Last week’s spring break holiday for my kid’s school finally gave us a chance to visit other parts of China after three years of being Beijing-bound. My family chose to make a trip to Chengdu, and I wanted to share our discovery of the city’s attractions and which ones were the most kid-friendly and worth your time.

Getting there: We chose to travel by train in a perhaps pointless act of being eco-friendly, and realized that train journeys are quite enjoyable, aside from the hardly-edible microwave meals. The kids had a really good time reading, playing and watching the scenery on the 7.5-hour ride. While I would say that 5 hours is probably the maximum I would prefer for a train trip, my kid said he would rather take the train than the plane if given the choice again!

Some general notes about Chengdu: The city is quite old and looks it. While the downtown Taikooli area is more modern, the rest of the city seemed to be in a state or disrepair and partial abandonment. Our hotel overlooked a large derelict stadium that looked like it was in the midst of being torn down, but we never heard nor saw the construction machines at work. That said, the age of the city gave it a rustic charm that added to its laid-back feel as we walked the wide pavements and often empty streets.

Food: The famous delicacy in the region is rabbit. Amidst the many stalls selling rabbit’s head and rabbit jerky, we read a morbid sign that said “No Rabbit Leaves Chengdu Alive”. Another bizarre souvenir is “dog poop candy” which is so named because of its brown color and texture but rest assured it’s made from nuts and sugar. Supposedly it gives you “dog poop luck” which is the opposite of what it sounds like.

Now let’s dive into Chengdu’s attractions themselves!

1. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Within a 30-minute drive northeast of the city lies Chengdu’s biggest attraction – the Giant Panda Research Base. We set off at 7am on a work day, hoping to avoid the crowds by arriving right at opening time (7.30am) but were still beat by hundreds of panda-fanatics. There are bilingual tour services available for a small fee of RMB 100, but we didn’t see the need since there were signs in English at each enclosure. Considering the Base covers an area of 165 acres, you can easily spend an entire day there just exploring its many panda enclosures and natural sights – it also has lakes where you can observe different birds and other wildlife (squirrels). The park guide says it takes about 3 hours to walk and 1-2 hours by bus, but with kids and the jostling crowd, we barely made it past the lake in that time on foot. Fair warning: Our kids were all panda-ed out by the tenth panda enclosure and we left shortly after noon.

PRO TIPS: Bring your own snacks because they mostly sell ice cream, sweet drinks and rabbit/beef jerky at the snack booths around the park. Less crowded sit-down restaurants are mostly in the east of the park near the Swan Lake. The cleanest and least crowded toilet we found was also to the east of the park right across from the Panda Museum.

2. Tianfu Square, People’s Park, and Du Fu Thatched Cottage

Of these three popular attractions within Chengdu city, Du Fu Thatched Cottage would be our pick. The home of famous Chinese poet Du Fu, the sprawling grounds are more than just a walk in the park. With beautiful orchid and bonsai gardens, historical exhibits and statues, and even a museum with the original excavation findings, this park can be an entire afternoon event, especially if you pack a picnic basket to enjoy at one of the many gazebos within.

Tianfu Spare and People’s Park are within walking distance of each other and worth a quick look if you like huge statues of Mao and monuments to soldiers and trains. Warning: The “Kids playground” in People’s Park is a mini amusement park featuring carnival-esque rides like bumper cars and merry-go-rounds.

3. Wide Narrow Alley and Jinli Old Street

Both of these attractions are touted as “charming authentic shopping alleys” and are almost always overrun by tourists. Still, Jinli Old Street was more authentic and interesting to us – with its location being right next to Wuhou Monastery and in the Tibetan quarter of the city, which offers entire streets of giant Buddhas and Tibetan restaurants, as well as a variety of shops. We saw all manner of shops selling everything from hand-embroidered panda T-shirts to fungus to hand-carved donkey-skin shadow puppets. This was also where we finally decided to catch another Chengdu special – the face-changing opera. Even though what we watched was a watered-down 15 minute version of this usually hour-long performance, it was definitely one of the highlights of our Chengdu visit! Not only the kids, but even us adults were quite baffled as to how the performer changed the masks in an instant, like magic.

4. Qingchengshan World heritage Site

We climbed a mountain! There was a mini-bus, a gondola, and a ferry involved, but by golly we did it! The kids climbed over 10,000 vertical steps to one of the 300 peaks of Qingchengshan – we reached over 1000m above sea level! But the best part? We didn’t even break a sweat because of Chengdu’s incredible climate. From our local driver we learned that Chengdu is hailed as “paradise on Earth,” and that if celestial beings were to come down from heaven, they would visit Chengdu. I can believe it – the temperature stays between 15 and 25 degrees for most of the year, and it rains just enough for it to be humid without you feeling it.

