Staying in Beijing for the May Day holiday but itching to get out and about? Here are some fun day trip recommendations for the whole family to enjoy the wonderful weather this weekend (*fingers crossed).
Longqing Gorge
Even if you’ve been here in winter for the Ice Lanterns, you’ll definitely want to revisit Longqing Gorge in the warmer months because it is an entirely different landscape. Gone are the desolate arid mountains and frozen lake. In their place cascading green hills and an emerald river transport you to a little slice of nature’s paradise!
There’s some hiking involved to get to some scenic spots, but even for little ones it’s nothing that a little perserverance, plus lots of patience and snacks, won’t overcome. As a reward, you can enjoy a cable car ride, ferry boat ride and a slide for life! And don’t forget to queue up for the fun toboggan ride that goes around the mountain and over the lake!
PRO TIP: Dogs are welcome here, though there are a few escalators and the floor of the ferry is metal which was scorching hot in summer for their paws! I had to carry my pooch in my lap on the ferry, which drew some stares.
Longqingxia Scenic Area
Guchengcun, Jiuxianzhen, Yanqing district
Beijing Back Garden 北京后花园
Forgive its poorly translated name but this massive park in west Beijing has been on my radar for some time because of the huge outdoor rainbow slide that’s on my Beijing bucket list!
There are also playgrounds with mildly inclined climbing walls for kids, little pools with fish and boating activities, and plenty of hiking and nature exploration. Bring a picnic mat and picnic basket if you want more than just Chinese hot dogs and instant noodles.
Beijing Back Garden
Yangfangzhen, Changping district
Survival Island
Less than 60km north of Beijing lies an unassuming park with a more intimidating name – Survival Island. Aside from offering scenic walks, the park features a 15m-tall rock wall and a series of Ninja Warrior-esque obstacle courses over land and water. Kids above 1m are welcome to try any of them, but be warned, there is no lifeguard on duty to fish you out from the murky water if you fall in, nor any ranger to rescue you should you wish to give up halfway through the rope bridge.
For the full review of Survival Island, read our previous post here!
Beijing Survival Island Practice Base 北京生存岛实践基地售票处, 6 Hong Luo Dong Lu, Huairou District, Beijing 北京市怀柔区红螺东路6号
What are you doing this May Day holiday? Share with us your discoveries of family-friendly places in Beijing in the comments below!
Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush, courtesy of vendors
