KTV – Beijing Kids

Celebrate Your Child’s Birthday in Style at These Great Venues

Wendy Xu — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 07:00:52 +0000

Another year older means another year wiser. But being wise won’t stop your kid from wanting a unique and fun birthday party. The sprawling nature of Beijing can sometimes overwhelm many parents of young children when looking for the perfect place to hold a family-friendly birthday party. To save you stressing out from reading the myriad of reviews on Dianping, Meituan, or Weibo, here is a convenient list of our choices of the best places to have a birthday party in style here in Beijing.

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Q-World Science Center, 量子世界科学馆

Q-world Science Center in Hello Mart is a fun place for kids (3-13 year old) that like to explore things, try simple experiments, and learn about physics, chemistry, biology, geography, astronomy, computers, and genetic engineering. Each course lasts about 45 minutes. They offer birthday parties with fun experiments for different ages, and course kids can have a birthday cake with friends in a separate room. You are allowed to bring your own food on site.

Mon-Sun 10 am-10 pm. RMB 150-180 per course for children 3-6 year old; RMB 180-210 per course for children aged 6+. F1, Hello Mart Urban Market A18-19, No. 48 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区亮马桥路48号Hello Mart城市市集A18-19 (177 1028 7616)

Bounce Park, 反弹工厂蹦床公园

Bounce Park has 20,000 square meters of trampolines, foam pits, a Lego land, climbing walls, slides of varying steepness, and many more entertainment facilities for families. There is a public food court on the second floor which offers drinks, dessert, and snacks. Families can also book a room on the first floor to celebrate a birthday privately with cakes, balloons, and songs.

Ages 6+. Mon-Sun 9 am-9 pm. RMB 100 per person. No. 8, Huagong Road, Fatou Industrial Park.化工路8号垡头产业园泓彤体育院内 (6720 5958)

Red 1 Go-Karting, 瑞得万国际卡丁车场

When it comes to go-karting, people generally think of it as a sport for older kids. However, some go-karting places offer various kids go-karting parties (the suggested minimum age for driving a kart is 6), which could offer an exciting racing experience for your child’s next birthday. At the food court of Red 1 Go-Karting, parents can order western food like pizza, sandwiches or spaghetti, as well as Thai food and Chinese noodles. Families are also allowed to bring birthday cakes.

Ages 8+. Mon-Fri 1pm-1am, Sat-Sun 11am-1am. RMB 200 per person. No. 88, Laiguangying East Road Chaoyang District.北京市朝阳区来广营东路88号 (6430 6687/6688)

Rock Hour Climbing, 岩时攀岩

Rock Hour Climbing consists of several climbing walls with more than 200 climbing routes of different difficulty and height, which have been set by an international team of indoor climbing specialists. They provide training courses, gear rental, automatic safety devices, and shower facilities. The staff can speak some English, and there is an open area on the second floor where kids can host their birthday parties.

Ages 8+. Mon 11am-10pm, Tue-Fri 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-9pm. RMB 110 per person. Building 74, 27 Xi Dawang Lu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区西大望路27号院74栋 (5720 0101, 137 1888 1250)

Arrow Strike, 全城弓猎

Arrow Strike Archery Club is near Joy City shopping mall Chaoyang, where you can find a lot of family-friendly restaurants and activities. Children’s archery lessons are offered for different levels to help confidence building and improve focus. They also offer some open areas with a projector and a sound system for birthday parties as well as authentic archery competitions.

Ages 8+. Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun10 pm-11pm. RMB 154 per person. B1, Building 6, Yard 3, Guomei First City, Qingnian Road. 青年路国美第一城3号院6号楼B1. (8579 8567)

KTVs

As we blogged before, KTVs can be a very fun place to go with your family as some KTVs offer rooms decorated with pop culture figures and provide kid’s birthday dinner. Check this quick guide to learn how to KTV with your family in Beijing.

Parks

Honglingjin Park, 红领巾公园

Honglingjin Park designated a national AAA scenic spot, is a family friendly park with a children’s playground, practical road safety education base, and many sculptures. The lawn by the lake is dotted with flowers and trees. Families can bring their kids to have fun at its children’s area, enjoy Beijing’s upcoming blossom season, feed cute ducks, or even take a boat sightseeing on the lake.

6am-9pm. Free. No. 5 Houbalizhuang, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区朝阳门外后八里庄

Yuyuantan Park, 玉渊潭公园

Yuyuantan Park is one of the major urban parks in Beijing. The “Chinese Zodiac” area is in the center of the children’s game square, which is probably the best place for kids to enjoy their birthday. There are also big slides and lovely animal sculptures the surround this area. Another special attraction here is the Mandarin ducks that call the Cherry Blossom Lake home.