PRO TIP: The ticket office will offer you a map which, while very pretty, is practically useless. Once you get off the gondola further up the mountain, follow the steps to weave through several temples before you get to the highest one. The peak we reached is not a true peak that offers you a towering view. In fact, since you’re above the clouds, you probably won’t see anything (We didn’t). But we had the satisfaction of knowing we climbed all the way!

The last ferry and shuttle bus end their services by 6pm so make sure you are well on your way down before then! The shops along the way also close around 5.30pm, so if you want to buy any overpriced souvenirs, make sure you do so before then!

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush, Shu Qi

When I first stumbled upon 蒙古大营 měng gǔ dà yíng – loosely translated as Mongolian Yurt – I thought it was a campground because of the huge cloth tents dotting its premises. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that the place is actually a restaurant! Each cloth tent, known as a yurt, can house a private gathering of about 20, a maximum of 30, which makes it ideal for large group gatherings like birthday and farewell dinners, both of which I’ve organized at this place – which will henceforth be referred to as the Mongolian Yurt restaurant – to resounding success!

Located in a privately-owned area of Chaoyang Park, the Mongolian Yurt restaurant is endorsed by the Mongolian Tourism Board. There are shops offering authentic Mongolian souvenirs and snacks, and even a petting zoo with camels and goats, which are a common sight across the Mongolian landscape. The premises are quite large and offer plenty of running room for kids, plus there’s even a small sandy playground.

You have a choice of dining in the common hall, for a casual family dinner. But the real prize is when you book out a private tent for a group event. They offer a celebration package with a whole roast goat which is tender and super tasty, several cold dishes – they call them appetizers but it’s plenty to fill your bellies with – and the best part, a Mongolian song, and dance performance. As I have yet to travel to Mongolia, I can only imagine that the throat singing and cultural dancing represent a bona fide part of Mongolian tradition. I do know that all their performers are ethnic Mongolians.

As a nice bonus, they invite one VIP guest of your choosing to cut the roast goat and drink from a drinking horn. This is what makes it so ideal for birthdays, or as I like to call it a happy Yurtday!

As for the food, the roasted lamb is an absolute must-try, though you don’t have to get the whole one. There are options for smaller plates, such as a roasted leg of lamb. Other dinkum Mongolian specialties include the warm Mongolian milk tea which is served in a golden pot like a soup, their lamb skewers – or really anything lamb – homemade yogurt, and fried wild vegetable balls. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed that last one, despite my initial doubts when the crispy green balls arrived on the table. If lamb is not for you, their beef and pork offerings are also quite succulent. If you get the celebration package, there isn’t much need to order additional dishes, though you are welcome to place an a la carte order off the menu. Note that the package doesn’t include drinks, but there are plenty of choices ranging from their home-brewed 白酒 bái jiǔ to fresh watermelon juice.

The good food, intriguing performances, and rustic ambiance at the Mongolian Yurt restaurant ensure that both adults and children stay entertained and satisfied. So next time the whole family wants to celebrate in style, consider booking a private tent for some unique family-friendly fun time!

Address:
Chaoyang Park Southeast
北京市朝阳区东四环中路朝阳公园内东南角郡王府东侧
Ph: 65991997 or book online on Dianping

KEEP READING: Free Kids Concerts This Weekend At Beijing Music Festival

Images: Dianping, Debbie O’Brien, Vivienne Tseng-Rush

When people think of China one of the first things they think of is the Great Wall. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, the Great Wall is over 21,000km in length and almost 3,000 years old. Located in northern China, it was constructed mainly to keep out various groups of northern invaders. General Meng Tian, a military general of the Qin dynasty, was ordered by Emperor Qin Shihuang to take his army of around 300,000 men to fight off some of the nomadic tribes, and to begin construction on the Great Wall. The workers used materials such as stone, bricks, and rammed earth to build the wall. While the Great Wall cannot be seen from the moon, according to NASA, the European Space Agency, and some of the astronauts who have spent time on the International Space Station, it is just visible to the naked eye from an orbit of anywhere from 160km to 320km above the surface of the Earth…but only under very favorable conditions, and only if you know exactly where to look and what you’re looking for!

And it’s not just science that makes the Great Wall interesting. There are a number of legends attached to it as well. Perhaps the most well-known legend behind the Great Wall is the legend of Lady Meng Jiangnü (孟姜女). Set during the Qin Dynasty, a version of the story of Meng Jiangnü begins with a man by the name of Meng who lived in the southern part of China, along with his next-door neighbor, Jiang. One day, a bottle gourd plant sprouted in Meng’s yard and grew rapidly over the wall between the neighbors’ houses, entering Jiang’s yard. Neither Jiang nor Meng had children, so both of them began to take care of the plant as if it were their child. Over time the plant grew bigger and bigger until it finally became ripe in the fall. However, upon opening the gourd, Meng and Jiang found a beautiful baby girl inside. The two families decided to name her Meng Jiangnü, and they raised her together.

