All families need dining out staples they can rely on: a place that is kid-friendly, provides ample options for the little ones and the grown-ups at the table, and last but definitely not least, delivers on value for money with deliciously tasty food. Annie’s has long been a place that people depend on to dish out hearty Italian cuisine that’s easy on the pocket and packed full of flavor.

However, many carb-fest-fans provide the restaurant with repeat custom through their online delivery services, and rarely do they venture out with the family to dine in. Newly refurbished Annie’s Ritan is pulling out the stops with a roof-top terrace and an aperitivo night to top all aperitivo nights. It’s clear they’re out to remind us that their spot is not just to be defined as your go-to takeout option, but that this little Italian haunt is indeed family-night-out worthy.

The Suppiger family was the perfect household to sample the food and atmosphere at Annie’s, Ritan. The family of four, consisting of parents, Maggie and Todd, and siblings, four-year-old Jeremiah and two-year-old Sarah have previously been takeout regulars of Annie’s, but never took the time to dine in at the restaurant. To test the waters, the Suppigers brought along Grandpa Yu and Grandma Yu.

Annie’s didn’t cut any corners on their visit, and the Suppigers tucked into a spread of Rib-eye steak (RMB 198), Truffle Pizza (RMB 116), their signature Beef Lasagna (RMB 49), Mixed Cold Cuts (RMB 148), Mushroom Soup (RMB 28) served with fresh bread, and a number of awesome sides, followed by sweets.

Todd, who works for the Swiss Embassy, thought all the options were tasty, and homemaker Maggie tucked straight into the steak, which she said she would definitely order again. The kids are great eaters and not the fussy type. There was no turning up their noses at any of the familiar veggie options, such as the house salad (RMB 38) or the grilled vegetables (RMB 35); however, their favorite dish was the kid-go-to plate of fries!

While the parents continued to enjoy the red vino, Barbera D’Alba (RMB 139), the kids demolished the trio of ice cream (RMB 30), and the Tiramisu wasn’t at all a bad second option. The evening was a great start to the weekend, and the perfect send-off for a family who are about to end their adventure in Beijing for a new one in Switzerland. Here’s to the Suppigers and their new Swiss life! Wish them well, and next time you’re thinking of ordering an Annie’s takeout, instead call the kids to grab their jackets and go on down to Annie’s Ritan.

The weather is getting nicer, so sit under blue skies on their rooftop terrace and soak in the new revamped The Godfather theme at the restaurant with movie soundtrack vibes, replicas of the color palette used in the original film, movie memorabilia, and more. Definitely check out their new Aperitivo nights, with free-flow wine and beer with cold cuts, cheese, and other sides from 6pm-9pm every Friday at the Ritan location, every Wednesday at Annie’s The Place, every Thursday at Annie’s Sunshine 100, and every Saturday at Ponte in Lido. You are truly spoiled for choice! As the sign on the door says, “Come as friends, go as family.”

Annie’s
Daily 11am-11pm, Unit 2-3-93, Ritan Highlife, (opposite North Gate of Ritan Park), 39 Shenlu Jie, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区神路街39号日坛公园北门对面日坛上街2-3-93号 (8569 3031)

This article appeared in the beijingkids May 2019 Identity issue.
Photos: Kipp Whittaker

Do you have an upcoming family-friendly event that you want to be included in our listings? Maximize the reach of your event and promote it on beijingkids!

Let us know by leaving your message in the comments section below or by emailing us at webeditor@beijing-kids.com. Follow us on WeChat (ID: beijing-kids) or join our family events WeChat group by sending us your WeChat QR code. Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are canceled or scheduled as planned. For more events that may not be included in this list, please check our Events page.

Spring into Summer: Month-End Spring Fairs

Hyde Academy Clean & Green Spring Fair, May 26
All ages. Hyde Academy invites everyone to their annual Spring Fair on Saturday, May 26. Students, parents, and artists in the community are working hard to create a celebration of arts, music, and the environment this year, with a great collection of crafts, treats, and games to entertain and inform visitors. Visit this page to see more info. Free to attend. 10am-2pm. (8046 7085, sharon.shao@hyde-education.com)

Annual Keystone Carnival, May 26
All ages. Keystone Academy Beijing invites everyone to participate in their upcoming yearly Carnival. The Carnival will offer a variety of activities and games for children ages 3-18, and a vibrant marketplace offering a selection of stores, food stalls, and promo booths. They aim to bring the Keystone students and families along with the extended Shunyi and Beijing communities together, for a fun-filled day in the sun. The festivities will conclude with a lucky draw and an outdoor concert in the center of the marketplace starting early in the evening! Free to attend. 3-9pm. (8049 6008 ext. 3403, Carnival.vendors@keystoneacademy.cn).

