If you have either young kids below 10 years of age or pre-teens who are into the cute figurines that Pop Mart is known for, then Pop Land’s newly opened theme park in Chaoyang Park is a must-visit for you. The 40,000-square-meter theme park opened shortly before Golden Week and offers a theme park-lite experience right in the heart of the city. Watch the video below to check it out!

First things first, though directions on map apps may tell you to enter Chaoyang Park through its main South Gate to get to Pop Land, we discovered that there is a smaller but dedicated entrance near the west gate of Chaoyang Park, right by the subway. There is also parking available at this entrance and it’s closer to Solana Mall – yay!

Upon entering the theme park, it’s clear that Pop Land is largely designed to serve as a colorful backdrop for fans of Pop Mart’s popular characters (such as Molly, Dimoo and the Monsters) to snap great pictures. But luckily, there are many fun activities suitable for young children. Be sure to pick up a passport at the first cart once you enter; you can collect stamps at various check points throughout the park by finding the matching graphic on the passport page. There isn’t a prize for completion but it’s a fun activity to keep kids moving through the park when they get stuck in one spot and don’t want to leave.

The passport also contains a nifty map to help you identify the different zones of the park. There’s the Mysterious Fishing Village, Tribe of Warriors, The Monsters’ Treehouse, a mini maze, and last but not least Molly’s Castle. The whole park will take you at least two hours to cover, not including time to eat and indulge in play, so you can easily spend half a day there.

An entrance ticket comes with one voucher that can be exchanged for one free game at any of the game kiosks, which otherwise cost RMB 30 per game. Not to fret, though, as there are some free games as well! Near the Tribe of Warriors zone, you’ll find a man-sized slingshot game and a pull-up bar perseverance game – which you can play as many times as you want for free! There’s also a slide-for-life that’s free to play, and only one activity had a height requirement of 1.4m.

You’ll also come across a beautiful outdoor playground – aptly termed “Unpowered Amusement” – featuring the usual suspects: slides, mini climbing walls, rope swings and those massive air-filled trampolines that are so popular these days. The playground is set against the backdrop of a tranquil lake, where there is also a fun boat-themed eatery, The Yum Explorer, for a quick bite and a drink. Their signature drink is named after Pop Mart character Dimoo and contains a cloud-shaped marshmallow (because the character’s hair is cloud-shaped).

Inside Molly’s Palace is shopping galore for Pop Mart fans. The entire first floor is dedicated to merchandise. There’s a proper sit-down restaurant on the second and third floor, as well as Pucky and Sweet Bean’s Fun House – a rather smallish indoor kids room with a carousel and other amusements – which requires an additional charge. But the real fun at Molly’s Palace lies in the basement, which you can only get to from outside of the palace itself. The immersive and sometimes interactive storytelling experience, titled “Molly’s Gift,” requires little Chinese understanding to capture young audiences’ attention and is definitely worth your time.

PRO TIP: There’s a QR code you can scan to download a free Pop Land app that provides an augmented reality experience that can be pretty fun if you’re willing to hand your mobile phone over to the kids to go traipsing through the park searching for digital characters and treasures. It is entirely in Chinese but is pretty intuitive to figure out if you have some basics in the language.

Tickets to Pop Land are RMB 150 for adults and RMB 130 for kids on the weekdays, and RMB 180 for adults and RMB 150 for kids on the weekends. Kids below 1m enter for free! The park is open from 10am to 8pm every day and last entry is at 7pm.

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush, Shu Qi

As of Aug 21, four people who had attempted to sell black market tickets to Universal Studios Beijing were detained by Tongzhou police. According to local news sources, these tickets had been given to Universal staff and partners to allow their families and friends to visit the highly-anticipated theme park, and were not meant for commercial sale. It was reported that some illegal tickets had even been priced at over RMB 4,000. Goodness knows what would happen to you if you try to buy any of these illegal tickets, but we don’t recommend it.

On Friday, Aug 20, Universal Beijing Resort (UBR) opened its doors to special invited guests for what they term “internal pressure testing,” and for the first time since its construction allowed photos and videos of the theme park’s attractions, rides, and facilities to be posted publicly on social media. Prior to this, the park had been very hush-hush about what lay within its hallowed walls. Some Universal staff members had even been fired for violating the strict no-photos policy and posting selfies that showcased the park in one way or another.

But now that you’ll probably be seeing photos of the Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, Minions, and more beloved Universal Studios characters pop up on your friends’ WeChat Moments, we are delighted to be able to share some exciting sneak peek photos with our loyal readers!

