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Free
Make Spring Festival Decorations at Parkview Green, Jan 30 and 31
All ages. Gather at Parkview Green with your beloved ones to experience a wide array of folk activities; to explore a world of enchantment and a traditional Chinese New Year. Learn to make paper-cutting art and how to compose Spring Festival couplets, make New Year gifts by hand, such as reunion lanterns, fortune knots and floral creations. Free. 1pm-5pm. Parkview Green. (WeChat: Parkview Green, (010) 5690 7000).

Unique
Lunar New Year Overnight, Jan 30
Ages 8+. On this two-day trip to the area you’ll walk the streets of well-preserved Yuxian Ancient City, visiting the pavilions and pagodas, as well as visiting Jimingyi, the remnants of a Ming Dynasty postal relay center. RMB 1,800 (RMB 1,620 for members, RMB 1,200 for under 12\’s). 8.30am-8pm. Beijing Hikers.

Birth of the Monkey King, Jan 30 and 31
Ages 7+. This Chinese-language drama, intended for children and families, lets kids learn about the history of the Monkey King, one of the most famous characters in Chinese literature, from the classic novel Journey to the West. The event combines theatre with drums, music and acrobatics, while interactive elements are sure to keep kids entertained. Tickets from RMB 100 (100/180/280/380). 2.30pm-4.30pm. Beijing Theater. (https://www.douban.com/event/27898172/).

Dance of Destiny, Jan 30 to Feb 2
Ages 8+. Join some of Ireland’s best dancers for a special performance in Beijing. Combining traditional Irish music, tap dance and theatrical elements, the troupe has been performing around the world since 1998, when they made their first tour to New Zealand. RMB 357 to RMB 1015. National Centre For The Performing Arts (NCPA). (https://www.douban.com/event/27925277/).

Sunny Spring Camp, Jan 30 to Feb 3
Ages 6+. Sunny days are here again and it’s the perfect time to spring ahead with learning new skills and games at Adventure Zone’s Sunny Spring Camp! Revitalize your plans with fun sports such gymnastics, martial arts, swimming and sword choreo guided by expert coaches. RMB 3200 (1 week, half day), RMB 6188 (2 weeks, half day), RMB 4500 (1 week, full day), RMB 8888 (2 weeks, full day). 9am-2.30pm. Kerry Adventure Zone. (hbkc@thekerryhotels.com, wechat: kerryhotelbeijing, 8565 2460).

Walled Village to Huanghuacheng Great Wall Hike, Feb 1
Ages 8+. Hike the Huanghuacheng Great Wall in Beijing’s Huairou District, starting off on an unrestored stretch and following it over the hills to a restored section and then up, over, and down a mountain to finish at a countryside restaurant near a scenic reservoir. RMB 400 (RMB 360 for members, RMB 200 for under 12’s). 9am-6pm. Beijing Hikers.

Longqingxia Ice Festival and Tang Dynasty Caves, Feb 1
Ages 8+. The Beijing Hikers will travel to Yanqing County to visit a valley and find an ancient interconnected series of cave dwellings. This trip is suitable for children (no pushchairs, though) – it’s very easy, and the sight of the cave dwellings is sure to spark the imagination. After visiting the caves there will be an early dinner out in the country before heading for the Longqingxia Ice Festival. RMB 500 (RMB 450 for members, RMB 250 for under 12s). 12pm-10pm. Beijing Hikers.

“MY” Jiaozi Party, Feb 1
All ages. Join Café Zarah on February 1st for their annual “MY”-Jiaozi Party and celebrate the New Year. Zarah will be organizing a big reunion dinner with communal cooking tables where they will teach you the art of dumpling making! RMB 88/per person includes all-you-can-eat-dumplings and one drink. Complimentary for kids aged below 6. 6pm-until. Café Zarah.

Spring Festival Taichi Workshop, Feb 5
Embrace the refreshing spring air for 2 hours instruction in Yang Style Taichi, learning the beginners 8 Step Form. Instruction will be from a native-English speaking taichi coach from the UK, and will cover warmups, dynamic stretching, taichi form, applications and qigong cool down exercises. RMB 200. 2pm-4pm. CK Martial Hearts Kung Fu Boutique. (train@ckmartialhearts.com)

China National Theater for Children’s Drama Malan Flower, Feb 6
All ages. The establishment of the Holiday Classic Theater is not only a new exploration in the field of artistic creation, but also a whole new attempt in performing and business philosophy. The large and little theaters add radiance and beauty to each other each other and are bound to create a top art gallery for contemporary Chinese children’s drama. RMB 80/120/200/260/320/400. 7.30am-9.30am. National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). (for more info call the hotline at 400-610-3721 or 10103721).