Rumble in the Jumble: Guilty Pleasures, May 26
All ages. The May edition of Rumble in the Jumble market is about your Guilty Pleasures! For the mad, moonstruck month of May-hem, Rumble in the Jumble is celebrating the more indulgent, and perhaps even frivolous fringes of the market world. Go to Modernista at 44 Baochao Hutong to indulge. Free to attend. Noon-6pm. Modernista.

Annual BritCham and AustCham Community Fun Day, May 27
All ages. Summer is nearly upon us, and that means the return of the Annual BritCham and AustCham Community Fun Day! Bring your family, friends, and colleagues along to Dongfeng International Sports Park, formerly Chaoyang Golf Club on May 27 and soak up the sunshine, on the lushest grass lawns in Beijing. There will be great food and ice cream from local Beijing vendors, as well as exciting activities for the kids throughout the day. There will be free beer all afternoon with soft drinks and refreshments also available. Rounding up the afternoon, try your luck in the raffle to win some great prizes! RMB 20-110 (book tickets here). 11am-4pm. Dongfeng International Sports Park. (bree.arthur@britishchamber.cn, events@austcham.org)

BSB Shunyi Summer Fayre, Jun 3
All ages. Come along for some summer fun at The British School of Beijing (BSB) Shunyi’s Summer Fayre, one of the biggest events each year at BSB. Families can enjoy lunch, snack and drinks from many food vendors, fun with games, water park, bouncy castles and enjoy visiting a variety of stalls indoors and outdoors. The Grand Charity Raffle will have many prizes to be won too. This fair is open to the whole Beijing community. Noon-4pm. Visit this page for more info. (8047 3588, marketing@bsbshunyi.com)

Fun for the Family

Redhot & Blue A Cappella Workshop and Concert, May 24
All ages. Come to an exclusive engagement with Redhot & Blue, Yale University’s oldest all-gender a cappella group and premiere vocal jazz ensemble! For 40 years, Redhot & Blue has shared its signature combination of classic jazz repertoire and collegiate bonhomie in a variety of settings both domestically and abroad, ranging from galas in New York to churches in Copenhagen to the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo. Come out on May 24 for an exclusive Q&A with Redhot singers, a chance to learn one of their very own arrangements. Following the workshop, join them for an hour-long concert. RMB 250 (register here). 6-9pm. Yale Center Beijing, 36th Floor, Tower B of IFC Building 8 Jianguomenwai Avenue Chaoyang District (Yong’anli Subway Station, Exit C)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, May 24-27
All ages. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is adapted by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens from Mark Haddon’s best-selling book, and directed by Tony Award winner Marianne Elliott (War Horse, Curious Incident). RMB 99-1,196 (buy tickets here). Starts 7.30pm. Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center. (400 610 3721, 1010 3721, ponypiao@aliyun.cn).

Children’s Day Special: Chinese Shadow Puppetry and Live Folk Music, May 31
All ages. Join Modernista for one more Thursday dedicated to cultural influences and fusions from all the round the world blended into music, dance, theater and stage performances. The event will feature shadow puppets designed and managed by experienced puppet master Wang Yuguang with a contemporary music twist from to Ravi’s experimental influences. 9-11.30am. Modernista

BICO Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf / Carnival of the Animals, Jun 2 and 3
All ages. This year’s family concert of the Beijing International Chamber Orchestra (BICO) features Prokofiev’s enchanting musical tale, Peter and the Wolf. The performance is suitable for children of all ages, and it continues BICO’s longstanding tradition of presenting entertaining and educational family concerts for everyone. RMB 150 (adults), RMB 80 (kids). Book tickets here (for Jun 2, Jun 3). Beijing International Chamber Orchestra. Canadian International School of Beijing, No. 38 Liangmaqiao, Chaoyang. (www.bico-china.com, maria.nauen@mail.ru)