Kung Fu Panda’s Land of Awesomeness will definitely be a big hit with panda-lovers, tiger-lovers, snake-lovers… you get the picture. The indoor area features the Carousel of Kung Fu Heroes and Lanterns of Legendary Legends rides, Kung Fu Games, dining areas, not to mention the live interactive motion capture Kung-Fu Panda show. Ska-doosh!

Better catch up on watching the Jurassic films before stepping into Jurassic World to meet some of our favorite extinct predators, like beta raptor Blue at the Raptor Encounter.

Be impressed by the resounding vocal talents in the live performance show SING On Tour, which is based on the 2016 animated hit film “SING.”

Don’t forget to catch the daily parade float that goes through the park at the end of the day and features some of your favorite characters, like the cast of the “Madagascar” series pictured here.

I’ll bet this is one you’ve never seen, because this Autobot, Windblade, was created especially for Universal Studios Beijing, and also happens to be the first female Autobot ever! Go, girl power!

Say hello to this state-of-the-art animatronic Bumblebee, star of the Bumblebee Boogie spinner ride, that moves just like the real thing!

We’ve saved the best for last! Thrill-seekers will definitely want a go on the Decepticoaster at Transformers Metrobase!

These are just a fraction of the 16 rides, 14 shows, and 30-odd restaurants that you will find within UBR. Seeing as how the park is now allowing guests to post images revealing the long-awaited features of the park, dare we hope that Universal Studios Beijing will finally be opening its doors to us mere mortals (i.e. members of the public) soon? Keep your fingers crossed!

KEEP READING: Viral Video Prompts Rumors of Free, Early-Access to Universal Studios Beijing

Images: Universal Studios Beijing

The long-anticipated grand opening of Universal Studios Beijing is scheduled for the second half of 2021. And while most of us have been raving about how to purchase tickets, recently, rumors started swirling that there are actually ways to nab them for free.

A TikTok claiming there are ways to gain free admission to Universal – posted by username @xiaoyushuoyu44 – went viral and left many viewers wondering if they too can get the coveted freebies. She notes that technically speaking, the only people able to gain access are workers, however, “employee privileges” extend well beyond managing its finances or cleaning up the place. Workers have had the honor of previewing exhilarating rides, watching all the shows, “testing” the hotel rooms, and tasting food at various restaurants around the park. So, is there a way for us impatient people to volunteer for the hard, but admirable work of testing out these experiences? Xiaoyushuoyu44 enlightens her followers on all the benefits that come with being a “worker,” but is scant on any details about actually achieving this temporary position. So with a heavy heart, I bring you the news that no, it is not possible to gain early access to Universal Studios Beijing.

But don’t worry! I’ve done the research for you and this is some of what we know so far.

“Besides similar movie-themed attractions in other countries, the Beijing location will also feature traditional and modern Chinese culture, according to Beijing Daily.”

Universal Studios strives to provide a high-tech experience for visitors, with a built-in intelligent park digital system. With support from Alibaba, the theme park will feature a state-of-the-art facial recognition system for visitors to buy tickets, gain park entry, rent lockers, make reservations, shop, and more.

Top three rides to try: Clone of Raptor Encounter, Transformers: Battle for the AllSpark, Decepticoaster

Suggested Duration: Four to six hours

Best time to visit: Early morning or early afternoon. Night if you’re hoping to catch a specific show.

Accommodation Nearby: NUO Resort Hotel, The Universal Studios Grand Hotel

Address: Liyuan Town, Tongzhou District. A new metro station that will connect Batong Line and Line 7 to Universal Studios is currently under construction.

Aside from following Jingkids for all the latest developments, you can also visit headout.com to find out when tickets are made publicly available.

KEEP READING: Still Waiting for Universal Beijing To Open? Check Out These Local Theme Parks First!

The Universal Studios Beijing project has been delayed for months now, and while we have no doubt that it will be worth the wait, there are some other local amusement parks – or 游乐园 yóu lè yuán in Chinese – where you can get your adrenaline fix in the meantime.

Da Yun He Amusement Park 大韵河游乐园

Nestled inside the Grand Canal Forest Park, just over an hour’s drive west of Beijing into Tongzhou, lies Da Yun He Amusement Park. This spacious park is segregated into two major areas – one for younger kids and one for the braver of heart. For younger kids, there are inflatable castles, train rides, carousels, and a pirate ship playground. For those who meet the height requirement (1.3m), the more thrilling roller-coasters include a 360° pendulum swing and a water log ride. You may buy tickets for each ride separately, but it’s more economical to buy the full pass starting from RMB 129, depending on which section of the park you choose to visit. Kids below the height requirement may still ride, as long as an adult accompanies them. Do note that adults will have to pay RMB 10 to ride with the child.