Meng Jiangnü blossomed into a beautiful young woman. She was everything to the Meng and Jiang families. But soon Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, began recruiting men to build the Great Wall. It’s said that the men were worked to the bone with no rest, and many died of exhaustion. A young scholar named Wan Xiliang ran away from home to avoid this fate, ultimately finding himself in Meng’s yard where he was discovered by Meng Jiangnü. The two young people fell in love with each other, and after a while were married. Everyone was delighted. However, another man, who was also infatuated with Meng Jiangnü, was so outraged when he heard the news of her marriage to Wan Xiliang that he told army officers of Wan’s whereabouts. This resulted in Wan being taken away only three days after the wedding.

Meng Jiangnü was devastated.  She waited for a year for her husband to come back, but then decided she couldn’t take the pain anymore and decided to go to him instead. After what seemed like an eternity of crossing mountains and fording rivers, Meng Jiangnü finally arrived at the construction site. She could barely contain her happiness at the thought of seeing her husband at last. But upon hearing that Wan Xiliang had died due to exhaustion, and that had been buried in the Great Wall like so many others before him, Meng Jiangnü collapsed on the ground and sobbed, completely heartbroken.

Shortly after Meng Jiangnü started to cry, a 400km section of wall collapsed. The roar of the destruction overpowered Meng Jiangnü’s desperate wailing. Suddenly, the body of her husband emerged from the rubble, causing her to cry even harder. The emperor happened to be walking along the wall at that time, and he was furious at Meng Jiangnü for making such noise. He was just about to punish her, but when he laid eyes on her he immediately became infatuated with her. Instead of punishing Meng Jiangnü, the Emperor asked her to marry him. She reluctantly agreed but demanded that they first hold a funeral for her late husband. After the funeral, Qin Shihuang was ready to wed Meng Jiangnü, but to his disappointment, the guards informed him that she had killed herself by jumping into the Bohai Sea.

This legend brings to light of all the hard work of the Chinese citizens and also exposes the cruel and inhumane working conditions they had to endure under Emperor Qin Shihuang. Many years after the time of the legend, a temple was built on Fenghuang Mountain, at the foot of the Great Wall, in order to commemorate the story of Meng Jiangnü.

KEEP READING: Beijing Day Trips That Are Not The Great Wall

Images: Unsplash

When my first child was six months old, we visited an impressive art exhibition on Pompei. One grandpa in front of us in line tsk-tsked us and said, “He won’t remember it.” My husband saw me boiling with anger over such blatant disrespect for treating children as human beings and politely said, “Maybe not, but it will sure make an impression.”

Even as they grow older, it’s hard to know what kids will “get” from historical landmarks. Rather than dictate how their experience should be, we mostly want our kids to see how large the world really is, and how much history we can find just outside our door here. In order for this to happen, we must create an environment where our kids can enjoy our trips on their terms as well as our more adult ones.

It’s easy to get them burnt out on sightseeing if you don’t approach it right and let them lead once in a while. Children have very little control over their lives when they’re young. Whether it’s a guided or self-tour, there are a few ways to help your kids enjoy the time and stay involved in your explorations without inviting frustrating meltdowns. 

Let Them Help You Plan

Many places have videos and maps online that you can view. A lot of Beijing’s landmarks also have accompanying children’s books to get them excited. A Wikipedia entry might not be the most enchanting place to start for a five-year-old, but give them a cool illustrated map of The Great Wall and they’ll just want to know “How soon?”

We love books about The Great Wall

Let Them Enjoy It However They Want (Within Reason)

It’s hard to know how a three and five-year-old will react to a ski lift up to The Great Wall, then kilometers and kilometers of walking before turning around and doing it all over again. Of course, they loved the toboggan down, but that was at the end.

So when they want to count each and every step and you just need to catch your breath, you keep counting with them. When they don’t want to see the view but want to play their new game called “The Terrible Maze,” you become the monster who traps them. When some of the most incredible pieces of history stand before you and they are entranced by that one loose tile on the floor, you let them balance and wiggle on it as long as they need. There’s no point in trying to force an appreciation of history. You’ll have longer-lasting success if their memories involve having fun, their way.  

Honor Their Wishes If They Need a Break

It’s hard to walk through museums. History as ancient as China takes a lot of brainpower to comprehend, and even adults have trouble with it. Children have fewer touchpoints when it comes to the context of what they’re seeing, and the longer the outing, the harder it is for them. This is not for lack of interest or curiosity; they really just need a break. 

When you sense they are overwhelmed, the worst thing to do is power through the outing. Maybe they just need a minute to sit and not think about anything. Maybe they just need food. Maybe they need fresh air. Or they may simply need to know that their discomfort is being heard and accepted. When they say they’re done, or keep asking when it’s over, parents sometimes hold the line that it’s almost over, or insist the kids can hold on just a few more minutes. In reality, they have been holding onto their wits, and now they’re at a breaking point. 

