Looking for a dessert to cool off during the summer? Try Korean shaved ice — known as bingsu, with flavors such as Matcha, Red Bean and Mango.

Having lived Wangjing for 7 years, I know summer has started when I see a huge bingsu sticker on Paris Baguette’s glass wall. Bingsu is a mouth-watering dessert consisting of a mountain of finely shaved ice, topped with sweet toppings such as fruit, red bean, biscuits, or even chunks of cake. Its creamy and sweet snowflakes melt in your mouth, providing a refreshing treat on a hot summer day. You can enjoy this summer treat at Paris Baguette chain stores located across the city.

p.s. If you have a sweet tooth aversion, you can ask the employee to use less condensed milk.

“请在我的冰沙里少放些炼乳” Qǐng zài wǒ de bīng shālǐ shǎo fàng xiē liànrǔ

Red Bean Bingsu (RMB 43) is the classic king of shaved ice. Its body consists of shaved ice or condensed milk, crowned with sweetened red bean paste and injeolmi (glutinous rice cakes), and sprinkled with injeolmi powder. The flavor is comparable to peanut butter as it has a wonderfully nutty, creamy texture. This bingsu is an all-time favorite of my Mom and Dad because they prefer a savory and nutty flavor over the sickly-sweet and creamy of my fav, which is…Mango Bingsu!

Mango Bingsu (RMB 43) is essentially a fruity twist on the traditional Red Bean Bingsu—instead of red bean, luscious mango cubes, and a mango purée top fine shavings of frozen milk. You will cry tears of joy over how beautifully the mix of milk flakes and the mango drizzle melt on your tongue.

Matcha-Red Bean Bingsu (RMB 43) is the red bean bingsu, but green. This one is a perfect alternative to Matcha ice cream, which is hard to find in local stores. It tastes similar to — but not exactly — matcha as it tastes more sweet than bitter. I recommend this bingsu to matcha fans or those of you who enjoy a light matcha flavor.

How is bingsu different from Bao bing?

Baobing is a popular chinese-style shaved ice topped with fruits, condensed milk, adzuki beans, mung beans, tapioca balls, taro balls, grass jelly and more! While baobing is enjoyed with a variety of toppings on crushed ice, bingsu is best enjoyed with a little purée on a spoonful of frozen milk.

Photo credits: Jia Lee, Julia Liu

If you’re looking for a super simple birthday party for your little one, or just a cool place for a playdate, Elfin Kids Cafe in Wangjing offers just that.

Open daily from 10am to 8pm, Elfin Kids Cafe is about 200sqm of baby-safe play space with everything from slides to multiple ball pits, and a dress-up area to a whole bunch of cars, plus more. Best of all, they’ve got a really laid-back approach to playdates.

They’ve got two dining areas, and while the “cafe” doesn’t actually have anything more than a vending machine, they allow waimai delivery and provide parents and kids with ample space to eat.

My favorite thing about Elfin Kids Cafe is that there’s no time limit to how long you can stay – during weekdays at least. Each child ticket comes with two accompanying adult tickets, which include unlimited playtime during the weekdays. Unfortunately, however, due to high demand on weekends, they’ve limited playtime to four hours each session.

Ticket Prices:
RMB 188 on weekdays (2 adults + 1 child)
RMB 208 on weekends (2 adults + 1 child) four-hour playtime

There’s plenty of things for kids to do and even a little stage if they want to take group photos or put on an impromptu performance.

One of the coolest perks – though I never felt like taking advantage of it – is a secluded corner just for grown-ups, otherwise known as an “unwinding room,” which features two massage chairs, an exercise bike, and two elliptical machines.

Now the downside: Eflin Kids Cafe currently doesn’t offer a birthday package, so technically speaking, until further notice, you can’t actually let them plan birthday parties for you and they DO NOT allow cakes to be delivered on-site.

Nevertheless, Elfin Kids Cafe was fun for both the kids and grown-ups, and if having a big cake isn’t high on your priority list, but you’re looking for more of a laid-back, chill playdate, then this spot’s got what you need.

Find it:
Hongtai West Street Wangjing West Park No. 221 Botai Building 3rd floor (Metro Line 15 A exit 500 meters)
宏泰西街望京西园221号博泰大厦3层（地铁15号线a口500米)

KEEP READING: An Unexpectedly Great Kid’s Birthday Party Venue at Artyzen Hotel

Images: Mina Yan

Beijing consists of 16 districts containing over 21 million people. In this series, we will be focusing on seven neighborhoods in four separate districts, which have become the most popular among Beijing’s expat community. While these aren’t the only areas that are home to waiguoren, these are the most accessible and offer, in our opinion, the best Beijing experience depending on your tastes and preferences.

