When standing on Chang’An Avenue, or in the shadow of the skyscrapers in the CBD, Beijing can really feel like a concrete jungle. But among all the busy streets and seemingly endless construction sites there is an abundance of beautiful green spaces and parks, for people of all ages to enjoy. Of course, the best park for your family is the one that you can most easily get to, and feel safe enjoying with your brood, but even so, a few do still stand out among the crowd.
Chaoyang Park 朝阳公园
Address: 1 Nongzhan South Road, Chaoyang District 朝阳区农展馆南路1号
Opening hours: Daily 6am-10pm
Price: RMB 5, additional for special activities and theme parks
Chaoyang Park is, unsurprisingly, the king of the parks in Chaoyang District. Measuring a whopping 289 hectares (New York’s Central Park is 341 hectares) it has just about everything you could want in a park: grassy lawns, acres of flower beds, an extensive lake system complete with paddle boats for hire, a 5km running track, more than one amusement park (think rollercoasters and a climbing wall), a laser-tag field, badminton courts, basketball courts… the list goes on. It is also very well stocked with restrooms and concession stands, making it an easy place to spend the day no matter the age of your children.
Tuanjiehu Park 团结湖公园
Address: 16 Tuanjiehu Nanli, Chaoyang District 朝阳区团结湖南里16号
Opening hours: Daily, 7am-10pm
Price: Free; additional for special activities and water park
Pocket-sized Tuanjiehu Park is one of the most overlooked parks in the city, but so worth exploring with your family. There are so many different fun things packed into this tiny space: an outdoor skating rink, play equipment, paddle boats, wooded hills with trails to explore, and even a full-sized water park complete with a sandy beach, wave pool, and slides. Tuanjiehu is also a very active community park, so no matter what time you go there, you’ll find people dancing, practicing tai-chi, playing musical instruments, singing in a choir, kicking a shuttlecock, or just taking in the striking views of the CBD right next door.
Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) 圆明园
Address: 28 Qinghua Xilu, Haidian District 海淀区清华西路28号
Opening hours: Daily 7am-7pm (May-Aug); 7am-5.30pm (Nov-Mar); 7am-630.pm (Apr, Sep-Oct)
Price: RMB 10, plus RMB 15 (ruins and labyrinth), students half-price. Free for kids under 1.2m
The Old Summer Palace is a must-visit site in Beijing, even though the most important sites are now actually in ruins, as it was famously looted by Allied forces in 1860. This is a very big park, so be prepared for walking, but the seemingly endless grounds, temples, lakes, and landscaped gardens draw you ever onwards. The northern sections tend to be calmest, even on busy weekend days, perfect for a relaxing stroll. In winter, the vast Fuhai Lake is a very popular spot for ice skating, and during summer all ages can have fun spotting the park’s famous black swans.
Ready to go further? Here are two beautiful parks you may have never heard of…
Hanshiqiao Wetland Nature Reserve Park 汉石桥湿地公园
Address Hanshiqiao Village, Yangzhen Area, Shunyi District 顺义杨镇地区汉石桥村
Opening hours: Year-round
Price: Free
Hanshiqiao Wetland Nature Reserve Park is the only remaining natural reed marsh in the city, and subsequently boasts hundreds of wild plants and many species of birds. Especially accessible for those in the north-east, it’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, with plenty of walking and cycling paths throughout. Rent bikes, or get out into the water on a pedalo. The reserve is also popular for fishing, and, of course, bird-watching. According to Terry Townshend of Birding Beijing, it’s the ideal place to observe grey herons, great and little egrets, Chinese pond herons, oriental reed warblers, common cuckoos, and Indian cuckoos.
Grand Canal Forest Park 大运河森林公园
Address: Songliang Road, Tongzhou District 通州区宋梁路南段
Opening hours: Year-round
Price: Free
Another beautiful green space right on our doorstep, the Tongzhou Canal Forest Park is a calm and peaceful spot to spend the day with your family. Extending for kilometers on both banks of the mighty and historic Grand Canal (the northern terminus is just a bit north of the park, while the southern terminus is some 1,700+km away in Hangzhou), it is perfect for cycling, day-camping, kite-flying, and picnicking.
KEEP READING: Dig out Your Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. It’s Water Park Season!
Photos: Anna Pellegrin Hartley, Uni You, Sabrina Zhang
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue
