As we begin July, the hottest month in Beijing, most people will be searching for places to run away from the scorching heat. In our June-July issue, we did a roundup of outdoor swimming pools you can find around town. However, having indoor and outdoor options can be one of the best ways to survive the heat. Here are some indoor options available:
Ice rinks
Ice skating is very popular during winter but in summer it can be a welcomed escape from the high temperatures. The drawback of having to wear winter clothes is a small price to pay when temperatures hit 37 degrees Celsius and above.
Playcenters
Beijing offers a range of play centers for different ages. Venues such as PPKids in Indigo Mall and Adventure Zone at the Kerry Centre have obstacle challenges that will have kindergarten and elementary school kids spending all their energy. Little Oasis, Fundazzle, EE City, and much more will have kids pre-occupied for hours in air conditioned areas. Parents can join in the fun or relax in the cool. The latest addition to play centers, Latitude offers fun for all ages as the trampoline center in Shunyi.
Indoor swimming pools
Head over to the Olympic National Aquatic Center to cool down at their huge indoor water park. The Mookey Swim pool in Lido is a great place to take very young kids to swim as the company caters to very young kids. Many hotels around town have indoor swimming pools that can be accessed for the occasional visit without having membership. However, a quick call to the hotel you wish to test out will clarify if they allow non-membership access.
Laser Tag
Laser can only be seen in very dim lighting conditions, which means indoors. The less painful option to paintball or airsoft. If you’ve seen the airsoft equipment list required to play, then you know how much simpler and cheaper laser tag is. Laser Tag will have kids and some adults easily distracted for one to two hours as people try to tag their opponents and win. The cooling factor is definitely an added bonus.
Go Kart Racing
Most Go kart racing venues in Beijing are indoor and this offers those adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers to zoom around in a cool environment. The bonus of the race tracks being indoor is that there isn’t a overheating of the tracks involved.
Photos: Ken, Red1Karting, Storm Trooper,
