Get active and make a difference this Sunday at the annual Run & Brunch from 9am – 1pm at Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). Organized by WAB’s student-led club KM for LOVE, all profits will go to Dew Drops where this year’s money will go help over 20 kids in need of cleft lip surgery and dental care.

Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just looking for a fun weekend activity, this event combines fitness with a good cause. Plus, enjoy a delicious brunch after your run with fresh fruit, snacks, and free-flow pancakes. We can’t think of a better way to spend time with your friends and family this weekend. For non-runners, no worries – simply come and enjoy the brunch and show your support for Dew Drops children!

Tickets range from RMB 160 – 260. Scan the QR code to sign up and be part of this heartwarming event. Let’s run for love and bring hope to these children! We hope to see many of you there! If you are not able to attend, you can still contribute by making a Virtual Donation!

Find it:
10 Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区来广营东路10号

Images: Courtesy of KM for LOVE

Are you a running enthusiast looking for a new challenge? Or perhaps you’re simply someone who wants to embrace a healthy lifestyle while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Shunyi? The 2025 Shunyi Houshayu Talent Community Half-Marathon & the 63rd Beijing Open Half-Marathon Park Run will be taking place on Apr 13, and registration for the event has already begun.

The race will be held on Sun, Apr 13, starting at the west gate of the Huabo Theme Park in Houshayu, Shunyi District.

Half-Marathon Requirements:
The registration fee is 120 yuan.
Participants must be at least 16 years old as of the race year (born on or before December 31, 2009).
Between Jan 1, 2023, and the registration deadline, participants should have completed a full marathon within 6 hours and 15 minutes, or a half-marathon within 3 hours and 10 minutes. Online marathon results are not valid.

*If the number of applicants exceeds the quota, a lottery will be held. The lottery results will be announced in mid-to-late March, and payment will be required upon successful lottery.

Registration Information
The registration will close at 11.59pm on Mar 2.
For inquiries, please call 010-68900260 during 9.30am-11.30am and 1pm-5.30pm. The official WeChat account is “北京顺义峪马 筑梦后沙峪”.
Scan the QR code to register.

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Images: Pexels

With its classic 1950s diner decor, English-speaking staff, and a menu of tasty goodies, Cafes Richard makes for a pleasant and surprising visit and is the perfect place to go with family and friends if and when you’re in the Hegezhuang area.

While families and staff of area schools such as Harrow Beijing, Western Academy of Beijing, the French School of Beijing, and Montessori School of Beijing are already familiar with this area, others come to see nearby attractions such as the Scitech Outlet Mall, the Red Brick Museum, and the sprawling, brand new Heilixidi Park. For residents and visitors alike, Cafes Richard is worth a pit stop.

Though the waitstaff isn’t dressed to meet the 50s theme, they greet you as you walk in and make you feel at home. Some staff speaks English and those that don’t quickly whip out their phones and go straight to their translation app. Our party of visitors was sharing laughs with them within a couple of minutes of arrival, their carefree attitude and kind personalities reflected the cafe’s romanticized 50s design.

From the checkered floors to the high-top tables and bar, Cafes Richard invokes a classic vibe. To further set the tone, they play the classics like John Lennon’s rendition of ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ by Olivia Newton-John.

The menus are in Chinese and English, making ordering a breeze. Since the cafe has only been open a few months and has yet to develop a lot of foot traffic, they have yet to work out some of the kinks. For instance, some of their desserts seemed like they may have been sitting in the pastry case a little too long. Nonetheless, they were still very tasty.

The made-to-order items were excellent. We ordered a hot Latte, an Iced Americano, and a Smoked Chicken Panini. The latte was a standard take on this coffee classic but with lovely latte art. If you like strong coffee, the Americano hits the spot. The Smoked Chicken Panini was where their chef’s talents shined, with an assortment of vegetables both inside the sandwich and on the side as a salad with to-die-for dressing — an eloquently simple yet delicious sandwich. Our bill for the three items came to RMB 134.

Cafes Richard’s second floor offers nice views and also barista training, where you can learn how to make latte art and how to froth milk, fulfilling your dream as the ultimate coffee hipster.