So let them sit on the steps with you a minute and process everything. History is a lot for a developing mind to grasp. Allowing time for their mind to settle will gain you more quality time than ignoring their feelings until they meltdown. I might be talking from direct experience here.

Give your kids the time they need to rest their bodies and brains

Spend the Extra for a Private Guide Versus a Large Group

It’s harder to ask a bus full of people to stop so your child can use the bathroom. A private guide may be more willing to adjust a route for necessary breaks. This is another situation where rushing them will only make it worse and not allow anyone the time necessary to take care of their personal business. Additionally, it’s much harder to “aim” into an empty coffee cup on a moving bus than you might think. And yes, I am absolutely talking from personal experience here.

Pack Plenty of Snacks. No, More Than That

Half the issues kids have on outings is because they need food. They burn a lot of energy that must be replenished. You know that term “hangry,” when you get mad and unreasonable because you need to eat? Triple your typical rations for an outing! We will bring one box of granola bars per person per six hours, minimum. Then a healthy amount of fresh fruit and some treats when they need an extra perk. 

A good selection of tastes will keep everyone on their toes

Go as Plastic-Free as Possible

Being out in a landmark is an especially good place to get your kids involved in sustainability and loving the earth. Use the together time to make an effort towards reducing your plastic use for the greater good. Pack all food in reusable packaging, separate your trash into recyclables, food waste, and non-recyclables, avoid plastic water bottles whenever possible, and tell them exactly why you’re doing this. Yes, it means that your backpacks will turn into trash bags by the second half of the trip, but they can be washed. The earth cannot.

Give Them Ownership of Their Memories

My oldest loves to vlog our trips and my youngest loves to take pictures. They have their own small cameras to do so, and I love watching them start to understand how to tell stories through pictures. We know enough about photography and videography to give them a nudge towards better storytelling, and they often want to learn more through online tutorials later. Sometimes how they see the trip is illuminated by the photos they share. Bonus points: I guarantee your kids will learn to take flattering photos of you too!

KEEP READING: Golden Week at Home: Day Trips You Always Wanted to Try but Never Had Time

Photos: Canva, Cindy Marie Jenkins

For Beijingers, attending a miaohui (temple fair) comes second only to the family reunion dinner when it comes to Chinese New Year observances. Though miaohui started taking shape as early as the Wei dynasty (220-264 AD), the temple fair as we know it dates in earnest from the Tang era (618-907 AD).

As Buddhism and Taoism gained influence in China, temples started hosting festivals and celebrations tied to local deities and figures. Over time, these events started taking on cultural and commercial dimensions, with the development of temple markets (miaoshi) and folk performances.

During the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the Quanzhen sect of Taoism spread throughout northern China and it was common for temple fairs to celebrate the achievements of Taoist figures. To this day, Taoist sites such as Beijing’s White Cloud Temple continue to hold temple fairs during Spring Festival.

Though miaohui have thrived into the present, the modern-day phenomenon is largely secular in character and rarely takes place at a temple. The commercial aspect is front and center, with a variety of vendors typically hawking snacks, toys, souvenirs, and traditional handicrafts like papercuts and clay figurines. Folk performances include lion dances, xiangshen (a Chinese comedy form), kung fu demonstrations, shadow puppet shows, and yangge, a type of harvest dance with roots in the Song dynasty.

This year, the official dates for Spring Festival are February 4-10 and mark the beginning of the Year of the Pig. February 4 is the eve of Spring Festival, when Chinese families traditionally gather for a lavish reunion dinner. Most temple fairs run from the first to the seventh day of Spring Festival (February 5-12). Make sure to call ahead for the most up-to-date information.

Ditan Park Temple Fair 地坛公园庙会
As one of the oldest temple fairs in Beijing, Ditan Park is a safe bet for first timers. The park contains the Temple of the Earth, where Ming and Qing dynasty emperors went to offer ritual sacrifices to the God of the Earth during the summer solstice. Reenactments of this ceremony are considered to be the highlight of the fair. A sea of red lanterns are hung all over the park for the occasion, with folk performances, historical costume displays, art exhibitions, vendors selling handicrafts, and food stalls with xiaochi (snacks) from Beijing, Sichuan, Tianjin, and Xinjiang.

Feb 5-12. Ditan Park, A2, Andingmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District (6421 4657) 东城区安定门外大街2号地坛公园

Changdian Temple Fair 厂甸庙会
The Changdian temple fair has been around since the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (1521-1567) in the Ming dynasty. Historically, the fair took place in an area that contained three temples near Liulichang in Beijing’s former Xuanwu District. In 2011, the temple fair was moved to Taoranting Park, where it now hosts xiangsheng performances, Beijing opera, dragon dances, acrobatic shows, food vendors, and traditional handicraft stalls.

