious.com) www.eatalicious.com

Turkey Time
If you’re looking for a fresh oven ready turkey, or for someone to cater your entire Christmas dinner for you, Culinary Capers has everything you need and delivery is free in Shunyi. Their whole turkey dinners feed six people, and include oven roasted grain-fed turkey, rich turkey gravy, spiced cranberry chutney, apple, onion, and celery stuffing, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables. For dessert choose from sticky toffee pudding with spiced caramel sauce or whipped hazelnut praline butterscotch cheesecake all for RMB 1,150. If you don’t need to feed as many as six, they do a portioned turkey dinner with everything included for RMB 220 per serving.  If you’re just looking for a turkey, their chefs will prepare a grain-fed half or whole turkey, along with some turkey gravy. A 12 lbs. fresh whole turkey is RMB 487. To place an order contact (6431 7199/6432 3899, jessie.zhu@culinarycapersbeijing.cn)

Christmas Gifts
Citee Golf Performance Centre is celebrating Christmas with gifts for everyone. Spend over RMB 200 and you can pick one of Santa’s envelopes from their Christmas tree. Gifts include vouchers for their Kiwi Café & Cellar, golf lessons, golf range vouchers, and beauty salon discounts. If you’re stuck for a gift idea for friends, family, and colleagues why not treat them to some golf lessons, golf equipment including drivers and putters, or café vouchers. For more details contact (8430 8226, info@citeegolf.com)

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: David Vega (Flickr), Mats Hagwall (Flickr), courtesy of DCB

Citee Golf Performance Centre in Shunyi is a super facility offering golf clinics, a driving range, and PGA coaching. Following a large-scale renovation, the center re-opened in July 2014. While the golf facilities are impressive, the reason for my recent visit was not to do with golf, more to do with the skills of their barista’s. From giraffe’s to teddy bears, your frothy coffee is guaranteed to taste exceptionally good and look great too. The center’s refurbishment included a brand new café called the Kiwi Café & Cellar, and the great thing is you don’t need to be playing golf to enjoy the café. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and you can choose to dine in, take out, or make the most of their delivery service. The café is well appointed, with plenty of seating, so you can just sit back and relax whilst watching the players on the range do all the hard work.

The café serves up a great selection of breakfast dishes, with plenty of choice for those counting the calories and those wishing to indulge. Their big breakfast includes sausage, bacon, eggs, hash brown, portabella mushroom, and tomato, served on focaccia with hollandaise. The breakfast is RMB 76, with a smaller version available for RMB 46. There’s a breakfast English muffin, eggs benedict, and you can build your own omelet. For a healthier option there’s muesli and yogurt.

The range of wraps, panini, and rolls offer much more exciting fillings than most cafes, with chicken and cranberry with brie, smoked salmon with cream cheese, grilled vegetables with hummus and feta, and the rather superb sounding roast beef and gravy roll. Definitely one on my list of must try, but on this particular visit I opted for the chicken salad wrap, filled with wonderfully tender poached chicken, crisp salad, and a zingy homemade capsicum couli. The wrap was fresh and crisp, and served alongside a well-dressed salad.If you like seafood in your salad, there’s the mango salad with chili, prawn, and crab or there’s a fully loaded Citee cob with smoked chicken, bacon, egg, tomato, avocado, topped with New Zealand cheddar.

For mains you can choose from red curry coconut shrimp, porterhouse steak served with fries, salad, and a choice of sauces, home-made 250g beef burger, or a chicken with mushroom and spinach filo. There’s a good choice of vegetarian mains, including a veggie burger, vegetable stack, egg noodles, and vegetarian nachos. Prices range from RMB 59 to RMB 169.

The menu caters well for those on a gluten free diet, with dishes including banana pancakes, omelets, corn fritters, goat cheese and pumpkin salad, and an almond cake. Younger diners will find plenty to enjoy from the main menu, but there is a separate kids menu with smoked chicken toastie, nachos, nuggets, and egg and tomato rice. You can’t leave without trying a slice of the incredibly moist carrot cake, or a slab of chocolate brownie. All desserts are home-made and RMB 25. A wide range of coffees and teas are served, ice blends and smoothies, and even a liver cleanser on the juice menu which incorporates carrot, beetroot and ginger. And of course, this being a Kiwi café, it has a well-stocked wine cellar too.

Kiwi Café & Cellar
7am-8pm, opening times may vary during the winter. Delivery is available to Beijing Riviera, Grand Hills, Quanfa, and Cathay View. Orders under RMB 100 incur a RMB 15 delivery fee.
Citee Golf Performance Centre, 1 Xiang Jiang Beilu, Chaoyang District (8430 8226, info@citeegolf.com, WeChat ID: citeegolf) www.citeegolf.com 

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Sally Wilson

Ritz-Carlton is hitting the links for the first time in China. The Ritz-Carlton, Mission Hills, will open in late 2015 near Haikou, the capital of Hainan province. Developed by the Mission Hills Golf Club and managed by The Ritz-Carlton, the 201 room resort includes 21 private villas and a dedicated club house. The Haikou Mission Hills Golf Club project includes ten world-class (illegal?) golf courses and will be the largest public golf complex in the world. That’s a lot of golf courses. More on that as we get closer to the opening.

Beijing air traffic fell behind Shanghai’s during the first half of 2014, according to Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)’s East China Regional Administration. While Beijing Capital International Airport handled 41.57 million passengers, Shanghai’s two airports, Hongqiao and Pudong, handled a combined 43.17 million – but they needed two airports to beat us by a measly four percent. Wimps.

Rosewood Hotel, which we mentioned in our previous edition, continues to get a lot of press about their October opening. We promise we’ll get over there shortly for a sneak peek. You hear us, Rosewood?

Have a nice weekend. One road flat safe.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on August 14, 2014.

Photo: thebeijinger.com