So much for outdoor summer fun huh? This week’s weather forecast is predicting rain all week, so we’ve decided to share one of my most well-kept secret indoor hangouts to give you some shelter (both physically and mentally). As a self-declared cinephile, I just had to find a cinema that I could bring my kid to when we first arrived in Beijing. By lucky coincidence, I found that I could buy movie tickets on WeChat (step-by-step guide below), and at that time, the closest cinema in my vicinity was at Hopson One. The only animated film I was remotely interested in was showing in the 亲子厅 (qīngzǐtīng) parent-child cinema, so I bought the tickets and made my way to the very popular mall.
Introduction to Hopson One: This family-friendly mall is in the heart of Shuangjing, and boasts a six-floor shopping and dining paradise, with the third floor dedicated entirely to kids products and services. During the holidays, the sixth floor usually puts up temporary kid-friendly installations like ice-skating rinks and basketball courts.
There’s no poetic way to translate this, but I learned that the qingziting is basically the family-friendly cinema. How is it family-friendly you ask? Well, check out the video below and see for yourself!
Outside the cinema is a small but perfectly adequate playground with a mini rock wall and trampoline, but the real prize lies within the theatre itself. The interior is decked out in welcoming colored sofas, and features a…wait for it…5m-long slide with a ball pit! In my experience, all the kids generally behave really well and practically play in silence while the film is on. In fact, most often, they end up watching the film from the ball pit, as you can see in the photo below.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to purchasing movie tickets on WeChat. Qingzi ting cinema tickets are RMB 80 apiece, and both you and the kids will need to purchase a full-priced ticket. Ticket prices include complimentary single-use shoe covers, though our kids were more than happy to throw off their shoes and run around in socks.
Go to WeChat Pay and scroll down to the Event Tickets option. That will bring you to movies straight away. The family-friendly cinema option is qingziting and movies in English are listed as 英语 yīngyǔ English-language.
The films they show in Hopson One’s qingziting are mostly in Chinese, which is great for an immersive language experience for parents and children alike. Plus, they’re animated films which have universal appeal. Worst-case scenario, you’re lying back on a roomy, comfy sofa watching a cartoon while your kid is safely, happily, and pretty quietly occupied, all for under RMB 160. For me, that’s worth the price. Side note, my non-Chinese speaking kid was engaged the whole time, and could even make out some of the plot. So if you’re looking for an indoor cinema retreat, this is the place to go. And afterwards, there’s a Haagen Dazs and Pizza Marzano right outside for eats. Enjoy the movies!
Hopson One is located at 21 Xidawang Lu Chaoyang District (朝阳区西大望路21号).
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Images: Dazhongdianping, Vivienne Tseng-Rush