Wangjing and Lido lie halfway between Shunyi and downtown Beijing. These areas are popular with both families and expat English teachers due to their relatively cheaper rent, access to international hospitals and schools, and proximity to major foreign companies such as Samsung, Ericsson, Nokia, and Microsoft. Both have significant Korean communities, especially Wangjing, which hosts a cornucopia of Korean chain stores, restaurants, and grocery chains.

Pros

+ Short commute to international schools in Laiguangying and Beigao area

+ Proximity to the headquarters of foreign companies

+ Close to family-friendly destinations such as Si’de Park

+ 798 Art District

+ Indigo Mall

+ International grocery chains

Cons

– Connected to the city via satellite subway lines (13, 14, and 15)

– Limited things to do for families, though the area is growing

– Lacks authentic Beijing culture

when compared to some other inner city areas

Residential Compounds

Wangjing and Lido have a number of choice compounds on offer. Wangjing Huayuan is in a great location; close to local kindergartens, Chinese groceries, banks, hospitals, post office, beauty salons, and even a Wal-Mart. Upper East Side is also well located, and has its own gym, sauna, and swimming pool, as well as a coffee shop within the compound. Chateau Regency has a fitness center, a convenience store, and a playground. Mookey Swim, a popular parent-owned center offering baby swimming classes, is also located on the ground floor of Chateau Regency.

Schools

Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) and 3e International School can both be found in Wangjing. There are also other international schools that cater specifically to the dense population of Koreans and Japanese in the neighborhood. Olivia’s Place is also good to know if you require learning support or other special needs services.

Indigo Mall

Shopping

The world’s second largest IKEA is located in Wangjing, right by French grocery chain Carrefour, with its built-in air purification and water recycling systems. Indigo Mall near 798 Art District offers entertainment, good shopping and dining, with a cinema, restaurants, BHG Marketplace, frequent children’s events, and a large outdoor playground. You can also find April Gourmet on Fangyuan South Street, just a few blocks away from Upper East Side Compound.

Great Leap Brewing

Dining

Wangjing has some great Korean restaurants and markets. Next to Si’de Park, the Korean-owned CJ Foodworld houses a Tous les Jours bakery, Bibigo, Twosome Coffee, and Mann Coffee. There’s also Element Fresh, Annie’s, Taj Pavilion, a new Great Leap Brewing, and more. If you looking for a superb spot to brunch when the weekend hits, then look no further than either Nuo Hotel Beijing’s N’Joy or EAST Hotel’s Feast. A good breakfast, lunch, or dinner option can be also found at Ponte, with seasonal offers from their fresh Italian Deli, house bakery, or al la carte menu. Tucked away behind April Gourmet, you will find a little Vietnamese gem, Pho, serving up traditional steaming bowls of pho and a variety of authentic Thai dishes.

Art workshop for kids at M Woods

Where to Play

Wangjing and Lido both have a very vibrant expat scene with plenty of entertainment options. Lido Place is a popular apartment and mall complex where many foreigners reside and also many fairs and bazaars are held. This can be great for those looking to connect with the local crafts scene or the occasional farmer’s market. Another option is Indigo Mall, located just south of 798, which hosts regular kids’ events in its airy atrium space. They also have numerous restaurants, children’s brands, and play centers. In the warmer months, families can access the Indigo Playground out back, which features a fountain and two play areas connected by a garden. For greenery, Si’de Park in Lido is a modest park and a popular destination for families, which features a running track that winds around the entirety of the park, along with a roller skating rink, a fishing pond, soccer field, playground, a bouncy castle, and fairground rides. For arts and crafts for the kids, check out art studio, DDK Art, tucked behind the North West side of Upper East Side compound or the family art workshops at M Woods in 798. Unique classes in painting, sculpting, pottery, and more are on offer.

This article appeared in the beijingkids June 2019 Home & Relocation Guide issue.

Wangjing and Lido lie halfway between Shunyi and downtown Beijing. These areas are popular with both families and expat English teachers due to their relatively cheaper rent, access to international hospitals and schools, and proximity to major foreign companies such as Samsung, Ericsson, Nokia, and Microsoft. Both have significant Korean communities, especially Wangjing, which hosts a cornucopia of Korean chain stores, restaurants, and groceries.

Residential Compounds

Wangjing and Lido have a number of choice compounds on offer. Wangjing Huayuan is in a great location; close to local kindergartens, Chinese groceries, banks, hospitals, post office, beauty salons, and even a Wal-Mart. Upper East Side is also well-located and has its own gym, sauna, and swimming pool, as well as a coffee shop within the compound. Chateau Regency has a fitness center, a convenience store, and a playground. Mookey Swim, a popular parent-owned center offering baby swimming classes, is also located on the ground floor of Chateau Regency.