Feb 5-12, 8.30am-4.30pm. Taoranting Park, 19 Taiping Jie, Xicheng District (6315 9837) 西城区太平街19号陶然亭公园

Yuanmingyuan Royal Temple Fair 圆明园皇家庙会
Once known as “the Versailles of the East,” Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace) hosted Spring Festival celebrations for the imperial family during the Qing dynasty. Despite the site’s checkered history (it was pillaged and burned down by French and British forces during the Second Opium War), an annual temple fair was established there in 2010. Expect ice skating performances, cultural exhibitions, historical costume displays, and a “royal market” with imperial-style snacks, calligraphy, paintings, crafts, and lantern riddles.

Feb 5-12. Yuanmingyuan, 28 Qinghua Xilu, Haidian District (6261 7801) 海淀区清华西路28号圆明园

Daguanyuan Temple Fair
Daguanyuan is based on an aristocratic garden described in the masterpiece A Dream of Red Mansions by Qing Dynasty author Cao Xueqin (1715-1763). The garden was built in 1983 to serve as a backdrop for the CCTV television series of the same name; it was opened to the public in 1989.

At Daguanyuan’s temple fair, visitors can get a sense of the grandness of the Red Mansions and the luxurious lifestyle of an upper-class Chinese family. Refined dishes from the novel will be available to try and actors will re-enact some of the novel’s classic passages. However, you do not have to be a Chinese literature buff to enjoy the event. Kids will find yummy snacks, jigsaw puzzles, magician sets, and toys for sale.

Daguanyuan Temple, 12 Nancaiyuan Xijie, Xicheng District (6354 4993) 西城区南菜园西街12号大观园

Dongyue Temple Fair 东岳庙庙会
Founded during the Yuan dynasty, Dongyue is a small Taoist temple dedicated to the god of Mount Tai, one of China’s five sacred Taoist mountains. Despite its modest size, the Dongyue temple fair is popular with locals. Entertainment includes kung fu displays, shadow puppet shows, Taoist music performances, and art exhibitions. Local calligraphers demonstrate their skills in chunlian, a type of Chinese New Year decoration featuring a pair of couplets written on vertical strips of paper. Chunlian are usually given away for free and designed to be hung around the front door.

Feb 5-12. 141 Chaoyangmen Waidajie, Chaoyang District (6551 0151) 朝阳区朝阳门外大街141号

White Cloud Temple Temple Fair 白云观庙会
The seat of the Taoist Association of China, White Cloud Temple hosts one of the few Spring Festival fairs that still retain a religious character. Every year, the devout visit the temple to burn incense sticks. In addition, there is a curious tradition associated with the large coin that hangs from White Cloud’s Wofeng Bridge; it is said that fortune will come to those who manage to hit the small brass bell hanging from the hole in the coin with a regular coin.

6 Baiyunguan Jie, Xicheng District (6344 3666) 西城区白云观街6号

Useful Vocabulary
Spring Festival – 春节 chunjie
Year of the Monkey – 猴年 hou nian
Temple fair – 庙会 miaohui
Lion dance – 舞狮 wushi
Dragon dance – 舞龙 wulong
Calligraphy – 书法 shufa
Chinese New Year paintings – 年画 nianhua
Chinese New Year couplets – 春联 chunlian
Snacks – 小吃 xiaochi
Worship the gods – 拜神 baishen
Buddhism – 佛教 fojiao
Buddhist – 佛教徒 fojiao tu or 佛教的 fojiao de
Taoism – 道教 daojiao
Taoist – 道教徒 daojiao tu or 道教的 daojiao de

Photos: Song Zhen, Jean Wang, & Bridget Coila (flickr)

It’s that season again. We’ve all been there. No matter how many years you’ve lived in Beijing, inevitably there will come a day when someone will be visiting you and will want to shop for souvenirs to take home. Or, you’re going on a trip to visit family and friends and need to prepare “authentic China gifts”. Whichever the case, you should know where to go for your touristy needs.

Unfortunately for us, the Beijing government has been cracking down on markets because of all the wonderful fake stuff they used to sell.  In a few years, we might only be able to buy touristy things from museum boutiques and Page One—the horror!  For now, we still have these trusty markets:

Silk (Street) Market  秀水街 xiù shuǐ jiē
You might have heard that the Silk Market used to be an actual “street” (outdoors), but now it’s just a big department store. At the moment, it is the best place to go for touristy things—a fact you should keep in mind when planning your trip, as it’ll be crowded with tourist groups.

The Silk Market should have everything you need, from leather Diesel jackets to “authentic” Chinese silk.  There are plenty of vendors who sell the traditional touristy things, but also suitcases, shoes, purses, and even electronics. Keep in mind that it’s unlikely that anything sold at the Silk Market is “real” (in terms of brand merchandise), so bargaining is recommended.

The Silk Market is also a good place to go if you need to shop for “Western sizes” and prefer trying things on in person.

