Family Outings

An article on summer-holiday attractions for children in particular can be found on other pages of this issue. No, we haven't forgotten places that parents will also enjoy, hence this listing of venues they can savor either by themselves or with their children in tow. Best, then, that we simply promote these trips as ...

Shijingshan Amusement Park Water World

Whole families can make a splash at this well-equipped amusement park, which offers large and medium-sized water slides, artificial waves, massage ponds, a children's swimming area with its own slides, and family and wave slideways. Waterbased amusements and sports care combined to make it both a cool summer place in the fun sense, and a good sports area to boot.

A beautiful environment is enhanced by its advanced infrastructure and excellent services, between them virtually guaranteeing a great experience as well as a nice tan if you are lucky enough to visit on a sunny day. Regular patrons say it's just like visiting a genuine coastal area without the hassle of a long rail or air trip.

Open: 10am-4:30pm, and 6pm-8:30pm.

Admission: 20 yuan (daytime); 10 yuan (evening).

Tel: 6887-4060; 6886-4122; 6886-4618.

Buses: Nos. 337, 354, 389, 327, 385, 621, 622, 728, 747, 817, 958, 959, 965.

Metro: Bajiao Entertainment Park Station.

Beijing Amusement Park

This Sino-Japanese joint adventure is an enterprise that has enjoyed wide popularity since its opening in 1987. Offering a giant 62-meter-high ferris wheel, you can enjoy a bird's eye view of the capital before indulging in a thrilling ride on the "adventure flume" getting a hair-raising experience in the water or being twisted any which way but upright on a challenging roller-coaster.

You will also find Beijing's first "mirage" aquarium, which takes you into the world of deep water and its attendant creatures, and a karting center with F-1 cars, no less. Among numerous other attractions is a three-dimensional-movie sea dragon and a magic castle audio-room that provides more than a glimpse of a futuristic world.

1 Zuo'an Men Street Chongwen District.

Open: 8:30am-5:30pm.

Admission: 70yuan (adult); 40yuan (children under 1.4m tall).

Tel: 6714-3611; 6714-6909; Fax: 6714-2324.

Buses: Nos.6, 60, 116, 12, 35, 8, 41, 807.

Honey World

This is an indoor venue offering entertainment, education, dining and other leisure activities for children as well as their mums and dads. Themed as a "fairy-tale" world of many parts, it is in places hosted by well-known educational experts who provide professional instruction on such pursuits as music, dance, painting and handworks.

Honey World aims to develop what its organizers call an entertainment paradise for children, a concept that embraces nature, liberal educational matters and environmental protection. Children are encouraged to obtain knowledge by taking part in special games which stretch their imagination and help them to form their own positive views.

BB82, New Oriental Plaza 1 Dong Chang'an Avenue.

Open: 9:30am-10pm.

Admission: 30 yuan (standard ticket); 50 yuan (set ticket); 10yuan (adult).

Tel: 8518-6840, ext. 81; 8518-5307; 8518-5308.

Beijing Zoo

An imperial park during the Ming Dynasty and during the latter period of the Qing (when it was a 1.5-hectare menagerie known as the Garden of Ten Thousand Beasts that had been constructed for the Empress Cixi, the zoo now covers more than 50 hectares and houses some 600 species from China and other countries.

Inhabitants from China include pandas, golden monkeys from south-west Sichuan Province, Yangtze alligators, red-crowned cranes, and tigers from the north-east. Animals from overseas are in abundance, including African giraffe, rhinos, orange antelopes, kangaroos and koalas from Australia, American lions, and Asian elephants and gibbons.

Open: 7:30am-6pm.

Admission: 10 yuan; 15 yuan (including panda menageries).

Buses: Nos. 7, 15, 19, 27, 103, 105, 107, 111, 332, 334, 347, 360, 601, 716, 808, 904.

 

Beijing Badaling Safari Animal World

Located opposite the Central Park of Badaling Great Wall, Safari World enables the public to see wild animals in natural surroundings. The park is in four sections: wild-animal exhibition (zoo); mountain-forest sightseeing; ancient culture; and entertainment. The wild animals have been brought from various parts of the world, their numbers including white Bengal and north-east China tigers, brown bears, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, pandas, golden monkeys and numerous birds, including rare rose finches.

Open: 8am-5pm (summer); 9am-3pm (winter).

Admission: 70 yuan.

Tel: 6912-2591; 8201-5588, ext. 218.

Bus: No. 919 from Deshengmen.

Tourist train: No. 9 from Xizhimen Station.

Tourist buses: (weekends and holidays), from Andingmen, Hepingli North.

Beijing Wildlife Park

Some 35 miles from the city center, the park--the largest of its kind in the Beijing area--can be found close to the newly-built Beijing-Kaifeng Highway. Your first stop inside the park is to see a special animal show that takes place at scheduled times. Then, after a two-minute walk, you board a bus for a 30-minute trip through areas rich in dangerous animals.

You then have a five-minute walk to the bird area, a great photo opportunity especially where the parrots are concerned. They are smart enough to distinguish a 100-yuan banknote from, say, a 10-yuan one, and are quick to relieve you of it if you are silly enough to hold them out. Adjacent to the birds are kangaroos and Chinese monal pheasants.

Park authorities hope to open a new panda garden in the near future, giving visitors a chance to be photographed with the cute creatures. Try to visit the park during the morning, when most species are at their most active and thus more entertaining than later in the day. Some, said an official, are inclined to "show off" when they hear cameras clicking.

Open: 8:30am-5pm.

Admission: 85 yuan (adult); 45 yuan (students and senior citizens).

Tel: 8921-6666, 8921-7544.

Buses: Nos. 943, 937

 

Beijing Botanical Garden

Occupying a total area of about 20,000 square meters, this is one of the largest potted landscape gardens in China. Its attractions include China's largest rose garden; the Yellow Leaf Village (Huangyecun); a bonsai garden said to include a 1,300-year-old ginkgo; potted landscapes; the Reclining Buddha Temple; a peony garden; and a red-peach blossom garden.

Open: 6am-7pm.

Admission: 5 yuan (main gate); 5 yuan (Buddha Temple); 50 yuan for adults and 40 yuan for students (greenhouse).

Tel: 6259-1561.

Buses: Nos. 318, 331, 360, 714, 737, 816, 904.