Schools

Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) and 3e International School can both be found in Wangjing. There are also other international schools that cater specifically to the dense population of Koreans and Japanese in the neighborhood. LIH Olivia’s Place is also good to know if you require learning support or other special needs services.

Shopping

The world’s second largest IKEA is located in Wangjing, right by French grocery chain Carrefour with its built-in air purification and water recycling systems. Indigo Mall near 798 Art District offers entertainment, good shopping and dining, with a cinema, restaurants, BHG Marketplace, frequent children’s events, and a large outdoor playground.

Dining

Wangjing has some great Korean restaurants and markets. Next to Si’de Park, the Korean-owned CJ Foodworld houses a Tous Les Jours bakery, Bibigo, and Twosome Coffee. There’s also Element Fresh, Ramo which is very kid-friendly, Annie’s, Taj Pavilion, and more. If you are looking for a superb spot to brunch when the weekend hits, then look no further than either Nuo Hotel Beijing’s N’Joy or East Hotel’s Feast, both in Lido.

Where to Play

Wangjing and Lido both have a very vibrant expat scene with plenty of entertainment options. Lido Place is a popular apartment and mall complex where many foreigners reside and also many fairs and bazaars are held. This can be great for those looking to connect with the local crafts scene or the occasional farmer’s market. Another option is Indigo Mall, located just south of 798, which hosts regular kids’ events in its airy atrium space. They also have numerous restaurants, children’s brands, and play centers. In the warmer months, families can access the Indigo Playground out back, which features a fountain and two play areas connected by a garden. For greenery, Si’de Park in Lido is a modest park and a popular destination for families which features a running track that winds around the entirety of the park, along with a roller skating rink, a fishing pond, soccer field, playground, a bouncy castle, and fairground rides. Another recent find was the Lunaluz Kids Café at Kirin Place. This a great spot for parents to work while kids get their necessary dose of indoor play.

Photos: Kipp Whittaker
This article appeared on p18-29 of beijingkids July 2018 Home & Relocation Guide issue

We often think of Beijing as a massive, cosmopolitan metropolis awkwardly positioned on top of an ancient city, but surprisingly the majority of Beijing is rural. Taking up over 16,000 sqkm of land, Beijing is so massive it actually should be viewed as a county rather than a city. This can make it a daunting task for finding the most appropriate neighborhood for you and your family to settle down.

Beijing itself is broken up into districts, with the center districts considered to be the main part of the “city” of Beijing. Districts themselves can be massive, with populations equaling the size of whole European cities, and they house diverse, ever-changing, neighborhoods within.

Like in all major cities when settling on an area to live in, your neighborhood very much reflects your personality and the unique social, professional, or cultural needs of you and your family.

Areas like Sanlitun, the Central Business District (CBD), and Liangmaqiao are expensive and filled with shopping malls and a more developed western food scene that attracts a wealthier Chinese and expat clientele.

The trendy areas of the city, where many young expats tend to reside would be the hutongs. These neighborhoods are located primarily in Dongzhimen or Gulou and often attract those looking for a more authentic Beijing experience, due to their picturesque though sometimes gritty setting. But this can be an inconvenient option for some families as markets with international goods aren’t very close, the plumbing is old, and these old houses can get cold during the winter.

For expat families who’d prefer to settle down in neighborhoods near reputable schools, Shunyi is likely your best option, but it is a far drive out of the dynamic city center. Far-flung neighborhoods have much cheaper rent, but can often lack nightlife, a diverse dining scene, or many other creature comforts that we crave to maintain our social lives.

In our Beijing Neighborhood Guide you’ll discover all of the pros and cons of each area, which we hope will help guide you in your search for the perfect place to live, learn, eat, and play for as long as you decide to call this incredible city home.

Photos: Kipp Whittaker
This article appeared on p18-29 of beijingkids July 2018 Home & Relocation Guide issue

Beijing is undeniably large, with its whopping 16,411 sqkm of land area, the majority of it being rural. At times you might feel like your family is in a small bubble but believe us, there’s more fun and life beyond your comfortable living space.

Below is a map of your new community, showing what’s in and what’s cool in the Jing! The first half of the map shows central Beijing with neighborhood clusters from Shuangjing and the Central Business District (grids C5 to E6), Sanlitun and Dongzhimen expat hubs (C4-D4), Liangmaqiao, Chaoyang Park, and Lido areas (D1-E4), while the second map shows the breadth of the northeastern Chaoyang and Shunyi Districts, including the Wangjing neighborhood (F5-G6), Laiguangying (G4-H4), and much of Shunyi (G1-I4).