Address: Da Yun He You Le Yuan, Tong Zhou Xu Zhang Jia Wan Song Liang Lu, Grand Canal Forest Park

Happy Valley a.k.a 北京欢乐谷 

You’ve probably seen the tops of its yellow and red roller-coaster as you drive down the fourth ring road, but if you have not stepped into Happy Valley Amusement Park yet, why not do so this summer! This park is also separated into sections, with tickets ranging from RMB 79 for District D to RMB 199 for District A. No points for guessing which district holds the major attractions like the aforementioned iconic roller-coaster, which skims the water by the way, so prepare your ponchos! Other attractions not to be missed are the pendulum coaster which swings way out above the water, and the scenic lookout tower for a panoramic view of Beijing.

Address: East Fourth Ring Road, Dong Si Huan Yu Xiao Wu Ji bei Lu Jiao Cha Kou Si Fang Qiao Dong Nan Jiao 

Shi Jing Shan Amusement Park 石经山游乐园, featuring Flyover China 

From pictures, this theme park almost looks like a certain castle that preludes our beloved childhood animated films. But the resemblance ends there, for there are no Disney princesses gracing the hallowed halls of this local amusement park, located in the far east of Beijing. Instead, you’ll find the popular VR attraction Flyover China, an 11-minute long cinematic flight across China’s iconic landmarks and breathtaking landscapes. Besides that, you can ride Viking ships, pendulum coasters, water rides, and what looks to be Beijing’s largest Ferris wheel. You can even opt to stay at a hotel next to the park, to maximize your time there. A ticket granting access to eight of the attractions starts from RMB 148, or you can get tickets to each individual ride starting from RMB 10. The mass appeal of this park seems to be at night when you get to take fairy tale-esque pictures with the illuminated castle in the background.

Address: 25 Shi Jing Shan Road , Shi Jing Shan Lu 25 Hao 

Timeless China 乐多港奇幻乐园,

You’ll have to travel just a wee bit further for this one, but if you pair it with a one night stay at the Marriott Changping hotel next door (which in itself features a hot springs water playground worth checking out at least once), it may just be worth the trip. The Le Duo Gang amusement park caters to a younger demographic with giant ant and pumpkin sculptures in its Magic Farm land, kiddy carousel, and bumper cars, but also offers more exciting options like a pendulum coaster and 360° swing ride. There’s even an acrobatics show for the whole family to enjoy. Tickets start from RMB 199 for adults and RMB 150 for kids, though you’ll probably find more value in the two adults one child ticket for RMB 458.

Address: Chengnan Jiedao Deng Zhuangcun Jiu Xi Lu, Chang Ping 

KEEP READING: Will You Survive Survival Island, Beijing’s Toughest Outdoor Adventure Park?

Images: Dazhongdianping, courtesy of locations

The Legoland Discovery Center Beijing is an indoor playground made entirely of Lego bricks, providing a whimsical and fun way for the kids to explore and learn. The center, which opened to the public on April 15 2019, is the 22^nd Legoland in the world and is ideal for families with children aged under 18. A play date at the center includes an immersive experience of watching Lego characters in a 4D Cinema, building the landmarks of Beijing using Lego bricks, and exploring a colorful world of creativity. Here are our favorite six things to do with your little one at the Legoland Discovery Center.

LEGO Studios 4D Cinema

15-minute 4D LEGO movies run throughout the day. Wind, rain, lightning, and even snow will rush into the cinema; children can follow the Lego heroes and experience the thrilling four-dimensional magical world.

LEGO MINILAND

Witness the local area come to miniature life in the spectacular Miniland. Built with nearly 1.5 million LEGO bricks and featuring moving airships and trains, even the smallest child will feel like a giant.

Factory Tour

In the factory tour, children will learn how to make Lego minifigures. They can choose accessories separately and make their own minifigures.

Kingdom’s Quest

Join the Good King’s army and climb aboard your dragon for a laser battle against the Evil Skeletons and Giant Trails.

Merlin’s Apprentice

Children will have chance to step on the pedals with their parents to cast Merlin’s magic. This is a magical world where children and their parents can experience fun and achievement through interaction and cooperation.