6am-7pm. RMB 2. No. 10, middle Xisanhuan Road, Haidian District. 北京市海淀区西三环中路10号

Chaoyang Park, 朝阳公园

Chaoyang Park is located on the site of the former Prince’s Palace and offers a myriad of leisure activities to celebrate a birthday. Kids can kick or throw a ball on the big grass field near the entrance, and the concrete podiums beyond are tree-free kite flying zones. Other kid-friendly areas have cute boats, carnival rides, and playground equipment. There is an RMB 5 admission fee to enter.

6am-10pm (late entry at 9pm). RMB 5. No. 1 Nongzhan Nanlu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区农展馆南路1号.

Dine

Liliput, 粒粒堡亲子餐厅

As one of the famous kid-friendly restaurants in Beijing, which offers western food and good children’s facilities, many parents host birthday parties here. The children’s combo, spaghetti, and chicken burritos are usually recommended here.

RMB 126 per person. F2, North Area, Shine City, Shunyi District. 北京市顺义区中粮祥云小镇北区Costacoffee楼上201 (138 1016 5171)

Bistro Blu, 布鲁亲子餐厅

The chef here is from Germany, and every dish is homemade in the open kitchen. With a comfortable environment and entertainment facilities, it’s a popular place to hold birthday parties for kids. Cream of mushroom soup, German potato salad, and Panna Cotta are just a few of the dishes that are popular here.

RMB 145 per person. No.2 Jiangtai Road, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区将台路2号 (8450 1589)

School’s Out 酷乐派儿童主题餐厅

With pumpkin carriages, stars, and a fairy tale background wall, this place is straight out of a fantasy. The restaurant has a large area for kids to play, making it also suitable for birthday parties. Parents can order a variety of nutritious birthday dinners for their kids. The spaghetti and chicken burritos come highly recommended!

RMB 214 per person. F2, Ritan Hotel, No.1 Ritan Road. 日坛路1号日坛宾馆2层 (8579 4330)

Photos: Courtesy of featured restaurants and theme parks, Pixabay.com

How to KTV with Your Family in Beijing

Wendy Xu — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 00:00:20 +0000

Unlike in the west where you can see people singing their favorite songs loud in front of strangers in a bar on weekend night, KTV in China is a much more private and complicated affair. As one of the most popular pastimes here, KTV can be a very fun place to go with your family. Here is a quick guide to teach you how to KTV with your family in Beijing.

What is the KTV culture in China?

KTVs are mostly popular after dinner, therefore people can just graze light snacks (ranging from chicken feet to various fruits) and drinks. It’s better to book a room in advance since the price increases on weekends. Or sometimes people prefer a discount room during the day to get better discounts. Room sizes can vary from mini, medium to large size, typically the room is booked for a minimum amount of time depending on the KTVs.

According to the team at MusicCritic, “There are many different types of karaoke equipment, with varying features available in the market. While most of these sound systems are too much fun to be around, they may not be necessarily suited for your needs.” You have to find the right one for a particular situation, and that sounds harder than it actually is. There are only a few of them to pick.

Usually, there are five types of situations why people go to KTV in China: business meetings, friend gatherings, dates, overcoming a broken heart, or even family fun. In China, one of the most common reasons for a karaoke night is to help build a good guānxì (relationship).

If you find yourself invited with a group of friends to KTV, congrats! It’s time to show your beautiful voice! Regardless of your ability, inevitably you are expected to sing as a “guest.” Otherwise, you better wish someone in the room has the voice of an angel and is a microphone hog.

If you’re rolling in with kids or have a strong craving for kitsch themed rooms featuring movie characters like Iron Man or Peppa Pig, then you’re in luck, as some KTVs offer rooms decorated with pop culture figures.

Without further ado, here are some of our favorite family-friendly KTV options.

Family-friendly KTVs in Beijing

Windsor KTV
With good locations near Taiyanggong and in the Aegean shopping center with many family-friendly facilities, Windsor is a good choice to go out singing with the family. They have a complete music library with many English songs as well as Japanese, Korean, and German. On the same floor, there is also an outdoor playground for kids.

More info here. RMB 169 above. F5, Aegean Shopping Center. No.12, Qisheng Middle Street, Chaoyang District. 北京市朝阳区七圣中街12号 (8858 7777)

My Song KTV
Targeting young customers, My Song KTV is a popular KTV chain in China. As there are always good events for kids in Joy City Shopping Mall, the one near it could be a good place for family fun. If your kids love Hello Kitty or other cartoon characters, you can book a room decorated with those pop culture figures. For those songs you can’t find at a KTV, you can also connect your phone with their equipment to upload your own songs.

More info here. RMB 91 above. No. 19, Yacheng Lane 1 (next to the Baodao Glasses), Chaoyang District. 雅城一里19号(宝眼镜店旁) (5243 3995)

Tango KTV
Tango KTV is just near the south gate of Ditan Park, and next to the 24h Cantonese Restaurant Jingdingxuan. They have various songs in English as well as Japanese, Korean, and German to choose.

