Busy Holiday: A Few Things To Do Today, Oct 6
It’s National Holiday, folks! While we know a great many of you have most likely joined the masses to leave Beijing for travel, for those who have remained, there are still some great things to do every day of this Golden Week holiday.
Catch an Exhibition or Two at 798
Make it an artsy Sunday before the holiday’s end with a visit to 798 Arts District. Some of the best exhibitions can be found at Red Gate Gallery, UCCA, M Woods, and Tang, with lots of smaller shows and things sprinkled throughout. You can see what exhibitions are taking place via this link (in Chinese).
There are also ample places to grab a coffee or bite to eat within 798, so it's best to plan a visit closer to lunch time for some art and eats.
798 Arts District 七九八艺术区
2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥路2号
Hours: 24 Hours (shops/galleries have different hours)
Contact: 010 5978 9114
Explore Beijing's Largest Park
At nearly 290 hectares in size, Chaoyang Park is more than just a park; it’s an experience in and of itself. There are waterways, an amusement park, a children’s playground, and a whole lot more, all in one big green spot.
Chaoyang Park 朝阳公园
1 Chaoyang Gongyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳公园南路1号
Hours: Daily, 9am-10pm (9pm in winter)
Contact: 010 6595 3490; 010 6506 5409
Hit Up Zarah's Holiday Brunch
For those who want to stick around Gulou on Sunday (or perhaps head here after a bit of art or park exploration), there's Zarah's Golden Week Holiday Brunch. If you've lived in Beijing long enough, you'll know about Cafe Zarah's Sunday brunches. While they no longer happen on a weekly basis, its still an experience, featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet (starting at RMB 228) with all the classics like live egg station, cheeses, croissants, and more. For this National Day holiday edition, they'll also have Beijing specialties like zhajiamian, shaobing breakfast buns, and their famous DIY jianbing station. See this post for more info.
Cafe Zarah
46 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼东大街46号
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 10am-midnight; Fri-Sat, 10-1am
Contact: 010 8403 9807
Dinner in Solana or Tuanjiehu Xinli
For dinner (and perhaps drinks) if you're not off to Gulou, head to Solana Mall, where options range from Western to Chinese fare like Yunnan, Cantonese and more. For something a bit different, then it’s south to Tuanjiehu – easily reached if you exit Chaoyang Park from the south entrance – where there lies Tuanjiehu Xinli, a new complex featuring a few relaxed restaurants, plus cool bars like Memory, built out of a bomb shelter and designed to appear as part of the Underground City.
READ: Busy Holiday: A Few Things to Do Today, Oct 5
Images: Unsplash