Find it:
Cafes Richard 瑞查德咖啡何里店
284 Cuigezhuangxiang, Hegezhuangcun, Chaoyang District

Images: Sarah B

“Hey did you guys open in Shunyi?” I asked. “Damn straight we did! It’s go time!”, replied foodie dadpreneur Henry Timberlake, founder of Slider Nation.

They’ve got a cult-like following in Beijing. Their juicy sliders on Hawaiian buns are addictively good and not to mention, the hearty portions of duck fat fries with fancy dips along with a very limited selection of down-to-earth cocktails have made loyal fans of foodies all over the city.

Well, following in the trend of every downtown favorite restaurant, Slider Nation has officially opened up in Pinnacle Plaza, giving Shunyi residents convenient access to their mouth-watering juicy sliders.

“Shunyi has been on my radar for some time now, so many great communities there, all the schools. Also to relieve pressure of orders from our original location, expansion was the only way. And what better place than Shunyi for our second location.” he tells Jingkids.

The new Shunyi location offers the exact same menu in the exact same concept as their downtown location.

Open daily from 11am-2pm then 5pm-9pm on weekdays and 11am-9pm on weekends, they new Pinnacle Plaza location will have seats for 4-6 people inside along with outdoor seating on the patio as well.

The new Pinnacle Plaza location officially soft opens today (Jun 16) at 5pm and for the next three days, Henry and his team will be focusing on getting their new Shunyi location up and running. So for that downtown, their Xiaoyuanlu location will be on hold for now and will most likely resume operations on Sunday.

The entire menu will be available on all major food delivery apps so if you’re craving a good meal at home, they’ll be at your door in a matter of minutes. Enjoy!

Find it:
Shunyi Villas and Pinnacle Plaza, 99 Yuxiang Lu, Tianzhu, Shunyi District
顺义区天竺开发区裕翔路99号
The New Slider Nation is located behind Lee’s Bar, where Avocado Tree is.

Images: Henry Timberlake

The Shunyi Animal Star World 顺义动物星世界 is a fun little menagerie of animals tucked away in 高丽营镇 past the old international airport and definitely worth a day trip for several reasons, especially during this CNY! 

1. Interactivity with the animals

Aside from buying a bag of raw veggie scraps to toss or hand feed to the various beasts housed at Shunyi Animal Star World, the reptile house was full of opportunities to get up close and personal with cold-blooded animals. Inside the warm humid indoor “greenhouse”, a jolly announcer introduced us to all sorts of reptiles living inside the clear cages and tanks. They only speak Mandarin so either have a bilingual friend or your translator handy. They were very meticulous about sanitation, always disinfecting our hands before letting us hold each scaly creature, and also made sure each visitor had a turn. The nice fella even gave us some free food to feed the fishes and turtles.

2. Animal Shows 

There are two animal shows available at Shunyi Animal Star World: the “Animal City” show at 11am in the space across the Tiger Restaurant, and the 2pm performance at the “Animal Theatre”. Truth be told, I much preferred the Animal City show as it was mostly domestic pets such as dogs, cats and even mice doing cute tricks. The other show utilised a small sun bear, monkeys and miniature horses to perform comedic skits and stunts, which my son said seemed “mean to treat wild animals like that for our entertainment”. It gave us the chance to discuss the purpose of zoos and the multi-faceted argument of keeping animals in captivity. Ultimately, the decision is yours.

3. Hedge Maze of the Beasts + Outdoor playground 

If you want to see the kings of the jungle, lions and tigers that is, you’ll have to make your way through the Maze of the Beasts to find them. The kids ran through the maze several times, the first time completely missing the point of seeing the animals. For even more outdoor fun, there’s also a good-sized outdoor play area, though you’ll have to top up RMB58 per child for it. You can buy your tickets at the little container store, where you’ll also be lured by the scent of cotton candy, pop corn and Chinese sausages!

4. Tiger Restaurant 

This was one of the major highlights of our trip. Newly opened last August in 2021, 虎餐厅 T-House or Tiger Restaurant, is a clean and fun restaurant that has one huge draw – Real Live Tigers on the premises! Come on, how much fun would it be to welcome the year of the tiger with a family photo with the tiger itself?! These majestic creatures roam an outdoor area in the center of the restaurant, so you can see them from all angles.

PRO TIP: The tigers tend to be more active later in the day, from 4pm to dusk, so schedule a late lunch or early dinner for the most fun tiger sightings!