More info here. RMB 124 above. No.79 Hepinglixi Jie, by south gate of Dìtán Park. 和平里西街79号, 地坛公园南门 (6428 2288)

Melody KTV
Melody KTV, near the west gate of Ditan Park, is a quite popular family-friendly KTV choice in Beijing, also one of the old KTV brands in China. With reasonable prices and various family set meal choices, they have held a lot of family events there.

More info here. RMB 109 above. No. 198, Andingmenwai Street, Dongcheng District. 安定门外大街198号 (6056 9188)

How to KTV

Paying onsite usually charges more than booking online, however, booking a KTV could be frustrating if your Chinese is not that good since you need to use some apps like Dianping, Meituan, or their Chinese websites. So my suggestion is either you could go to KTV with Chinese friends or Chinese colleagues, ask their help, or you could make use of a translator to help you make a reservation.

Once you’ve managed to make a booking, the next step is to check in, just as you would at a restaurant. The staff will guide you to your room. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask the staff to help you learn how to operate the song system to make sure you make the most of your KTV experience.

Enjoy your family fun at KTV!

Photo: Pixbay.com, Dianping.com

KTV for Kids’ Birthday Parties?!!?

morganshang

When I heard that my daughter had been invited to a birthday party for a six year-old at Coolth KTV bar in Wangjing (Coolth, because the owner is from Spain?) I was a bit taken aback. I’ve been to birthday parties at KTV bars and it has never crossed my mind to let my child enter one for any reason. However, knowing the host, and the kids who would be attending, I was fairly certain that consuming copious amounts of alcohol and chain smoking cigarettes while singing at ear-splitting decibels was not going to be the order of the day.

My reservations set aside, we headed over on the big day and I was surprised just how friendly a karaoke bar can seem in daylight. The staff greeted my daughter with beaming smiles and no one minded that she rode her scooter down the seemingly endless corridor of karaoke rooms. We were directed all the way to the back to a room that appeared to be designed for kids’ parties. Inside, hanging out on the sofas and singing in front of the screen were a dozen girls and a few mothers all enjoying the festive moment that was devoid of alcohol, cigarettes, or the need for ear plugs. Some of the kids even sounded pretty good.

Like most KTV clubs, Coolth actually has a range of kid songs in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and English. The one drawback is that the karaoke machine interface is in Chinese, but the staff will gladly help out if you need assistance. Many clubs have themed rooms like Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty. They can also provide candles, plates, napkins, silverware, etc., and they will gladly come in and sing happy birthday to the birthday child. By default, since most kid parties are in the daytime, KTV clubs tend to be fairly quiet and you won’t run into drunken partiers either.

All in all, my kid had a blast and there was no clean up for the host. Prices will vary by location, but expect to pay around RMB200 an hour. Not a bad deal considering the ease of the party and the memories that it will generate.

photo by chris lay

A Beginner’s Guide to KTV

As a native Chinese, I love KTV. My cultural bias aside, I love KTV for a number of reasons. It’s a chance to sing in front of other people without feeling like a weirdo, and I always feel a sense of release after the night is over.

However, many foreigners are apprehensive about trying KTV for the first time. I’ve been told that many North American “KTV” bars are actually public stages where the entire bar gets to hear the aspiring performer – for better or for worse. Don’t worry; it’s not like that here. You’re in the safety of a private room, surrounded by friends who are just as terrible at singing (or worse).

Here’s a rough guide to KTV:

1. Gather a group of people

KTV places have different-sized rooms that can accommodate anywhere from three to 20 people. It’s your choice if you’d rather sing alone or have a romantic date, but let’s not kid ourselves; the best KTV parties consist of raucous, wailing groups of people. Since there are typically only three mics per room, 10-14 is a good number for those who are still a bit stage-shy or want to take frequent breaks between songs; microphone hogs should stick to smaller groups, where they’ll get more turns.

2. Choose the right KTV place

KTV prices vary widely according to their location and facilities, ranging from RMB 30-200 per hour. Popular KTV chains include Party World and Melody, both of which have a good reputation for service and quality. You can also try Wain Wain – which has great views of Beijing – or Tango, popular with the late-night crowd.

3. Book an appropriate room for over two hours

KTV places usually offer three room sizes: small (xiaobao, 小包) for 2-6 people, medium (zhongbao, 中包) for 6-10 people, and big (dabao, 大包) for 10-20 people. Picking the right size room is crucial; you don’t want to your vocal stylings to be wasted in a cavernous space, do you? Likewise, squeezing too many people in a xiaobao is a recipe for discomfort and discord. Definitely book for more than two hours – you’d be surprised how fast time flies! You can always extend the time later.

4. Sing! And Eat! And Sing!

I am a mic hogger, when I get into the room, I immediately take the seat near the jukebox and start choosing the songs I want to sing. I don’t always know how to sing them, but that’s OK; the spirit of KTV is that nobody is ashamed of their non-professional singing skills. The more you participate, the more fun you’ll have. To sweeten the pot, most KTV places have free snacks or self-serve buffet, as well as non-alcoholic drinks like juice and pop.

So, KTV this weekend?

Photo by Augapfel of flickr