I don’t know about you, but I’m never going to be that parent who voluntarily brings bugs into the house. But, that’s not to say that they’re not cool, because bugs are definitely fun!
In Haidian District, Natural World 自然界奇虫萌宠生活馆 is a museum/petting zoo that’s designed to get the kids excited and curious about all sorts of bugs and insects. It’s essentially a petting zoo for insects that most people have only ever seen on the Discovery Channel. We’re not talking about cockroaches and centipedes here. At Natural World they’ve got stuff like rhino-horned beetles, super shiny beetles that look almost too beautiful to be real, fireflies, butterflies, snakes, iguanas, and other things to keep everyone in the family intrigued for hours.
The best part about Natural World is how hands-on the place is. You get to see everything from behind a plate of glass if you want, but if you’re brave and curious enough, they let you take pet the insects and animals for yourself.
The guided tours are all conducted in Chinese and the staff explains everything in a way that’s suitable for 6 & 7-year-olds to understand which means, kids’ vocabulary and not too many hard to pronounce science-y words. The goal of this place isn’t just to dump information on people, it’s to spark curiosity and interest in kids (and adults alike). Though the center is open all day, the guided tours are at 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm from Mon-Fri.
They have plenty of kids’ activities throughout the place, like a sand pit where kids can dig up giant bugs with their tiny bare hands. This either sounds like a whole lot of fun, or could potentially be one of the most terrifying experiences one could ask for…These hands on activities will require additional fees. Each will cost around RMB50 to take part and is limited to approximately 30 minutes.
Pro tip: If you’re already planning on getting hands on with the bugs, get an experience package ticket at the entrance. For RMB158 you can pick any 3 of the 6 activities they have throughout the center.
To wrap up the visit, there’s a surefire crowd-pleaser at the end which is great for the kids who really, REALLY, didn’t like seeing bugs up close – a fluffy petting zoo with hamsters, bunnies, and adorable cats for kids to pet and feed. It’s a smart way to make sure the experience ends on a high note and also, for those who just conquered their fear of insects, to unwind in the company of more familiar furry creatures.
Find it:
Natural World 自然界奇虫萌宠生活馆
远大路1号燕莎友谊商城B1层东侧(近戴森、星巴克二店)
East side of B1 Floor, Lufthansa Friendship Mall, No. 1 Yuanda Road (near Dyson and Starbucks Stores)
Tel: 19520199197, 18210811347
Hours: Mon-Thur from 10.30am – 7pm, Fri-Sun from 10.30am-7.30pm
Images: Dianping, Douyin, Pexels