Kids may be torn between watching the tigers and spending their time at the well-maintained indoor playground at the restaurant too! Also, if you’re into that sort of thing, a couple of tables are placed within view of a television playing kids’ cartoons.

There is also the option to host a birthday party at the restaurant’s private dining areas, which can each comfortably seat 20. The package starts from RMB5000 including food, decorations, and 3 hours’ use of the room, plus some onstage entertainment options.

PRO TIP: If you just want to dine at the Tiger Restaurant without visiting Shunyi Animal Star World, you can enter the restaurant via a back entrance, but only after 5pm. The restaurant closes at 9pm.

The staff at the restaurant are exceptionally hospitable, gifting each of our kids a small tiger keychain (my kid bought the white tiger stuffie) and even filling up our water bottles for us. They accept reservations during the weekdays, but not the weekends.

Tickets to the Shunyi Animal Star World are RMB88 each and children above 1m pay the same. Their opening hours are Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, with final entry at 4pm.

KEEP READING: Join the Stone Lion Scavenger Hunt and Win a Private Tour With Bespoke Travel!

Images: Ray Wu, Vivienne Tseng-Rush, Dianping

With Didi and express courier (aka kuaidi) services to Shunyi suspended for several weeks due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the district, residents are getting used to life without them – and in many cases realizing how dependent they have become on them.

PR representatives from Didi and several courier companies contacted by beijingkids on Monday afternoon stated that they are following the orders of city government officials in charge of epidemic prevention and control and, as yet, have been given no timeline for the restoration of normal services. Asked to speculate, one courier company said that they don’t expect full service to resume until after the Chinese New Year holiday in mid-February. Residents in the district have said that while Didi is an absolute no-go, some packages have managed to get through despite the restrictions.

The Shunyi cluster sprang up in late December, and at its peak resulted in seven neighborhoods – all north and northeast of Beijing Capital International Airport – being declared “medium risk” areas. Since that time, the risk level of all but two of those areas has been returned to the baseline low-risk level.

Over the past month or so, Shunyi residents have gone through multiple rounds of mass testing to weed out any cases that were flying under the radar, with some compounds being put under closed management for short periods of time before test results were returned. Residents have also been advised to curtail unnecessary trips outside the district.

While local deliveries from supermarkets and restaurants within the district are still available, most items from outside the district are not. In addition, many housing estates have requested that all packages be left at the main gate, which has produced grumbles from some living in the often massive complexes, especially since it is winter to boot.

Some have questioned why such drastic measures remain in place in the district overall, especially compared to Daxing district, where a new outbreak has caused a cessation of services only to the affected neighborhoods and not to the district overall.

Nevertheless, residents of Shunyi are adjusting to life in the district, finding themselves getting more familiar with bus and subway transport (which remains unaffected), and walking and biking more than usual. Others have formed carpools with private drivers and had their courier packages delivered to their office downtown to take back home.

Tracy Blacklock, a teacher who lives and works in Shunyi, has gotten accustomed to biking 6km each way to work in the winter, grappling with sub-zero temperatures. “Once it was -13℃ and not very fun … but it means I get fit,” she said.

Biking at night has also been nerve-wracking for Blacklock, but tough times call for innovative solutions: “My [bike]  lights broke, so at one point I wrapped Christmas tree lights around me to stay safe.”

KEEP READING: Stories From Shunyi’s Pop Up Nucleic Acid Testing Centers

Photos: Pexels

Due to the ongoing discovery of COVID-19 cases in Shunyi, yesterday the Shunyi Education Commission instructed their international schools to move classes partially online. This news comes five days after the announcement that public schools in Shunyi will take early Chinese New Year vacation dates and one day after all 51 of the district’s after-school training centers were ordered closed, as well as movie theaters, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities that normally draw crowds.

It appears that priority for returning on campus was given to higher grades, particularly those preparing for examinations. As of publication, beijingkids received revised plans from three schools either directly or through their website. Please check with your school for the most updated information.