Daily 9am-9pm. 8 Xiushui Dongjie, Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区建国门外大街秀水东街8号 (nearest subway station: Line 1, YongAnLi)

Pearl Market 红桥市场 hóng qiáo shì chǎng
The Pearl Market is significantly smaller than the Silk Market, and is more comparable to the old Yashow market (though not nearly as good).  True to its name, it does showcase more pearls than other markets, but also features a variety of other touristy items. It does not have as many “knock-off” products as the Silk Market does, but it has its share of fake purses, electronics, and some shoes/clothes. Do remember to bargain.
Daily 9.30am-7pm. Temple of Heaven, 46 Hongqiao Lu, Chongwen District 天坛, 崇文区红桥路46号 (nearest subway station: Line 5, TianTangDongMen)

Alien Street Market 老番街市场 lǎo fān jiē shìchǎng
Also known as the Russian market (if asking in Chinese, you’ll find it better if you ask for yǎ bǎo lù de eluósī shìchǎng). The address below is for just one mall, the pleasingly-named “Alien Market”, but the entire area is a Russian town and serves as a collection of markets for Russian merchants, so the mall next to “Alien Market” as well as the one by McDonalds are also very popular shopping spots. The three markets sell electronics, a variety of teas, cosmetics, clothes, shoes, bags, suitcases, etc. Quality (all knock offs) and prices vary, and clearance items are clearly marked outside each booth. If you keep walking down Yabao Lu, you’ll find entire buildings filled with fashion wholesale boutiques, and there’s even one with only children’s clothes (walk towards Jianguomen)!

Bargaining at Russian markets might not go as smoothly if you’re not a Russian speaker, but it can be a more pleasant experience if you’re not a fan of bargaining in general.  Store owners are more relaxed, there are curtains where you can bargain in private, and the experience overall is very hushed and peaceful (compared to Chinese markets).  If you haven’t been yet, it’s a good idea to visit before the Beijing government succeeds in shutting down yet another wholesale market.
Laofanjie Shichang, Yabao Lu (south of Fulllink Plaza), Chaoyang District日坛公园雅宝路, 朝阳区雅宝路 (nearest subway station: Line 2/6, Chaoyangmen)

Panjiayuan Antique Market 潘家园旧货市场 pān jiāyuán jiù huò shìchǎng
Panjiayuan is an interesting market even for locals because it has many sections to it, and as a result, the selection can change from week to week.  The best time to visit Panjiayuan is on the weekend, early in the morning on a nice day out when all the vendors are out and the streets leading to Panjiayuan are lined with peddlers selling everything from coconuts to touristy wares.  The actual market has store vendors that sell antiques and minority handicrafts, such as furniture, Buddhist statues, etc. There are booth vendors who sell art: e.g. oil and ink paintings, pottery, beaded jewelry, etc. There’s a second-hand book sale section with old communist propaganda posters, art books, and even comic books (yes, they sell English books too). Finally, there’s a flea market section where anyone (non-vendors) can go and sell anything they want.

A few blocks from Panjiayuan Antique Market is the infamous Glasses Market, where one can get a set of glasses (with lenses) for as little as RMB 200 (maybe even less). There are also legit art markets (genuine and thus expensive) nearby for serious art collectors.
Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat-Sun 4.30am-6pm. Off of Southeast Third Ring Road, West of Panjiayuan Qiao, Chaoyang District 朝阳区潘家园桥西边 (nearest subway station: Line 10 Panjiayuan)

Photos: Jorge Cortell, Stephen Walli, Boff, Gareth Owens, H_H_Photography, 

For weekday lunches, the Renaissance Food Studio is packed with business professionals and conference attendees, but that didn’t prevent us from taking our son to their lunch buffet on a rare shared holiday as the location is walking distance from our home. For the Beijing jaunt, it is a great start or end to a day exploring Wangfujing pedestrian-shopping street, Tiananmen Square, or the nearby hutongs.

We purposely timed our visit for a later hour to avoid the rush, and found a table near the coffee bar–far away from the bustling self serve counters. The server went hunting for a high chair, and we parked our stroller in a corner by our table.

Our little Jax, freshly woken up and hungry, but wary of this new environment with quietly conversing business men and women in black and blue suits, watched everyone carefully and was incredibly well-behaved. He made few sounds, dropped very little food, and smiled at the server every time she passed by. What a wonderful lunch!

But what about the food? Food Studio serves Asian and western fusion cuisine. We started our meal with fresh seafood (sashimi, oysters and prawns) and maki rolls, cold appetizers (pasta salad, seaweed), breads, and soup (tomato and broth).  Next, Jax had steamed sweet potato and pumpkin, baozi, and zhongzi from the Cantonese dim sum table, while we served ourselves roast beef, grilled vegetables, and baby herb potatoes.  We also pigged out on curry, chow mein, and “Swedish” meatballs.

