After having gladly taken over the position of Shunyi Correspondent at BeijingKids, I visited Shunyi officially and properly for the first time on Saturday. Having lived in Beijing for 8 years, I always considered Shunyi to be somewhere far and opaque, having very little idea of what it is really like. Vaguely, I had the understanding that it is occupied by villas and international schools. Apart from those, there probably wouldn’t be too much, I thought.
On first visit, I only saw a tiny part of Shine City, which is one of Shunyi’s commercial centers. I quickly realized that my previous impression better be updated. As its name “City” suggests, Shine is indeed like a typical European town, where chained stores are smartly located to form a cozy and comfortable hub where the locals come by to shop, dine, or just to relax.
The shops are similar to those in San Li Tun, the busy downtown business and cultural center in Beijing’s downtown (based on the traditional sense of city area). But at Shine City in Shunyi, you will get a completely different feeling. There are no rushing people, loud noise, fast-beat music, or that normal sense of “stress” or feeling that something has to be done by coming here. As walking with pet dogs is quite common scene to see at Shine, you can just easily feel relaxed. Business and shopping don’t seem to be the main idea of this place, but rather a venue for lifestyles to meet and rejoice.
I saw a real Tesla on display for the first time. Although I’m not a car fan, I feel happy seeing that technology has made the battery-based Tesla a potential substitute for conventional gasoline-based cars. Another great finding is Dunkin Donuts, which is a favorite spot for friends from overseas to buy great donuts. My two American friends just mentioned yesterday that they went there to buy donuts, so I know it must be good. I tried one, and it does taste fine, with many varieties such as traditional ones and even new creations with beef on it!
Don’t forget that new big compound, a business center on Prosperous Street nearby, will be ready to open by end of this month (5093 3111 for those interested in renting a shop). That is only in two weeks’ time. There could be a few more bakeries and other hot catches. Currently, the place is standing alone and a little further away from Shine, but some time ago all of these great attractions likely went through a similar period of time.