Here’s what you need to know:

Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) Early Years, Junior School and Key Stage 3 to resume online learning through Jan 15

• DCB Early Years, Junior School and Key Stage 3 (Year 7, Year 8, and Year 9) students will resume online learning at home for the first two weeks (Jan 4 – 15) of Term Two, according to DCB communications.
• The Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 students (Year 10, 11, 12 and 13) will be able to return to the campus on the morning of Monday, Jan 4.
• Any student or staff member accessing the campus or school buses must provide valid proof of negative COVID-19 test results, green code on the Beijing Health Kit, a completed 14-day temperature record form, and a completed Health Declaration Form.
• No external visitor is allowed on campus unless absolutely necessary.
• Towards the end of the second week of Term Two, the College will review the situation and consult the government authorities for further guidance.

The British School of Beijing (BSB), Shunyi moves all years to online learning except for Years 10, 11, 12, and 13

• As noted on their website Saturday evening and updated later that night, BSB Shunyi Principal Richard Thornhill announced all students will move to online learning with the exception of BSB’s examination year groups Years 11, 12, and 13, provided they supply proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
• Staff will work on campus Monday and students should expect their normal timetable to begin on Tues, Jan 5.
• Thornhill assured parents that online learning has improved, as teachers are in the country and will teach from their classrooms.
• Homework will also continue as normal.

(UPDATED 1/3 11.30am) International School of Beijing (ISB) moves Early Years 3 through Grade 8 to virtual learning through Jan 15

• According to ISB leadership, beginning Tues, Jan 5, ISB will return to online learning for grades EY3 through Grade 8, according to information parents received the evening of Jan 2. ISB students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 have the option of attending classes on campus if they so choose. The authorities requested that ISB also make e-learning an option for these grades, but the Principal feels confident enough in their safety measures to encourage on-campus learning as well.
• The authorities have granted permission for all High School grades to return to school.
• All after school activities are also canceled. Mon, Jan 4 is now a preparation day, with Microsoft Team meetings to be scheduled between Principals and parents. Students will also be given time frames to pick up any necessary materials from school on that day as well.

Schools have been preparing for this possibility since reopening last summer or fall. Shunyi authorities and the schools will continue to assess conditions as the continued testing and contact tracing in Shunyi is known.

We will update here as we confirm more school information.

KEEP READING: Need a Covid-19 Test in Beijing? Ditan Hospital is Quick and Easy

Photos: Pexels

A top official from Shunyi district yesterday urged residents to avoid all unnecessary travel outside the home and to plan on spending the Spring Festival within the district.

While outlining a series of measures to get the latest outbreak under control, Shunyi District Committee Standing Committee Deputy Chief Zhi Xianwei urged people to cancel or postpone all non-essential trips outside the district.

Zhi also said all 51 of the district’s after-school training centers have been ordered closed, as well as movie theaters, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities that normally draw crowds.

Meanwhile, two sources with children in local public schools in the district report that they have been informed by their school that classes will move to on-line only, effective immediately. However, an official media announcement regarding this could not be found at press time.

Sources working in the administration of international schools in Shunyi indicate that they are also being advised to prepare for the potential of reverting to an on-line only model.

However, at present after-school training centers are the only educational institutions that were cited in the city’s official channels to have been explicitly told to suspend in-person classes.

Both local and international schools are currently on holiday and are due to be back in session this week. While no word on the specific plans for the schools was stated yesterday, there was a reference to “scientifically adjust[ing]  the use of online and offline teaching methods,” which hints that schools in the district may be requested to move to an online-only model for the weeks left before the Spring Festival holiday in early February.

Citywide, public schools’ Spring Festival break has already been moved up, with lower grades ending classes two weeks early, on Jan 16, and middle grades ending a week early on Jan 23.

Shunyi has become the center of concern in Beijing over the last two weeks; of the 24 local virus transmissions found in Beijing’s latest outbreak, 20 of them were amongst residents of Shunyi, while another was Huairou resident who worked in Shunyi. Out of six areas in Beijing now classified as medium risk, five are in Shunyi.

The five are:

• Nancai Village, Nancai Township, Shunyi
• Zhangxizhuang Village, Gaoliying Township, Shunyi
• Xidulan Village, Nanfaxin Township, Shunyi
• Donghaihong Village, Nanfaxin Township, Shunyi
• Dongmagezhuang Village, Gaoliying Township, Shunyi

(The sixth area in Beijing is the Hanting Hotel and immediate surrounding area in Dashanzi, Chaoyang, not too far from the 798 Art District).

