The Eiffel Tower and the Egyptian Sphinx, the Taj Mahal and the Big Ben are landmarks that inspire backpackers to leave comfy armchairs and start crossing oceans. Although if for your family that world tour is still on the “to do” list, Beijing has a great option: the World Park.
It opened back in 1993, and since then it’s said to attract up to 1.5 million visitors annually. However the place is usually not that crowded, and is an alternative to walks in parks and by lakes that unfortunately often have too many visitors.
The World Park is in the top 100 of Beijing’s best places to go, according to TripAdvisor (out of more than 1,500), and is described as worth visiting in many reviews. However, this is not the place to experience traditional Chinese culture for newcomers, which makes it even better for families already living here with some extra time to spare and willing to take a day off from historic sites. The World Park has about a hundred replicas of famous sights all over the world. For those who don’t feel like taking two or three hour walks, there is an opportunity to rent a small car.
The park is highly recommended for a visit with kids – young explorers will definitely enjoy scampering from replica to replica all around the globe. One special feature of The World Park is the accuracy in the details. For example, the copy of Moscow Red Square has thousands of miniature bricks copying the real ones. However, some replicas are not well cared for and may disappoint adults coming with high expectations.
The Park is a great place for a small family photo session! The kids (and, we believe, many adults as well) would love the idea of dressing up in traditional clothes to take photos – there are special booths that can help with costumes for RMB 10. And of course you’ll get more time to take that perfect shot with this Leaning Tower, than with the real one. This is also a popular place among Chinese couples for wedding photo shoots.
There is an animal show every day starting at 2.30pm. Young kids will be just overjoyed with the idea of sitting on an elephant’s trunk. If you’re not that much of a risk-taker, you can ride in comfort on an elephant or a camel. The Park also has several cafés, although many of them are closed. And one tip we got from tourist reviews—pack some snacks on the go.
World Park
Admission is RMB 100 for adults and RMB 65 for kids, which will make it a bit expensive for big families. Hiring a buggy will cost an extra RMB 100 for 1 hour, RMB 150 for two hours, and RMB 200 for any additional time, plus a deposit of RMB 200. Daily 9am-9pm. No.158 Fengbaotai Road, Hua Country, Fengtai District, Beijing, China; 北京世界公园: 丰台区花乡丰葆路158号.
Photos: mybeijingchina.com; synotrip.com; nileguide.com; tour-beijing.com; romthebaytobeijing.com