LEGO Racers

There are thousands of bricks waiting for you in the Legoland Discovery Center’s Build & Test zone. Children can build their own unique Lego racing cars with their parents. They can run freely on the simulated track and compete with other children’s racing cars.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center for Kids

Age 3-18. RMB 180. (Buy tickets here) 10.00am -8.00pm. LEGOLAND, Discovery Center Beijing, 3F Paradise Walk Shopping Centre, North Chaoyang Road, Side Road. 北京市朝阳区朝阳北路辅路北京长楹天街购物中心三楼

Photos: Courtesy of Legoland Discovery Center

The long gestation of Universal Studios Beijing theme park rumbles on, with its opening delayed until 2021.

Negotiations between Universal and Chinese authorities began as long ago as 2001, in the now almost unimaginably different pre-Olympic era. Final permission was granted in 2013 and a site was purchased in up-and-coming Tongzhou, now also home to some of the city’s administrative functions. However, progress has been slow, and a recent announcement promised the park would finally open in 2021.

The announcement came from local authorities rather than Universal, as did the earlier opening date of 2019. Universal are playing their cards very close to their chest; we approached them to contribute to an article on Beijing theme parks, and they did not respond. www.universalbeijingresort.com celebrates the completion of the site’s project management, though even on their own website the quotes used come from another source.

However, construction has begun on some of the attractions, as documented on theme park fan websites like www.themeparx.com. They carry pictures of the site and are able to identify some of the rides from their skeletal form. www.themeparkuniversity.com reports that there will be areas themed around Harry Potter, Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, and, erm, Waterworld.

Theme park watchers speculate that there is a sudden urgency to construction so that the park can open in time to benefit from visitors to Beijing’s Winter Olympics in 2022. However, the company behind it is saying nothing.

Universal Studios Beijing is not the only theme park in development which is keeping mysteriously silent. We also approached the company behind the Peppa Pig attraction due to open this year and the Legoland Discovery Center. They did not respond to requests for news about opening dates.

All this leaves Beijing, when it comes to theme park thrills, sadly lagging behind Shanghai, though we say it through gritted teeth. While southerners rejoice in the biggest Disneyland in the world (though of course, Disney World in Florida makes it look like one of the Seven Dwarves), we take a look at the alternatives Beijing has to offer:

Happy Valley
This attraction, situated near the East Fourth Ring Road, is thrillseekers’ best bet for real rollercoaster action.

Weekdays 9.30am-8.30pm, weekends 9am-8.30pm. All ages. RMB 260 (kids under 1.4m RMB 195, under 1.1m free). Xiaowuji Bei Lu, East Fourth Ring Road, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区东四环小武基北路北京欢乐谷.

Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park 
Beijing’s oldest theme park, opened in 1986, Shijingshan will please younger kids, though some of its rides are looking rather tired.

Weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends 9am-6pm. All ages. RMB 10 (from April 1), RMB 5 (kids half price), free for kids under 1.2m. 25 Shijingshan Lu, Shijingshan District. 石景山区石景山路25号

Crab Island Resort
This distinctly Chinese park offers quirky attractions like indoor fishing (for real fish).

8am-6pm. All ages. Free entrance (entertainment facilities need to be paid on site). 1 Xiedao Lu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区蟹岛路1号.

Additional reporting by Wendy Xu
Photos: www.universalbeijingresort.com

News on Wednesday detailed how excited Universal Studios Beijing investors have doubled their investment from USD 3.3 billion to USD 6.5 billion even as Chinese authorities try to dampen enthusiasm towards the country’s booming theme park industry.

The investment by Universal Parks & Resorts and five state-owned Chinese entities that have amalgamated beneath the Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Company will be the largest ever made for a theme park, reported the Wall Street Journal.

The investment surpasses the USD 5.5 billion investment made into Shanghai Disneyland, which broke even in its first year of operation by welcoming some 11 million park visitors.

The greatly-improved budget for Universal Studios Beijing is said to increase park space and broaden the scope of its attractions. The future theme park will also feature a CityWalk shopping and entertainment district as well as the world’s first in-park, Universal Studios-branded hotel. Buoyed by the success of the House of the Mouse to the south, Universal Studios Beijing is now expecting some 10 million visitors in its first year of operations.

As well, the first Universal Studios Beijing ride attraction has been officially confirmed to be “Fast & Furious Supercharged.” Stars of the multi-sequel gear-shifting family-bonding franchise had revealed the news last week when they helped open the movie-themed attraction at Universal Studios Orlando.