We had plenty of fruit, tasty ice cream (green tea, mango, strawberry, taro), macaroons, cheesecakes, tarts, and chocolate cake.  By the end of the meal, we were all in such a food coma, that when the server came to give us the child package, a cute bear coloring set. We didn’t even know how to react.  We were already the last customers there, so rather than opening it, we thanked the staff and took it home. I must note that the place was squeaky clean by 2:30pm

Overall, a good dining experience.  We were asked for last calls before the cleaning process, not rushed at all, and the staff was as pleasant and professional as if we hadn’t used an incredibly affordable Nuomi groupon.  We will definitely be going back!

Lunch buffet RMB 218. Dinner buffet RMB 355.  Free for children under the age of 5.  For reservations, call 6520 8888.

Photo: Renaissance Wangfujing, Jessica Suotmaa

For someone who has lived in Beijing for over five years, my knowledge of contemporary Chinese history is woefully lacking. Thus, it was with but a passing familiarity with the name “Song Qingling” that I visited the former residence of one of the most powerful women in Chinese history a few weekends ago.

Located near the northwest tip of Shichahai, this grand old mansion served as the final abode of Song Qingling (1893-1981), the second wife of Republican leader Sun Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) and the second of the three famous Song sisters.

A note on spelling: Song Qingling’s name often appears as “Soong Ching-ling” in English media after the Wade-Giles romanization that was common at the time, but for consistency’s sake I’ll be sticking to pinyin and including alternative names in parentheses.

By all accounts, Song Qingling led a singular and tumultuous life. She was the second of six children born to Song Jiashu (Charlie Soong), a US-educated businessman and missionary, and Ni Guizhen (Ni Kwei-tseng), a member of a religious Chinese family that counted a prominent Ming Dynasty mathematician among its ancestors.

Song Qingling and her sisters, Ailing and Meiling, were all educated at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. At the exhibition hall within the compound, there’s a yearbook picture of Song in the Wesleyan tennis club. Her university diploma uses her Christian name: “Rosamonde Chung-ling Soong.”

At age 22, Song married the much older Sun Zhongshan (who was a close friend of her father’s) despite fierce opposition from her parents. The rift was so great that when Song’s father died in 1918, neither Sun nor other members of the Kuomintang (KMT) publicly mourned his death.

Song’s sisters, Song Ailing and Song Meiling, went on to marry prominent banker and politician Kong Xiangxi (H.H. Kung) and Republic leader Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) respectively.

After Song Qingling’s marriage, she traveled extensively with her husband until his death in 1925 and continued to engage in political activities through to the Second Sino-Japanese War.

A second rift with her family occurred when Song shifted her support to the Communists during the Chinese Civil War (1946-1950).

After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Song held several political offices, including vice-chairman of the Central People’s Government, vice-chairman of the newly-formed National People’s Congress (NPC), and vice president of the PRC.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), Song came under fire from the Red Guards; in one incident, her parents’ grave marker was toppled over and their bodies exposed.

After the Cultural Revolution, Song largely retired from public view but continued to write about children’s welfare issues. Less than two weeks before her death, she was named Honorary Chairwoman of the PRC – to this day the only person to ever hold this title.

The mansion itself sits on the site of a former imperial garden once used by princes and nobles of the Qing Dynasty. Former residents include Prince Chun Yixuan, the father of the Guangxu Emperor, and Zaifeng, the father of Puyi (the Last Emperor).

The two-story mansion was added by a Greek captain in the 1920s. At the suggestion of Premier Zhou Enlai, Song Qingling moved into the residence in 1963.

What struck me about Song Qingling’s residence is how modest and functional the furnishings were. Song often worked late into the night at the desk in her bedroom and treasured her library; upon her death, she willed the books to a close friend, who promptly donated them back to the memorial.

Within the house, all the displays are in English and Chinese.

On the grounds, there’s also a separate hall containing exhibits relating to Song’s life and work, including photos from her Wesleyan years, her mother’s wedding robes, and the Soviet-made car she used to ride in.

The children’s playground and inner gardens were off-limits due to renovation work. The renovations are scheduled to be completed on May 21, 2016; until then, visitors can only enter from the west gate.

More pictures:

Former Residence of Soong Ching-Ling 宋庆龄故居
RMB 20. Daily 9.30am-5.30pm. 46 North Shore of Houhai Lake, Xicheng District (6404 4205) 西城区后海北沿西端46号

Sijia Chen is a contributing editor at beijingkids and a freelance writer specializing in parenting, education, travel, environment, and culture. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Independent, Midnight Poutine, Rover Arts, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @sijiawrites or email her at sijiachen@beijing-kids.com.

Photos: Sijia Chen

Last Friday was a perfect spring day in Beijing, so I couldn’t help but shirk work for a few hours to cross another item off my bucket list: Prince Gong Mansion, an imperial residence constructed by the most famous corrupt official in Chinese history.