The five areas are relatively small local villages clustered to the north and northeast of the Capital International Airport. Most expat residents of Shunyi live in housing estates west or southwest of the airport.

KEEP READING: Staying in Beijing? Books & Toys for Kids Who Can’t Travel

Photos: Google maps

Where to turn when you need the latest information on COVID-19 testing centers? If none of the options outlined in our sister site the Beijinger work for you, it’s to WeChat groups you go! That was especially true starting on Christmas day last week, when many Shunyi residents, workers, and school staff were instructed to get tested because of their proximity to the new cases.

It was in one of these Shunyi-specific groups where I learned that Beijing United Family extended their hours from 8am-12pm until 4pm daily, including the weekends. I called to make an appointment, got in line with my Health Kit, registered on their app while in line, paid my fees, and got my throat swab. That was around 3.30pm on Sunday and my results were in overnight, including in my Health Kit.

It wasn’t a fancy testing site, but it was efficient.

Now, I had just gotten a test as a precaution and to see if BJU would be a good place for my kids to get it before they return to school, but for many Shunyi residents, it was compulsory for either their place of work, or residence, or both. BJU clearly has their system mastered, with all nurses or staff helping us every step of the day. When my Health Kit wouldn’t allow me to log in again, they quickly swept me into an office to complete a short questionnaire. When I had a few questions about the paperwork along the way, I was answered promptly.

So how did these popup testing sites work for Shunyi families? Once people found the right location, it went pretty well.

The Shunyi community leaped into action, finding their way to various popup testing centers. They were not without some bumps in the road; however, thanks to folks in “Safe & Sane in Beijing” groups and “Shunyi Questions Answers & Info,” lots of the troublesome parts were solved by group efforts. We asked some residents about their experiences and how it went for their family’s testing.

Kim, Aaron, and Lachlan C (age 5), live in the Shunyi neighborhood of Tianzhu. Their family was one of the many who rushed to get tested so the parent/teachers and students could return to school next week. They all received a throat swab at the location called P6, a parking lot across from the Shunyi Bus Station. “It was open to the public and the information was shared by my school as well as in community WeChat groups for foreigners,” Kim related to beijingkids. “We waited in line for about one hour. They had bilingual assistants (foreigners) from the local community there to assist. It was super easy.”

Another Shunyi family who wished to remain anonymous brought their 15 and 17-year-olds for testing, again due to the school and Bureau of Education’s requirements, but their first location kept them in line for over an hour. A Chinese friend had found that testing spot through their management office, but their experience was less than ideal, said the family’s mom. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. But they only had one machine to register foreigners, and so it just slowed the whole process, and knowing that we were going to then have to line up in a much longer line to actually get tested was frustrating… I kept searching while we were waiting as I was frustrated by the long wait and saw that someone posted the International School of Beijing (ISB) location, and we ran over there. From that point, I did everything myself. I speak Chinese, which made it easy, but there were some English speakers around.”

The second location, across the street from ISB, went much faster for our second family.

A third family with children under the age of eight were required by their compound in Shunyi to get a test, and the mom recalls that with younger kids: “the testing itself wasn’t bad but it was still a tad uncomfortable for the kids. They said, “It hurt my throat.” It was better than a nasal swab – that’s for sure! There were tears when they had the nasal swab test done in Thailand; this one felt so much better than that.”

Both families expected their results to come in 24-48 hours, but Kim’s arrived via text message within eight hours and one of the third family’s members had their results fairly soon after, but are still waiting for the other three. They all warn that the locations where they tested now seem to be closed, it’s best to check your local WeChat groups to learn the latest spots for testing, as it’s all moving quite quickly.

According to the Beijing Municipal Government’s press conference yesterday (Dec 28), as of 3pm that day, 1.2 million tests had been administered and over 900,000 results returned, with no new infections discovered.

To join the Shunyi Questions, Answers & info group, please add WeChat ID: pj_weichat and tell them beijngkids sent you!

For more general information on Beijing, join the Safe & Sane in Beijing groups by adding WeChat ID: mwinchina and ask to be added into the Safe & Sane group.

KEEP READING: Coping with Holiday-Related Anxiety

Photos: Cindy Marie Jenkins, Shunyi families