Here are several family-friendly places and major establishments that will help you make the most of your time in Beijing. Make sure to check our website for event listings and our sister brand, the Beijinger, for more directory information. Once more, welcome home!

Click/tap to enlarge the map

Illustration by Liubov Vladimirova.
The featured illustration cannot be republished or reused without the written permission of beijingkids and Vladimirova.

This article appeared on the inside cover page of the beijingkids Home & Relocation Guide 2018-2019 issue.

If you fancy bangers and mash, or a spot of tea and toast, then have a butcher’s at this Wangjing eatery. Indeed, the recent British invasion of our city’s F&B scene which began with Xi Dada and David Cameron nibbling on fish n’ chips last month, and grew to the flavorful British Menu Week has left many in the capital insatiably craving UK grub.

Get your fix of all things British at L.Bridge Coffee, situated near Wangjing Soho.The restaurant’s quintessential UK offering is the plump sausage in its “Full English Breakfast.” The dish’s sides are equally smashing, including two slices of mouth watering bacon, thick homemade white toast, two pepper coated hard-boiled eggs, and a smattering of baked beans and roasted potatoes, priced at a reasonable RMB 60 (a cup of coffee is included for an extra RMB 5).

Brunch lovers will be equally impressed by the restaurant’s stuffed French toast options (or “eggy bread,” as Brits call it). Scrumptious flavors include banana and toasted walnut, apple cinnamon, and blueberry bourbon syrup, all priced at RMB 45 (again coffee is included for an additional RMB 5).

While French toast may be a bit of a detour from L.Bridge’s British theme, the restaurant continues to pay its UK dues with fish n’ chips. Their take on the signature UK dish features four savory, flakey pollock fillets coated in light, vodka tinged batter for RMB 48. Anyone looking to imitate Xi Dada can pair their fish n’ chips with a Greene IPA for RMB 78.

That English fare is complimented by L.Bridge’s decor, which features leather back chairs straight out of a Baker Street abode, a scarlet red phone booth, and huge teddy bears emblazoned with the restaurant’s Union Jack themed logo. Those massive stuffed animals are sure to amuse children, and the venue hopes to further entice families by hosting a weekly “bake your own cookies” class for kids on Saturdays from 9-11am. L.Bridge also offers free delivery and catering in the Wangjing area, anyone interested can call 177 1033 5911. These features and more make L.Bridge one of Beijing’s most underrated British-themed haunts, and a prime brunch destination.

Photos: Courtesy of Kyle Mullin

This post is sponsored by POSCO.

The POSCO Center Beijing is poised to not merely capitalize, but also further the momentum of Beijing’s new CBD ‘Wangjing’ neighborhood. This pair of gleaming, smoothly contoured buildings will provide a range of top notch facilities and services that will surely help usher in Wangjing’s reign as not only Beijing’s Centre Business, but also a red hot, vibrant locale for young families.

Any career conscious parent would certainly be pleased to work in the higher up office floors of this facility. The designers have put meticulous thought and planning into how to accommodate the personal and professional lives of the employees working at the companies who rent out those upper floors. Those employees will feel like anything but a cog in a machine or a worker bee in a hive like cubicle, instead enjoying the fitness center and a fully-stacked internationally themed meal hall.

Located in some of the world’s leading cities, POSCO’s other state-of-the-art structures have already set a high standard for urban innovation, boosting the quality of life in their surrounding neighborhoods. According to the company’s website its most impressive facility is the Northeast Asia Trade Tower in Songdo International Business District, Incheon. The 68-story structure is Korea’s tallest building, and those floors boast a vast range of options for patrons, businesspeople and citizens. The NEATT tower not only has a luxury hotel and high-end apartments, but also a variety of retail outlets. According to emporis.com POSCO also boasts a 28 story steel high-rise gleaming POSTELL Tower in the heart of Seoul’s vibrant, central Gangnam-gu borough, and the POSCO Sports Center at Seoul University.

POSCO also runs an esteemed gallery – dubbed the POSCO Art Museum – in Seoul, where a variety of celebrated exhibits have been held, including a slew of multimedia works that ran last summer, showcasing the best of Australian contemporary art. POSCO’s website describes its architectural strengths as lying with the application of “cutting-edge technologies, including flat plate structural systems, wind-induced vibration reduction technology, and energy saving technology, we are creating buildings that not only look great, but also protect the environment and ensure a safe living space for all.”

