The Joy of Six: Shilipu

This month, we’ve checked out all the stops on Line 6 to tell you about the gems that you shouldn’t wait to discover in our station-by-station Going Underground special.

SELLING POINT
There’s no question that the biggest draw in the area is Honglingjin Park, a child-friendly scenic spot named after the red scarves sported by school kids. Tiny canals connect the lake in Honglingjin Park to Chaoyang Park in the north.

STROLL
Walk west along Chaoyang Beilu and cross the street to reach the park. Relax near the park’s lakefront or meander among the 27 ginkgo trees that grow in Ginkgo Square. Honglingjin Park also hosts a cultural festival for twins in Beijing every October 1. If you have a craving to see twins but it’s the wrong time of year, just gaze at your reflection in the lake and ponder what might have been.

PLAY
Everyone knows that traffic signals are a point of confusion among grown Beijingers, so we have nothing but praise for the park’s Practical Road-Safety Education Base for Minors, where little ones can zip around a training course in kid-sized electric carts.

EAT
At the southwest corner of Honglingjin Park lies the swank JE Mansion, where you can dine on contemporary Chinese fusion creations. They also offer a ritzy afternoon tea – but you’ll need to reserve in advance. If your park frolics have left you feeling less than elegant, head back east on Chaoyang Beilu instead and hang a left at Shifuying Road, where you’ll see the bright neon announcing Cao Mao Yu. Follow the twinkly lights through an alley for Yunnan-style seafood hot pot.

This article originally appeared on page 16 in the February issue of the Beijinger.

Photo: Lova