Workshops, Forums, and Open Houses

Blogging in Beijing’s Quarterly Meet-up and Networking Series: “A Gold Mine of Stories,” May 31
Ages 18+. The Blogging in Beijing WeChat group invites everyone to their second quarterly meet-up and networking event on May 31 at XL Bar in Sanlitun. This FREE online-to-offline gathering will focus on the topic of “Beijing: A Gold Mine of Stories” (click here to register). Being a city full of history, Beijing gives everyone a feel of what life in a highly cultural but very contemporary setting is. But beyond the touristy sights and daily urban living lie a wealth of fascinating stories that can inspire budding writers and bloggers, as told by speakers Jeremiah Jenne of Beijing by Foot and Pauline van Hasselt of Beijing Mothers Guild. Free to attend (but registration is needed as there are only 30 seats). 7-9pm. XL Bar, Sanlitun. For more inquiries, contact Andy Penafuerte on WeChat (ID: anp3rd). Scan the QR code to register.

The True Cost Documentary Screening – Who Really Pays The Price for Our Clothing, May 24
Adults. The Beijing Clothing Auction Network, Live With Less, and The Bulk House are teaming up to host a screening of The True Cost, a documentary film about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True Cost is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the worlds leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth, and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye-opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes. RMB 40 (at the door), RMB 60 (drinks included). Register on this page. 7-9.30pm. The Bookworm. (Rebecca Archer: 130 7116 2353).

Constantly Connected: Is Your Internet Use an Addiction or Society’s New Norm?, May 22
Adults. The internet is an essential part of modern life, but at what point does internet use transition from normal to pathologic? How can you recognize when your internet use or that of your child is becoming harmful? We will address these questions while exploring the evolution of problematic internet use and the current debate around whether “internet addiction” truly exists. With the popularity of internet addiction “boot camps” in China, we will also discuss approaches to manage, and better yet prevent, problematic internet use in adolescents. Dr. Joseph Donroe presents this English-language talk. RMB 80, RMB 20 (students). 6.30-8.30pm. Yale Center Beijing 36th Floor Tower B of IFC Building 8 Jianguomenwai Avenue Chaoyang District, Beijing (Yong’anli Subway Station, Exit C). For more information or to register, visit this page. 

Good Sleep and Stroke Prevention, May 25
Adults. One significant risk of sleeping disorders are strokes. In recent years, strokes have become the leading cause of death in China, and its incidence is increasing year by year. Strokes can lead to greater chances of morbidity, mortality, or rates of disability and are often recurrent events. This can create a heavy burden on societies, families, and individuals. Strokes not only affect the elderly, but as the pace of life accelerates, youth strokes are also becoming increasingly common. So do you know what causes a stroke? How to prevent a stroke from occurring? What symptoms might suggest susceptibility to strokes? And how should we react when a stroke occurs? In this Chinese-language event, Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) will explain these issues in detail in this health talk. The objective of the event is to introduce the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment of these problems, as well as to give some tips on prevention. RMB 50 (RSVP here). 2-5.20pm. The language of the event is Chinese. BJU.

Open Day at Yew Chung International School of Beijing, May 23
All ages. Join YCIS Beijing’s open day on May 23 to meet their co-principals Noel Thomas and Christine Xu, and to learn more about the school’s bilingual education model. Parents will have the opportunity to see the changes that are happening all across the campus and visit their newly renovated Learning Communities. Immediately following the school tour, YCIS Beijing officials invite parents to attend an information session for either their Early Childhood Education or Primary/Secondary schools. Each information session will be hosted by the respective school heads. Free to attend (register on this page). 9-11.30am. YCIS Beijing. (info@bj.ycef.com).

