The Forbidden City is one of the most phenomenal historical sites to see. There is an unwritten law that says that one cannot come to Beijing without seeing the Forbidden City. My grandparents visited us for my tenth birthday recently, but unfortunately, we could not go because of the military parade. But we had a backup plan.

The unwritten law says you’ve got to see the Forbidden City, so instead of actually visiting the palace, we would still be able to see the Forbidden City from Jingshan Park, 景山公园.

Jingshan Park is located north of the Forbidden City, and on a clear day, one can climb to the top of a hill situated inside the park and be rewarded with a stunning view of the grand Forbidden City. On the other side, one can view the famous Confucius Temple, Beihai Park and even the National Theater. I have been inside the Palace Museum, but I never knew exactly how vast it is. On top of that hill, we could finally see the true size of the Forbidden City. Interestingly, this hill happens to be a tall mound of dirt. Have you ever dug a hole? What did you do with the soil from this hole? In fact, the hill of Jingshan Park is the mound of dirt dug from the moat of the Forbidden City. The park was the royal garden of the imperial family. Visit Coal Hill to learn about the tragic final days of the last Emperor of the Ming dynasty.

The park was lovely and peaceful. Visit in the autumn to see the glorious changes of foliage along the golden roof tiles. Come in the spring to see the blossoms and peonies take over the park. The park is just perfect in size for a nice little stroll. If you want to see the Forbidden City but are allergic to crowds, Jingshan Park is a perfect alternative.

Find it:
Jingshan Park
44 Jingshan Xijie, Jingshan, Xicheng District
西城区景山景山西街44号
Entrance Fee: RMB 2 for adults, RMB 1 for kids

If you are hungry for more Beijing experiences but craving Southeast Asian flavors like my grandparents, Susu, a Vietnamese restaurant, is a good compromise.

I recommend visiting Susu in one of the alleyways of the hutongs! My grandparents are visiting from Vietnam; they had recently been eating a lot of Chinese cuisine, so it would be kind to treat them with familiar flavors. The outside of Susu looked quite shabby and unimpressive. However, my grandparents were surprised that the restaurant interior was very modern and the courtyard very quaint and peaceful.

We really enjoyed eating the shaken beef with the salt and pepper dipping; the meat was so tender, and it melted! The papaya salad was tart and refreshing. My grandma ordered a stir-fried tofu, and she was very happy with this choice. For myself, I ordered bun bo, a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup.

The food was very tasty, and the ambience of the courtyard was better. Eating in the courtyard was very peaceful, and it was a perfect place to take photos. It is very surprising how a restaurant can be so scenic.

And if you think your adventure is incomplete, the Llama Temple is just a ten-minute walk away from Susu.

Find it:
Susu·苏苏(四合院创始店)
10 Qianliang Hutong Xixiang, Dongcheng District (north side of Longfu Hospital, near 56 Qianliang Hutong)
东城区钱粮胡同西巷10号(隆福医院北侧,靠近钱粮胡同56号)

So, there’s another way to spend your weekend from Clark Yap! Have fun exploring!!! Stay tuned. And stay reading!

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Images: Clark Yap

It’s easy to be content in our expat bubbles, as the staples of western convenience become more and more commonplace in every corner of the city. But you need to ask yourself, what’s the point of living in a city like Beijing and a country like China if you only remain ankle-deep in its culture and the ocean of possible experiences?

As it’s our job to know this city inside and out, especially when it comes to family-friendly activities, we decided to share some of our discoveries and experience to help you really dive deep into all that Beijing has to offer.

This was essentially the premise for us starting our Beijing Bucket List column on our blog. Every month we introduce an essential Beijing activity or location suitable to be shared with kids. We have since amassed a lengthy collection of suggestions, along with the contacts of the people who can make them more accessible to expat families.

While some of these prompts might be obvious and others might be a little strange, this list in our opinion is an excellent starting point for attaining a better appreciation of life in the capital, and will hopefully help to spark a little adventure in your weekly routine.

Experiencing the Wild Wall

We know the Great Wall is on every top-five Beijing listicle, but at some point when living in Beijing, you need to see the Wild Great Wall. While these portions don’t have the roller coasters or Burger Kings, and other commercial attractions, if you go with the right hiking group you can have a unique experience untarnished by what we’ll call the Disneyfication of one of the world’s greatest wonders. Hiking groups like Beijing Hikers and China Hiking both offer these rugged experiences weekly, and there are even overnight trips that allow you to camp on the wall’s watchtowers and keep watch for Mongolian invaders.

