“It’s a three-story kids’ paradise” was how my friend first introduced MeLand Club to me. At the time, summer vacation had just begun and we were racking our brains, trying to come up with ways to keep the kids entertained without breaking anything in our homes. And now that the start of the fall semester has been delayed, I wanted to share this pretty incredible find with parents who have young ones with lots of energy to burn.
First things first, in light of the recent Covid situation, I checked with MeLand on what precautions they were taking in order to safeguard against the virus. They currently requiring everyone to show their Health Kit, and all adults must wear masks while on the premises. Considering how huge the place is, they aren’t particularly concerned with overcrowding but also pointed out that they do not have many attendees at this time.
MeLand is situated on the third floor of the rather low-key Fangyuanli ID Mall, which is somewhere south of the much more frequented Hopson One mall. I could count the total number of people in the mall on two hands when we visited during a typical weekday. There’s a McDonald’s and Starbucks on the first floor near the south entrance, and an IMAX cinema in the mall, though that’s currently not operating thanks to Covid.
With three dedicated floors, MeLand has everything you and your kid could ever want from an indoor playground. In no particular order, here’s a sampling of what they have:
- Huge ball pool and inflatables
- Arcade (with no need for additional tokens to play) and virtual reality (VR) games
- Maze/obstacle course that spans all three floors
- Two climbing walls
- Water play area (where the kids can don raincoats and slippers)
- Library and reading space
- Wooden tools construction room
- LEGO room
- STEAM activity boards along the corridors
One of the most stand-out features of MeLand is their dedicated dress-up salon where make-up artists can transform your child into a princess, replete with Cinderella-esque gowns, tiaras, and the full works. This team of princess-makers also lead the children in a little song-and-dance routine on a stage in the main area every hour between 11am and 6pm.
Another winning hand is how MeLand has a private Kids Lounge that provides cots and armchairs so your kid can actually nap in total darkness and relative silence. Also, there are little nooks and crannies where parents/guardians can sit and rest comfortably while the kids run amok. In every corner of MeLand, there are also sanitization stations providing wipes, tissues, and sanitizer. I was duly impressed when I saw the staff hard at work cleaning up a little spill on the ground floor and didn’t leave the area unattended until it was spotless. Outside the washroom, an ayi makes sure you put on indoor slippers to use the facilities and disinfects them after each use. My friend who came with me also noted that they provide L’occitane hand soap and lotion while we were washing our hands at the sink.
Check out our video walkthrough of MeLand below:
The third floor of MeLand sports a restaurant with great kid-friendly options like fresh juice and animal-shaped lollipops for dessert. The best part is that there’s also a mini-playground inside the restaurant, so the kids won’t be waiting impatiently for their meal. Prices are fair and the food average, but it was clean and nobody had food poisoning afterward so that’s a win!
We spent practically the entire day at MeLand, and the kids still didn’t want to leave when 5pm rolled around. Truth be told, for the price I paid (RMB 368 for a One Adult + One Child ticket on a weekday), I would have stayed from when it opened at 11am to closing time at 9pm (last entry at 7.30pm).
All in all, MeLand is a great vestige for your sanity any time school’s out and it’s way too hot or polluted for the kids to play in the park. Buy your tickets on DaZhongDianPing to save RMB 30 off at-the-door ticket prices!
Pro Tip: Bring sticky socks for yourself and the kids!
Fangyuanli ID Mall Address:
East 4th Ring Road Middle No. 189 (Jinguang Canal Road), Chaoyang District
朝阳区东四环中路189号
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Images: DaZhongDianPing, Vivienne Tseng-Rush