The Children’s House Open Day and Family Fun Day, May 26
All ages. Join The Children’s House’s open day and family fun day at their Oceanwide Campus on May 26. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with Head of Schools, Katleen Mentens, who will give a brief introduction to Montessori education and how a Montessori environment will aid your child in becoming a well-rounded and joyous learner. Children will enjoy an entertaining magic show, face painting, arts and crafts, and have fun on the bouncy castle. Parents will also have the chance to see your little ones interact with our teachers in our storytelling corner and music circle and work with Montessori materials. Free to attend. 9.30am-12.30pm. The Children’s House, 1 Nanshiliju Road, Dongfeng Xiang, Chaoyang District, Beijing (Near Haofeng Sports Park) (8556 4122, 8556 4611, info-oceanwide@montessoribeijing.com)

Work Your Body Out

Free Taichi Class at BICC-Chinese School, May 23
All ages. Taichi is one of the most popular kung fu styles among foreign friends. It is comfortable, flexible, gentle, sequential, natural, and elegant. Learners can feel the connotation of philosophy, the style of beauty, and the atmosphere of the poem. Practicing taichi can also eliminate the symptoms of sickness and strengthen people’s health. BICC organizes a free taichi class on May 23 at their BICC Sanlitun campus. A kung fu master will explain and teach the main aspects of forms, and try to allow the students to learn as much as possible in a set time. Free to attend. 2-3.30pm. Baijiazhuang Xili No. 2, behind Beijing No.80 Middle School (South Gate), Chaoyang District. (info@hibicc.com)

Learn Flamenco With Dancer From Sevilla, Spain, May 26-Jun 28
All ages. Casa Flamenco will start new flamenco courses from May 26. Eve Rosenbloom, an experienced flamenco dancer and teacher from Spain, comes to Beijing to give the flamenco aficionados a four-week training. The courses are from total beginner level to intermediate level. RMB 2,600. Training hours are between 11am and 11pm. Casa Flamenco. (WeChat ID and phone: 13910914251, flamencotaller@sina.com).

Mindfulness and Wellness Group Coaching Class, May 26
Adults. This class will stretch you! Participants will study mindfulness practices and assess their wellness. Take a deep look at your current life, set a vision for where you want to be and make a plan for how you’re going to get there. Expect changes. Cassie Kang teaches this bilingual workshop. RMB 800. 6-9pm. Ms. Uptown. For more information or to register, visit this page.

Taoist Martial Arts, Philosophy and Culture Classes, weekly
All ages. Wujiquan is an ancient Taoist tradition past down for generations only in temples and few families. Rebuild your body according to the principles of yin-yang, the Five Elements, and the Eight Trigrams to make your body strong. Calm down your mind and heart and nourish your life through the practice of Wujiquan. RMB 50 per class. Class times begin at 10.30 (Mon, Thu, Sat, Sun) and noon (Tue, Wed) at Ritan, Xinglong, and Forest Parks. Visit this page to see the schedule of classes. (WeChat ID: Breznan)

Photos: BSB Shunyi, courtesy of event organizers

This year’s Beijing International School Expo (BISE) takes place at Chaoyang U-Town. There’ll be plenty to do and see at the Expo itself, with 60 plus schools represented, panels with expert speakers, and fun activities for the kids. But for you who want to make it a day out for the whole family, we checked out what’s available at the U-Town Mall and the surrounding area.

Shopping-wise, there’s all the familiar names: Uniqlo, Zara, H&M, Muji, and two floors of Old Navy, to name a few. Lotte Mart is in the basement, if you need to pick up any groceries. My youngest though was more interested in the plush toys at Nuzzle:

The third floor though is where kids can really kick loose. Along with a climbing gym and soft play areas, there third floor also boasts rollerblading, craft activities, and even a chess club. Little ones can also ride around on Thomas the Tank Engine:

Here you can play with, erm… Ledo? Generic building blocks that in no way infringe on anybody’s intellectual property rights in any way.

For older kids, there’s slot-car racing and VR games. And if they fancy doing some shopping of their own, Kids Land offers a whole range of toys for all ages.

When mealtimes inevitably roll around, there’s no shortage of options. On the fifth floor you’ll find a variety of Chinese restaurants, as well as Thai, Japanese teppanyaki, and Korean BBQ. For those who prefer western food, Blue Frog on the ground floor is currently offering a brunch deal: buy two Blue Plate Specials, Burgers, or Pastas to get a kids’ meal free. The really hungry might prefer Hopfenstube’s all-you-can-eat rotisserie, where you can get your fill of meaty German goodness for RMB 198 per person.

Alternatively, if you need some fresh air, Ritan Park, one of Beijing’s most charming parks, is a short walk south along Chaowaishihanglu. The fairground rides are closed for the season, but there’s a kids playground and plenty of room to run around and play.