That last point is an especially key attribute of the new POSCO Center Beijing, which will utilize an abundance of vegetation for the “sunken garden” in its entryway, creating a vibrantly green destination for those looking to work, shop and eat in the new complex. That lush vegetation will minimize the impression of Beijing’s business center as a grey, bland concrete jungle.

The neighborhood is already primed for such a big, well-equipped facility that is able to house a variety of offices, small businesses and restaurants. Within the vicinity of POSCO there is a host of big brand local branch headquarters already up and running, including Mercedes and Caterpillar, Microsoft and Sony, Staples and more.

Sung Chung, a young father from L.A. who moved to Wangjing from the Wudaokou university district three months ago, says he has been most impressed by his new home’s family friendliness. He lives in an apartment complex on the west end of Wangjing, and says it is an ideal midway point between his office in Wudaokou and the Daystar academy, where his children attend school.

“I can find a really good balance here because it’s not way outside of the city, in the boonies, but it’s still quite close to all the international schools in Shunyi,” he says, adding that it takes his children about 20 minutes to commute there every day. “At the same time, Wangjing is close to line 15, which is a straight shot to Wudaokou. So it’s really convenient for me.”

Above all, Chung enjoys the cozy, quiet comforts of his new neighborhood, making it an ideal place for him to raise his little ones. Wangjing is very placid, compared to his old stomping grounds in the university rife Wudaokou area, and its proximity to the international schools in Shunyi and other family friendly (but frequently pricier) areas like Lido make it a strategically located point to experience the best of all those worlds.

Christopher Lay, another expat father from Portland, Oregon, has lived in Wangjing since 2008, and has seen the area undergo a massive degree of change in that time. He and his family are moving away from the area soon, but he says he enjoyed his time there, echoing Chung’s sentiments of Wangjing being a “diverse community with lots of families and friendly neighbors.”

“Wangjing has been continually expanding since we moved here seven years ago. The dining scene has been getting better in the last couple of years,” Lay says, adding that it would be nice to have a facility similar to Indigo Mall there, or a Costco. However, he is hesitant about massive new shopping centers and business complexes being able to magically transform the area into Beijing’s hottest new neighborhood. He explains: “Wangjing has continued to expand where it is able. However, there are has been a lot of commercial development where it seems to have over expanded before there was enough demand … Personally, I don’t think it needs more shopping centers.”

But Chung disagrees, saying the relatively new Wangjing SOHO complex has been bringing in many new retail businesses. “Because of its good location, all the good Korean food in the area, and the new retail businesses coming in at the SOHO complex, I could see another facility bringing in a lot of exciting new things as well. Wangjing definitely seems to be an up and coming place.”

While a few less than successful developments in the area may have left some Wangjing dwellers like Lay skeptical about the neighborhood’s potential, others may argue that a professional company like POSCO would be the ideal developer to help the community break through, given the firm’s success with its Seoul and Incheon skyscrapers. Rather than engaging in cavalier practices that only serve short term profits, POSCO instead adopts long term plans that not only help its projects thrive financially, but also help bolster the surrounding community’s quality of life and environmental sustainability — from its efforts to build environmentally friendly buildings to its charity work with impoverished Vietnamese families, tree planting ventures in Beijing and more. These socially conscious ventures are presented in further detail here and the POSCO Center Beijing will be undertaking more initiatives soon, making it the ideal place for local families to not only benefit, but also give back.

This post first appeared in thebeijinger.com on June 23, 2015.

Images courtesy of POSCO

Recently I was interviewed about living in Wangjing and it kind of made me laugh. The crux of interview hanged on the notion that someone was building another shopping center and did I think Wangjing needed another one. I laughed at the question because Wangjing is one area where the commercial build rate has definitely outpaced the demand.

Within a few blocks of my home sit two largely underutilized shopping malls. The first was built with such an unusual design (think of an alien head covered in hubcaps) that the anchor store has been vacant for more than three years since it was completed.

In the other direction, across the street from Wangjing SOHO sits an entirely empty shopping mall except for the food court and cinema on the 4th and 5th floors. Gone are all the shops, cafes, Lotus grocery, and kids play zone that once occupied the space. They built it, filled it, and no one came. Well, not enough anyway.

Ironically, housing and commercial developments continue to rise and fill in Wangjing, but the pace of retail seems to be either to high or all of us in Wangjing are ordering the bulk of our goods online and shopping at the neighborhood IKEA.

So unless it is a Costco opening up, Wangjing can live without another shopping center. What we do need is more playgrounds. Heck, I’d settle for one. No more geriatric workout zones; build an actual slide, swings, and climbing structure in a green space. Do that, and I’m sure families would flock to it. Put it in the middle of an outdoor shopping center, and you could probably fill a few stores too.