Peach blossoms in spring

If you are looking for some of the best family selfie opportunities this season, then the peach blossom blooms of Beijing are not to be missed. Starting in the middle of March, peach blossom season continues till the end of April. Immediately upon reading this, head to one of the many parks in and outside the city to experience the beauty of this highly significant flower in Chinese culture. At this time of year, the peach blossoms of Pinggu Valley spread as far as the eye can see, taking up a total 14,674 hectares. The peach orchard is so large that 300,000 tons of 200 varieties of peaches are harvested here each year. If you are looking for something a bit closer, then Jingshan Park near the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Beijing Botanical Gardens also have plenty of peach blossoms in bloom.

Take a foodie walk

All of us are aware of Beijing staples like Peking duck, dumplings, and baozi, but there are literally hundreds of other local dishes that aren’t on the radar for many foreigners just beginning to navigate these delicious treats. To get a grasp of some of these dishes we recommend checking out the food tours from UnTour. They have both breakfast and dinner hutong outings that take guests to at least six restaurants in a single session, and even make the experience accessible to those with dietary restrictions. These quick stops are also supplemented with the history of these delicacies from their friendly and helpful staff of expat foodies. We can say from experience and years of living in this city that these tour guides knew their stuff, and were even able to surprise us when it comes to Chinese food with excellent dishes and restaurants we’d never heard of.

Hutong exploration

With a history originating in the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1341), Beijing’s hutongs are an area that still echoes with the capital’s history. While there are many ways to explore these old quarters that exist in stark contrast to the megacity Beijing is now, we recommend taking a tour with one of the many local historians that host walks. On these tours, you’ll not only learn about this area’s significance but also hear some of the stories that make these gray alleyways come alive and meet the fantastic people that still call them home. Whether it’s a murder mystery tour inspired by Paul French’s Midnight in Peking from the folks at Bespoke Beijing, or a Dashilar Scavenger Hunt with Beijing Postcards, these tours will put you right in the middle of it all.

Guo‘an football game

Head over to the Workers’ Stadium for the spectacle that is a Guo’an game. As Beijing’s biggest football club, Guo’an’s stadium is the best place to experience the massive influence spectator sports have in modern Beijing. People are mad about football. So mad actually that yelling expletives at the top of your lungs at the opposing teams has become heavily regulated recently, which is excellent for families as these events just became much more kid-friendly. Seasons last from March to December, with a break in the summer heat, so make sure to check their schedule for upcoming games. The only official way to buy tickets for Chinese Super League matches is to order them days in advance, from a Chinese-only website, and wait for them to be delivered to you. So don’t be afraid to do what most people do, which is to buy from a scalper outside the stadium.

All ages. Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District. (6501 6655 ext. 5033) 朝阳区工体北路

Peking Opera at Zhangyici Theater

This is a highly divisive recommendation, as many people (even locals) tend to shudder at the thought of two hours listening to shrill falsetto vocalists and the rapid clangs of Chinese Opera. Our suggestion, therefore, is to preface the experience with a screening of Farewell My Concubine, then go to one of the oldest theaters in the city specializing in this very dynamic art form. The entirely acoustic performance is incredibly intimate, almost exactly the same as it was presented in its heyday in the mid-19th century. This combined with the costumes, makeup, and atmosphere of a century-old theater make for an incredibly authentic Beijing experience. Zhangyici Theater’s Mei Lanfang Series features a collection of essential performances from one of Peking Opera’s most notable performers.

Ages 4+. 220 Xiheyan Dajie, Xuanwu District (8315 1649) 宣武区西河沿大街220号

Guyaju Caves

This cluster of cave dwellings north of Beijing offers an impressive testament to our Chinese predecessors’ cave-digging abilities. With 174 caves in all, the largest are more than 20 square meters, with multiple rooms. The caves were reportedly carved by an ethnic minority called the Xiyi during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). Most of the caves are bunched together in two rock face villages, resembling ant farms for humans. Kids will enjoy wiggling into the smallest ones, which have just enough room to lie down in. At the peak, there is a great view of the lake and surrounding valley. Guyaju only takes one or two hours to tour, so this day trip can be combined with a visit to the nearby Longqing Gorge.

RMB 40, RMB 20 (students), free for kids under 1.2m. Daily 8am-4pm. Dongmenying Village, Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing County (6911 0333) 延庆县张山营镇东门营村

Picnicking on Beijing’s ancient waterways

While we all know and love Houhai, but the eating options are a bit uninspired. The area is rampant with overpriced tourist trap Chinese food, fake Italian restaurants, and hookah bars. Actually, there are one or two good time-honored restaurants in the vicinity like Kao Rou Ji, but another option is to pack up a lunch of your own and hit the lake on a boat. Soak and snack, or play pirates in the middle of Beijing’s most famous imperial waterway. Another equally imperial option is to do the same but at Zizhuyuan Park (Purple Bamboo Park) in Haidian. Enjoy some baguettes, cheeses, and cured meats, while you cruise and eventually dock at the Summer Palace.