Dodging tour buses and throngs of Chinese visitors, I cycled along Xi’anmen Dajie and turned north on Sanzuoqiao Hutong, a street I remembered well from the Ghost Tour I went on with Newman Tours three years ago. The entrance to Prince Gong Mansion can be found at the end of Sanzuoqiao, after a slight left.

I heard the crowds before I saw them: a sea of Chinese dialects swirling with the blare of megaphones and restaurants hawking zhajiang noodles. Upon entering the Prince Gong Mansion compound, it took me a minute to spot the ticket window; it was in the corner near the westernmost wall. Thankfully, there were separate admission lines for tour groups and individuals.

Prince Gong Mansion is divided into two parts: the residences and the garden. The six main residential halls are arranged roughly like a grid and separated from the garden by the largest building in the compound: the two-story, 160m-long Houzhao Lou (后罩楼).

The mansions were originally constructed in 1777 for Heshen, a court official in the employ of the Qianlong Emperor. He rose swiftly through the ranks, further cementing his position with the marriage of his son and one of the emperor’s daughters in 1790.

Heshen’s hold on power provided him with unparalleled freedom, and soon he engaged in open corruption. His misdeeds included nepotism, embezzling taxes, extending military campaigns to steal public funds, and doing away with official posts.

Heshen got his comeuppance in 1799, when the Jiaqing Emperor – the successor to the Qianlong Emperor – had him executed for corruption. The mansion was given to Prince Qing, the youngest son of the Qianlong Emperor. Fifty-two years later, the Xianfeng Emperor gave the residence to his brother, Prince Gong, whom it is now named after.

Before the site became protected in the 1980s, it was converted into a Catholic university by the Benedictines in the 1920s and used as an air conditioning factory during the Cultural Revolution.

Since 2005, RMB 200 million has been poured into renovating the buildings and gardens. In 2008, the site reopened to the public in its current form during the Beijing Summer Olympics.

Though I had a rough itinerary worked out for the visit, I ended up improvising because of all the tour groups. April 1 marked the beginning of the busy season, so I’d recommend visiting on a weekday morning before it gets too packed; weekends are out of the question, especially if you have young children.

The residential buildings were well-maintained but a bit sterile; I much preferred the gardens. However, some people might be interested in the exhibition on the history of Prince Gong Mansion and the Qing Dynasty; another hall contained contemporary Chinese art depicting the performing arts.

The main entrance to the gardens is through a stone archway called Xiyang Gate. Before going through, look back towards Houzhao Lou; it reportedly has 88 windows divided evenly between the first and second floors. Notice that the 44 windows on the second floor are all different from each other – a rarity in imperial architecture.

One of the first features you’ll see is Bat Pond, which is said to be in the shape of a bat. I don’t see it, but I suspect this is classic overreaching since the Chinese character for “bat” (fu) is a homonym for good fortune.

Slightly off to the right, there’s a charming little peony garden past a bamboo grove. Though most of the flowers were already starting to wilt, a few peony bushes were still in full bloom. I waited my turn as one young woman spent five whole minutes maneuvering a particularly lush blossom into place for a selfie.

Just past the peony garden is Miyun Cave, which contains a famous 8m-tall stele bearing an inscription of the character 福 (fu) by the Kangxi Emperor. I opted not to see it because the queue looked like this:

Instead, I walked up to the pavilion perched over the cave, accessible through two walkways located on either side of the hill. The view wasn’t anything spectacular, but I felt pretty smug looking down at the winding lines.

Strolling around the lake on the western side of the gardens was my favorite part of the visit. There were plenty of shaded areas to sit in, including the pavilion in the middle of the lake. It was an ideal place to relax and people watch.

In total, I’d recommend setting aside two to three hours for Prince Gong Mansion. For those who prefer a more structured visit, I found this great itinerary on Baidu Images. It hits all the main residential buildings, through the gardens, and around the lake.

I didn’t use them, but there were public restrooms scattered throughout the compound. Snacks and cold drinks are available onsite at slightly marked up prices. Generally, Prince Gong Mansion is stroller-friendly but requires going up and down the occasional steps or lifting the stroller over a threshold. Be sure to use sun protection, wear walking shoes, and bring plenty of water.

Prince Gong Mansion 恭王府
RMB 40 (admission only), RMB 70 (admission with Chinese-speaking tour guide), free for kids under 1.2m. Daily 8am-6.30pm (Apr 1-Oct 31), tickets sold until 5pm. 17 Qianhai Xijie, Shichahai, Xicheng District (8328 8149) 西城区什刹海前海西街17号

Sijia Chen is a contributing editor at beijingkids and a freelance writer specializing in parenting, education, travel, environment, and culture. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Independent, Midnight Poutine, Rover Arts, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @sijiawrites or email her at sijiachen@beijing-kids.com.

Photos: Sijia Chen