The Beijing International School Expo takes place on February 18-19, 2017 from 10am-4pm at the Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town. Find out more information about the event here, or scan the QR code below:

Photos: Andrew Killeen

Liza Maksymchuk (Ukraine) and her husband Chris Solomon (Australia) have been living in Beijing for ten years. They have a 5-year-old daughter called Nadiya who attends Beijing City International School (BCIS). One of the family’s regular haunts is Ritan Park, which they visit nearly every weekend. Maksymchuk says she discovered the park through beijingkids magazine. “I loved the English name, which sounded magical – ‘Park of the Temple of the Sun,’” she says. Recently, we had the opportunity to take photos of the family with some very special guests: grandparents Sue and Brian Solomon, who were visiting from Australia.

Unique Points
Right next to the lake, there is a structure of rocks with secret caves and narrow paths – perfect for little explorers. If you climb on top, you will be rewarded with a great view on the park.

There is also a tango corner with immaculately-dressed local men and women who come here for social dancing. They take it quite seriously and there is enough professionalism and passion to compete with Argentinians. We love watching them, and occasionally attempt a dance or two.

Then there is the local orchestra and choir. Expect to hear all-time favorite communist songs and old Soviet hits, such as “Moscow Nights.”

Family-Friendly Features
Ritan Park has everything one needs for a full afternoon: a beautiful lake with a cafe, a children’s playground that is never crowded, a craft corner with pottery-making and decorating activities, and a rock climbing wall for different skill levels. There are quite a few toilets throughout the park and they are relatively clean.

Kid Picks
Nadia loves the children’s playground the most. She also likes to have a little exercise at the local workout station with the very fit nainai and yeye [grandmas and grandpas].

Recommended Restaurants and Cafes

• Xiao Wang Fu, which has great Chinese food. During the warm seasons, we recommend sitting on their terrace.
• Stone Boat Cafe on the lake. It is only open during warm seasons.

Favorite Memory
Nadiya’s third birthday fell on a weekday, so both Chris and I took a day off work and took her to Ritan. We all put on funny clown wigs and oversized glasses; it was amusing to watch the locals’ reaction to our little circus troupe having fun on the playground.

This is part one of a three part series.

This article originally appeared on page 45 of the 2016 June-July Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Since kids, I find myself sticking around the neighborhood so much more. I’ve lately pined for the days of exploring Beijing but was grateful to have both of my in-laws in tow to help with the kids when we went on an adventure to Ritan Park this Saturday. Since we live in the Lido area, Ritan Park isn’t exactly nearby. That being said, it’s free and it’s got a lake and a big children’s play area. We also had a birthday party to attend nearby. Top that off with Saturday being a gorgeous late fall day, and we had the perfect recipe for a park adventure outside of the usual stomping grounds.

The little lake just to the right of the park’s south entrance captured the kids’ attention right away. There were inflated cylinders of plastic in which bigger kids were spinning and running on the water’s surface, much to my daughter’s complete confusion. “Mommy, are they swimming and running at the same time?” she asked.

What captured my attention was the traditional pagoda next to the elegant crane statue set against the garish spinning plastic tubes – how juxtaposed everything in China always is. Modern against traditional. Elegant against tacky. 

We followed up our lake adventure with a RMB 20 ride in an electric car that made my daughter stand up with glee (while driving it). For only three minutes, it was a pricey joy ride, but capturing her enthusiasm on camera was worth every fen.

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift

This is the last of three Fridays where we will feature a lesser-known, often ignored, or just generally underappreciated place in Beijing. See the first Friday’s post here, and the second here.

Although Beijing’s flat landscape and wide bike lanes make biking very easy and fun, unfortunately, in the hot summer months biking is something only done when absolutely necessary.

But don’t give up on your bike just yet! Spend some time exploring one of my favorite places to go biking: along the leafy streets around Ritan Park. Off the main drag and lined with embassies, the streets here have fewer cars and a shaded canopy of trees. As you can see in the birds-eye-view map below, there is almost as much green outside of Ritan Park as there is inside. The next not-so-polluted day you have nothing planned, go for a bike ride and finish with a picnic in the park.