Panjiayuan Flea Market

The flea market concept is trending in the city of Beijing in a huge way, mainly providing a venue for local makers to sell their trendy accessories, craft soaps, and essential oils, which is all well and good. But what’s also up there on the fun meter is checking out Beijing’s original flea market at Panjiayuan to get your hands on some pretty cool relics from Beijing’s past. Some real, and some not so real, you can find a lot of cool knick-knacks to help give your home a more lao Beijing feel, or find the perfect gifts to bring back the fam during your next visit.

All ages. Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat-Sun 4.30am-6pm. West of Panjiayuan Qiao, Chaoyang District (6775 2405)  朝阳区潘家园桥西

This article first appeared in the beijingkids April 2019 Exploring Beijing issue.
Photos: Wikipedia, the Beijinger, Kipp Whittaker, Adobe Creative Cloud

Jingshan Park and the National Art Museum of China can be visited in one outing (which takes around four hours, depending on how slowly you stroll and allowing for a one-hour lunch stop) and can be enjoyed with a leisurely promenade of historic Wusi Dajie along the way. Though some of the cultural and historically significant attractions in the area are more suitable for older children, the scenery, pleasant park areas and lao Beijing ambience makes this outing feasible for families with kids of all ages – and yes, this even includes parents pushing strollers around all day.

Start in the late morning in Jingshan Gongyuan (井山公园), a 57-acre park that dates back to the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), once the private domain of Ming and Qing emperors,  which wasn’t opened to the public until 1928. Within the vermilion walls lies its namesake, the 45.7-meter high Jingshan (Coal Hill) that was constructed during the Yongle period of the Ming dynasty (1402-1424) out of soil excavated from the Forbidden City moats. Featuring five peaks crowned with five pavilions, the hill is located on a north-south axis connecting Qianmen, Tiananmen, the Forbidden City and the Drum and Bell Towers (Gulou and Zhonglou) – on a sunny day it offers a breathtaking view of their shimmering roof tiles and the heart of lao Beijing. Jingshan is also one of the best spots in town to take in traditional Beijing culture – amateur opera enthusiasts, calligraphers, dog walkers, taiqi practitioners, kite flyers and local kids of all ages frequent the park and fill it with a traditional vitality that is fast disappearing. Many of the pavilions and structures within are still open to the public and often host historical exhibits and displays of traditional arts.

Walk out the east gate of the park and cross the street to Shatan Houjie – a vibrant alley filled with fruit stalls, small dives and hotels. At the mouth of the hutong is the Alley Coffee Bar (8404 7228) – an English-friendly joint serving food (a set meal of jiaozi – dumplings – and a beverage costs RMB 25), Wi-Fi, coffee, tea, cold beer, bike rentals, tickets and tours. Stop in here for a quick bite or a refreshing drink. Shatan Houjie runs east to Shatan Beijie – take a right here and pass the Industrial and Commercial Bank (with ATMs) until you reach the intersection of Wusi Dajie.

Named for China’s pivotal May 4th movement, this boulevard was once a hutong haven until the traditional alleyways were demolished to make room for the construction of the National Art Museum in 1958. Today the street is lined with small clothing boutiques, accessory stores and art supply shops, as well as the historically significant Hong Lou (Red House, 6612 8596, 9am-4pm), a four-story red brick building that dates back to 1918 and was once the campus of Beijing University. Here, the founder of China’s Communist Party, Li Dazhao, and a young Mao Zedong worked as librarians and administrators; the building still stands as a monument to their lives’ work and achievements. Admission is free and the classrooms inside house some exhibits of materials and publications dating back to the early years of the Chinese Communist Party. The displays (featuring a few English descriptions) may be lost on younger children, but the spot is worth checking out for its early 20th century European-style architecture, satisfyingly cool air-conditioning and super-clean bathrooms.

From Hong Lou, continue east along Wusi Dajie until you hit the intersection of Beiheyan Dajie. Huangchenggen Yizhi Park, one of the finest examples of urban planning in the city, runs perpendicular to this spot. This long stretch of urban greenery was built around a recreated portion of the Ming Dynasty City Wall (at its northern end), and offers an idyllic strolling opportunity for dog walkers, old folks, kids and dating couples alike. Hang a right at this intersection and you’ll end up on the western edge of Wangfujing, but for this outing we recommend continuing east until you reach the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC, 9am-5pm. 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District. RMB 20 admission. 8403 3500). The 2,000-sqm museum recently underwent a facelift and houses a permanent collection of traditional Chinese paintings, prints, sculptures, oils, watercolors, calligraphy, lacquerware, pottery, kites and traditional toys, along with regular visiting exhibitions in its 17 exhibition halls. The pieces are definitely suitable for all ages (as opposed to some of the edgier contemporary art galleries around town) and the facility is spacious enough for leisurely perusals with your tots in tow.