Best of Next Week
Our Little Library Opening, Feb 1 through Feb 28
Ages 6months-3years. Our Little Library is OPEN! Besides browsing and borrowing books your babies and toddlers can listen to stories, read out loud, and learn in a fun and interactive way. After books the kids will explore the themes through games and activities Free (for February). 10am-11.30am. Our Little Library.

China National Theatre for Children’s Drama Malan Flower, Feb 6 to 8
All ages. The establishment of the Holiday Classic Theater is not only a new exploration in the field of artistic creation, but also a whole new attempt in performing and business philosophy. The large and little theaters add radiance and beauty to each other each other and are bound to create a top art gallery for contemporary Chinese children’s drama. RMB 80/120/200/260/320/400. 7.30am-9.30am. National Centre For The Performing Arts (NCPA). (call the hotline at 400-610-3721 or 10103721).

Ghost The Musical, Feb 8 through Feb 14
Ages 13+. GHOST is a timeless fantasy about the power of love. Sam, a ghost, tries to communicate with Molly, his love, with the hope of saving and protecting her. RMB 180/380/580/880/980/1000 (580*2)/1500. 7.30pm-9.30pm. Poly Theater. (call the hotline 400-610-3721 or 10103721, email to ponypiao@damai.cn).

Festival of Sport, Feb 11
Ages 8+. Held indoors in the ISB Fusion Dome, this event allows kids of different ages to try out a variety of sports and activities, while parents can talk to the coaches and register their children for one of the 15+ activities provided by the youth amateur sports organization. Free. 10am-3pm. Sports Beijing. (info@sportsbj.com)

Sports Beijing’s Bi-Annual Festival of Sport, Feb 11
Ages 7+. Held indoors in the ISB Fusion Dome, this event allows kids of different ages to try out a variety of sports and activities, while parents can talk to the coaches and register their children for one of the 15+ activities provided by the youth amateur sports organization. Free. 10am-3pm. International School of Beijing (ISB). (info@sportsbj.com, 6430 1370).

China National Theatre for Children’s Drama Time Forest, Feb 11
Ages 7+. Giving full play to the representing, exemplary and guiding role, the National Children’s Art Theatre has trained several generations of artists and backbone in the children’s theater art of China and has won numerous art awards. RMB 180/300/420/500/580/680. 7.30am-9.30am. National Centre For The Performing Arts (NCPA). (call the hotline 400-610-3721 or 10103721 or send email to ponypiao@damai.cn).

Charity Fashion Show, Feb 11
Ages 9+. Students from the International School of Beijing (ISB) are hosting their annual Charity Fashion Show. This event, completely run by the students at ISB, was first organized in 2008 with the intent of promoting philanthropy through creativity and entertainment. This year, the proceeds will be donated to the Starfish Project, the Nightingale Charity Club, and Roundabout. Free. 6pm-9pm. International School of Beijing (ISB).

Aerial Yoga, Fly Yoga Free Trial Class, Feb 11
Adult Women. Aerial Yoga is a fun, accessible and graceful yoga practice with “silk” or hammock—suspended from the ceiling that can support your weight, ease pressure, create space in your joints, decrease compression in your spine, and help you find more mobility. Free. 5pm-6pm. Phoenix Town. (WeChat: 723665585).

Science + Art : Create Your Own Car, Feb 12
Ages 8+. From the electronic basics to its unique design. Build your car from A to Z. During this unique course, you will learn how to design an obstacle avoiding car by yourself, using the famous Arduino* electronics platform and an ultrasonic sensor to detect and avoid an object in front of the car. RMB 600 (RMB 450 for Atelier students). 1.30pm-4.30pm. Atelier. (WeChat: atelier_apas to register)

Valentine’s Breakfast & Bubbles, Feb 14
Adults. Bask in the glow of love, food, and drinks on this Valentine’s day with your significant other at the British Club of Beijing’s Valentine’s Day celebration. RMB 150/person. 10am-12pm. The Westin.

Two weeks into our UK break and my three year old is missing Ayi’s cooking. My daughter was born in Beijing, and from the day she moved on to solids, she’s been enjoying jiaozi, baozi, and noodles. There’s not a big Chinese community in the English town where we’re staying, so finding authentic Asian food and ingredients isn’t easy. There is an exceptionally good restaurant serving Beijing cuisine, but as she’s the only one really craving Ayi’s tasty morsels, it’s an expensive way of satisfying her cravings. So off I went to see whether any of the supermarkets had anything to offer.