But with hundreds of theme parks opening around the country, China’s central planning body warned prospective builders in April to be wary of local debt build-up and low-grade developments. And yet, theme parks continue to be a lucrative business in China, rising 27 percent from 2016 to reach USD 6 billion last year, according to market researcher Mintel. And with revenues expected to hit USD 14 billion by 2022, China’s theme park industry will soon surpass the USA.

First announced in 2014, the opening date for Universal Studios Beijing has been pushed back a number of times, most recently to 2020. Although it has undergone a number of changes since its inception, the theme park will most likely incorporate Chinese elements into its design to help cater to local visitors at a rate reported in the Chinese press as being 35 percent.

When complete, Universal Studios Beijing will join the ranks of other local theme parks like Happy Valley and Shijingshan. Beijing residents will be able to access the southeastern-located theme park by subway.

More stories from this author here.

E-Mail: charlesliu1 (at) qq (dot) com 
Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: Weibo

Some of you may be aware that a new Universal Studios is in the initial construction phase here in Beijing (actually in Tongzhou), and ready to give Happy Valley a run for their money. There is likely no comparison between the parks, especially since it has also been announced that this new attraction to rival Shanghai Disney will now also include a Super Nintendo World. Yes, you heard us. An entire world that’s dedicated to turning your Nintendo fantasy into a 3D reality.

Super Nintendo World marks the beginning of a massive collaboration between the gaming platform and the theme park giant, and will be a new theme to their chain of parks much like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This Nintendo-themed wing will also be rolled out in their other theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, and Japan over the next couple years. This news comes about a year and a half after Nintendo struck a deal with Universal, to start incorporating the franchise.

There is still a lot that has yet to be announced about the park’s 16-Bit theme, or what other worlds of the Universal brand will be included, but what we do know from The Hollywood Reporter article that broke the news is that it will be totally immersive and bring to life levels from Super Mario Bros and other Nintendo properties. We are fantasizing already about wild Yoshi rides through desert landscapes, dodging giant Piranha Plants shooting fireballs.

The completion date is still about five years away, so there is quite a bit of time until this park is ready to compete with the others currently in existence. At least, as Beijingers, we have something big to look forward to, and yet another reason to not just pack up everything and move to Shanghai and become one of those weird families that just goes to Disney every weekend.

Photo: pbs.twimg.com

On the outskirts of Tianjin is a theme park that was built around the first Russian Kiev, a Soviet aircraft carrier that was decommissioned in 1993 and then transformed into a tourist attraction. I’m talking about the Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park, a surprisingly not-so-popular destination in Tianjin!

I decided to read the reviews to check if it was legit, and fortunately it was. And when I suggested that my family visit an aircraft carrier theme park, they were all just as surprised as I was that such a place could exist!

The distance might be one reason why it’s not so popular. It takes about an hour by car to travel there from Tianjin’s city proper, more if the roads are congested. An Uber/Didi ride to the theme park will cost about RMB 400. The cheaper option would be to take the subway until Tanggu, and then hail a cab from there. Interestingly it wasn’t on any of the local tour guides’ suggested places (again most likely due to the distance and the price).

We were still quite far away when the park’s castle-entrance loomed in the distance. As it grew bigger and bigger, my family and I were just wowed.

The castle also served as a ticketing office, and later on we learned that first time entry is a whooping RMB220, accompanied by the theme park’s very own passport. Fortunately it gets cheaper with each succeeding entry: RMB 180 for the second visit, RMB 150 for the third, and—after three years—free, because that means we qualify for the park’s “Tourist Green Card” program. After touring the Kiev later on, each of us received a photo that we had to stick on the photo page of our passport.

Before reaching the aircraft carrier visitors go through the Russian street, where random dancing Russian ladies entertain the curious and roadside snacks and drinks to satisfy the hungry. There’s also a gift shop selling Russian products.

As expected, the aircraft carrier was huge! As we neared the warship I couldn’t help but wonder about its history and the fights it had seen. Like an old grandparent the ship sat there at the dock waiting for visitors to come and visit, to bring life to its once exciting walls.

We were offered a translation device for a fee, which we gently refused. Then off we went to discover what the insides of an aircraft carrier was.

I explored as much as I could, visiting the control rooms and seeing navigation devices I’ve only seen on TV. And look—a machine that teaches you how to steer the ship!

The deck was probably my favorite part of the whole ship, where I got to see a helicopter and fighter jets (whether or not they’re real I’ll leave it up to you to tell me).

I’m looking forward to when my girls grow up and are just as curious about this magnificent ship as I am. This is one place that’s fun to explore with the family!

The Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme is located at Bagua Beach, Binhai New District in Tianjin. You can also learn more about them on their site here.