If I decide to bike before lunch, I usually stop by the Jenny Lou’s that’s within spitting range from the park area to pick up picnic food. For an afternoon bike ride, I like to go to Xi He Ya Ju, a Chinese restaurant in a pretty outdoor courtyard, for sit-down lunch before getting on my bike.

When I went biking around Ritan Park last Saturday, I was reminded again of how quiet it is. Most of the streets are just a turn away from a one-lane road that makes you forget that you are in a huge city. The crickets chirping in the background and the occasional Chinese guard are the only things that remind me I am in Beijing!

I like to systematically go up and down each street, but you can bike around any way you like. Just make sure your final stop is Ritan Park for a picnic lunch!

No bikes are allowed inside the park, but as you may remember from this article, there is plenty to do between the playgrounds, fishing, merry-go-rounds, and shaded pathways.

Jenny Lou’s婕妮璐芳草地店 (Ritan location): Daily 8am-10pm. 4 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District (010 8563 0626) 市朝阳区日坛北路4号

Xi He Ya Ju羲和雅居: Daily 11am-2pm, 5-10pm. Ritan Park and Yabao Lu日坛公园雅宝路Northeast corner of Ritan Park, Chaoyang District朝阳区日坛公园东北角

Ritan Park 日坛公园: Daily 6am-10pm (summer), Daily 6am-9pm (winter). 6 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区日坛北路6号

Photo: Leah Sprague; Map: Baidu (modified)

Leah Sprague is a high school senior and beijingkids’ intern for July. After living in Seattle for two years, Leah is super excited to be back in Beijing, where she lived from 2009-2012. When not at the office, Leah can be found biking or subway-ing around the city, soaking up everything before she leaves again in August.

The coming of spring means more family outings, and like all Beijing parents we are starting to amass a list of “usual haunts” to take our baby. The selection is paltry for now – just a few spots here and there – as we have neither the time of the energy for elaborate day trips (at least not yet); but we expect it to grow in the coming spring and summer months.

Part of the reason we haven’t branched out very far lies in our own compound, Pingod. The ample garden is so nicely landscaped it draws families from the neighboring compounds (even the more expensive ones), and most days you’ll find it filled with a gaggle of babies, toddlers, ayis, moms, dads and grandparents chatting each other up about growth spurts, ayi salaries, strollers and the like.
Having a nice green space (and the sense of community it fosters) literally at our doorstep is certainly a plus, but unfortunately it seems to be the only such place within walking distance from our Shuangjing area apartment. Otherwise, we are hemmed in by the Third Ring Road to our west, the rather shabby Baiziwan Lu to our north, a rubble strewn half completed road to the east and the always-crowded Carrefour to our south.

Across the Third Ring Road is the new Viva shopping mall attached to Fuli Cheng – a nice option if you want a Starbuck’s cappuccino or to take in an afternoon matinee, but with nary a green space in sight.

And so most weekends we find ourselves returning again and again to the one patch of pristine greenness in the CBD – Ritan Park. The “Temple of the Sun” holds a special significance for our family because it was here that Marianne’s Lao Ye (maternal grandfather) had his first job (a summer stint sweeping the pathways), the place where her parents had their first date (drinks the Stone Boat, followed by a stroll in the park) and later on, the site of their wedding at the Ritan Guesthouse (the back door of which leads directly out to the Stone Boat).

Lately we’ve been taking Marianne to the kids’ area, with its small selection of rides and booths, including a mini-train, bouncy castle, battery-powered karts and an old-fashioned carousel that spins just a little too fast (much to the terror of virtually every child I’ve seen on it). She’s still a little too young to fully revel in the rides, but we figure the relatively fresh air and the chance to check out other kids her age make it worth the trip.

The altar itself is another toddler hotspot, particularly during these breezy spring days when you can find kids high-tailing it around the large, circular space chasing after all the kites.

Aside from that, there are Chaoyang and Tuanjiehu parks – both are relatively short carbides away, but nowhere near walking distance if you’re toting a toddler around. And so I make this general, albeit rhetorical plea to the Chaoyang district government: Please, please, pretty please build more parks in the CBD*.

*A great place to start would be the huge plot of land directly west of Pingod – but alas, from what I hear, that, too, is to be turned into yet another housing complex.

Image Sources: Nick Rolnick (arts-electric.org), Eric Flexyourhead (Flickr), Finanze (Flickr), Robert F Bukaty (AP)