First stop was Marks & Spencer, a major British retailer specializing in the selling of clothing, home-ware, and luxury food products. Currently they have around 15 stores in China, but sadly none of these are in Beijing. The local store here has an extensive range of Asian cuisine ready to cook meals, including prawn and mangetout gyoza. These steamed really well in the microwave, without turning chewy, and were a big hit with my daughter. Neatly stuffed with fresh prawns and vegetables, in lovely bright colors, the accompanying zingy soy and lime dip was great too.

Next stop was Waitrose supermarket and their Asian spicy chicken dumplings. Aromatic little steamed dumplings, filled with chicken breast, spring onion, coriander, and chilli. These had a great flavor and were generously filled. The special microwave container they came in, ensured they were perfectly cooked and not at all flabby. There was no accompanying dip however, and these do need a delicate dipping sauce to complement them.

Waitrose also stock char siu buns. Soft and savory steamed buns, they were filled with tender pork, crisp water chestnuts, and spring onion in a rich hoisin sauce. I was surprised at how the buns retained their soft and springy texture after cooking. My daughter thought the sauce was a little strong in flavor, but I loved it and would have preferred more sauce. The filling to bun ratio was perfect, but they are tiny little buns, so you wouldn’t want to share any of the pack of six.

They may not be entirely authentic, but all of them exceeded my expectations. What was the verdict of my three year old? "The sticky pots were yum Mummy and buns soft and squidgy. Not as nice as Ayi’s, but nicer dumplings than yours." So it seems that when we leave Beijing for good, I have three choices. Bring Ayi with us, buy dumplings from these stores, or go on quite a few Chinese cooking classes before we depart.

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

There’s something really satisfying about biting into a perfect dumpling. The tug of dough, the burst of steam, that first hit of flavor. My Ayi regularly makes dumplings for us, and they are one of my daughter’s favorite foods. Her choice of fillings tends to be the traditional Chinese fillings of vegetables or pork with chives. I have tried making the dumpling dough and wrappers myself, and whilst they turn out ok, I’m a firm believer in taking short-cuts if they’re there. Some of the bigger Jenny Lou and Jenny Wang stores stock fresh dumpling wrappers. They’re not quite as thin as my Ayi manages to achieve, and are a little larger in circumference, but as long as it takes no more than two bites to devour the end product then it’s still a traditional dumpling.

The crescent-shaped dumplings are the easiest ones to make at home. Dumplings can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or deep-fried. Made with fresh wrappers and eaten hot, the perfect pan-fried guo tie, or potsticker dumpling, should have a golden brown, ultra-crisp fried bottom, with a skin that’s springy and chewy. There is an infinite range of fillings for dumplings, and last weekend I thought I’d go a bit experimental with the kids. I wanted to see whether I could incorporate some western flavors into my dumplings, and include a sweet dessert one too.

What child doesn’t love Nutella? My kids love it spread on toasted bagels. I prefer it spread thinly on a crêpe, preferable whilst sight-seeing in Paris. Nutella is more than just a ‘chocolaty hazelnut spread,’ it is a fantastic ingredient that can be used in so many different desserts. It also makes a tasty filling for jiaozi when combined with banana.

Nutella Banana Pot Sticker
2 medium-sized ripe bananas, sliced
Nutella
Vegetable oil, for frying
Powdered sugar (to dust dumplings after cooking)

Place a dollop (approximately 2 teaspoons) of Nutella in the center of the wrapper. Place a slice of banana on top of the Nutella. Dip your finger in a bowl of cold water and use it to wet the edge of half of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and pinch it together in the center. Make pleats on one side of the dumpling, and then the other. In a pan, heat a half inch layer of vegetable oil. Place the jiaozi carefully into the oil with the pleats facing up and out of the oil. When the wrappers are golden brown, flip them over and cook the pleat side. When the pleat side is golden brown, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to cool slightly and soak up excess oil. When they have cooled slightly, put them on a plate and dust with powdered sugar.

For a savory filling with a difference, try a tartiflette-type filling of chopped mushrooms, bacon, potatoes, onions, and a little bit of Reblochon cheese. A French pasteurized cow’s milk cheese, Reblochon has a yellow rind with a delicate flavor and a creamy texture. It has a rather distinctive smell which for some is too pungent, Fontina or Port Salut make good substitutes.

Tartiflette Jiaozi Filling
2 big waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
200g bacon lardons
100g Reblochon (stinky cheese), cubed
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
White mushrooms, finely chopped
Oil, salt, pepper

Boil the potatoes until cooked. In a frying pan, heat enough oil to brown the onions. Then add the garlic, lardons, and mushrooms. Let the meat cook. Add the cooked potatoes to the pan, mix and mash. Add the cheese and mix through. Add salt and pepper as desired. Then divide the mixture between your ready-made jiaozi wrappers, fold, pleat, and crimp as you desire and cook as you wish.

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

One indication that you’ve been an expat in China for too long is when you’re away on holiday, and you start craving some local Beijing delicacies. Every summer I go back to the UK, and once I’ve had my fill of Sunday roasts, proper bacon, and fish and chips, I start to miss my Ayi’s jiaozi, and the kids are the same. Having not yet mastered the skill of making them myself, we have to be content with going to a Chinese restaurant or getting take-out.

At the moment we’re staying with my parents in Bournemouth. For those of you unfamiliar with this location, here is a short geography lesson – it’s a large coastal resort town on the south coast of England, directly to the east of the Jurassic Coast, a 95 mile World Heritage Site. To the west is Sandbanks peninsula, which is one of the most expensive places to live in Europe, just because of the sea views. Bournemouth has a population of less than 200,000, enjoys 7.7 hours of summer sunshine a day, and serves up more than 2,000 ice creams a day on its seven miles of seafront.

It has many Chinese restaurants, but the authenticity of the food served in most would be questionable. Then someone told me about The Mandarin. It claims to have been serving authentic Chinese cuisine since 1969, and invites you to “experience the true taste of modern China”. The menu incorporates the contrasting tastes of Canton, Beijing and Sichuan cuisine. Considering it is packed out during lunchtimes and evenings, it’s got to be pretty good. Having failed on several attempts to secure a table, we decided to do take-out instead.

We started with some Bang Bang Chicken, a popular Sichuan dish of cold shredded chicken dressed with a salty, sweet, sour, nutty, and hot sauce. It was fabulous and with superb flavor. We were off to a great start. The grilled pork dumplings, or “potstickers”, were delightful tasting wonton dumplings, stuffed full of minced pork, with chopped chives and scallions. They were crispy and crunchy on the fried side and soft and fleshy on the broth simmered side. The kids were grinning from ear to ear. We all dived into a bowl of spare ribs “Peking Style”, which were perhaps not as meaty as ones you’d get in Beijing, but they had the same wonderful sweet and sticky glaze.

Kung Pao chicken, also known as Kung Po or Gong Bao, is that fabulous spicy stir-fry dish of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers. This classic dish is one of my favorites to enjoy in Beijing, so I was a little disappointed to find the version served at The Mandarin was not nearly fiery enough. The chicken was good, there were plenty of scallions, and it had a tasty sauce, but the chilies were not hot ones. For some reason they used cashews instead of peanuts, so this dish really didn’t meet my expectations at all.

Mapo doufu is another Sichuan dish, a combination of tofu set in a spicy chili and bean based sauce, cooked with minced meat. In this case it was minced beef and it was superb. It was a fiery little number, which made me wonder why they’d held back on the Kung Pao. The tofu was perfectly prepared and cooked despite being characterized by its thin oily sauce, the dish still managed to taste somehow light. The final dish was stir-fried shredded chicken in XO sauce, a spicy seafood sauce that originated in Hong Kong. This dish was very well done, and proved a hit with everyone. Steamed rice was served alongside, but no pulled noodles unfortunately.

Outside of major UK cities it’s quite hard to find authentic tasting Chinese food. So I was pleasantly surprised that The Mandarin gets it just about right. For us anyway, my Chinese friends and colleagues may disagree of course. For a restaurant outside of London it is quite expensive, but the chefs clearly know what they’re doing, the ingredients were fresh, great quality, and the cooking techniques superb.

They also have Peking duck on the menu, carved at your table, the skin served first. A part of me is tempted to give it a try. But I really don’t think a restaurant in Bournemouth, no matter how authentic, can ever reach the standards of Běijīng kǎo yā served in a Beijing restaurant.

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 and courtesy of The Mandarin

Next time you reach for some vinegar in which to dip that dumpling, consider this: The China Radio International (via China Daily) recently reported that "industry insiders" are raising concerns "that some businesses make vinegar by using excessive chemicals, even including a form of glacial acetic acid meant only for industrial use."

China has a national standard for blended vinegar that sets a maximum of 50 percent glacial acetic acid. However, both insiders contacted by China Daily said that it is virtually impossible to detect whether producers have added industrial acetic acid, and how much, creating a loophole for lawbreakers.

The allegations, made by an official in the Shanxi Vinegar Industry Association, has been refuted by more senior officials in the organization who insist that all Shanxi made vinegar is "brewed entirely with grain."

The jury’s still out on this one, but the Shanxi Vinegar Association has also announced a possible revision of the acidity scale requirements (the higher the acidity in vinegar, the less likely it will be deteriorate) later this year. Whether or not this move is related to these allegations is unclear, but let’s just hope the association has more credibility than the country’s Railway Ministry.

More on this here.