What the Heck Can You Do for a Day in Tongzhou?
Why the heck would you ever want to go to Tongzhou District if you don't live there, you ask? Well, although this big district east of Chaoyang does seem a little far removed from the capital proper, there are a ton of things to do here. If you ever get tired of the hustle and bustle of the city center and just want to have a little getaway, the "sub-center", as the city government has dubbed it, is here. Here's a one-day itinerary to make the best out of Tongzhou.
You don’t even need to travel that far – just hop on subway Line 6 and it will whisk you to Tongzhou in about 40 minutes.
Starting from Exit C on Line 6's , walk south for 10 minutes until you arrive at .
In spring, the whole park turns into a paradise of green trees and flowers in bloom. Stroll around the river and see if you can find an elm tree, an age-old wonder that's been around for 300 years, and was once growing from the 13th 13th storey of a pagoda which also calls the park home, until the structure was renovated in 1987.
Can you find the elm tree in the park?
The is roughly 10 minutes south of the park. Here, you can find some of Tongzhou's most important cultural relics as well as a big bell dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). If you're a history buff and curious about the evolution of Tongzhou beginning with the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-24 CE), this place is definitely worth a visit.
Can you believe this big bell dates back to the Ming Dynasty?
Craving some eats after a morning of tooling around? For an unforgettable treat of authentic Tongzhou flavors, head to and order their 小楼烧鲶鱼 xiǎolóu shāo niányú, a must-try dish regarded as one of the three treasures of Tongzhou cooking.
Don't leave Tongzhou without trying this signature dish!
After you've eaten your fill at Xiaolou Restaurant, take a walk around the Grand Canal and enjoy the views at – not to be confused with the similarly named .
Amazing views of Tonglifornia by the canal
The canal is currently closed for boat rides due to low temperatures, but the staff told us canal boat tours would reopen around April.
We have it on good authority that boat rides should reopen around April
Boat or no boat, it can make for a memorable experience walking along this grand marvel of engineering.
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When night falls, head to , where you can fill up on some roasted chicken or Australian rib-eye steak. Pair that with a few pints of craft beer and you're in for a good meal.
This entire itinerary can be walked in a single day, however, if you're down to explore more places in Tongzhou, here are a few other things you can do.
Immerse yourself in the arts at .
If you want to do some shopping, there's , featuring a newly-opened underground food court called East 8 Yeah Alley, which features familiar brands like Seesaw Coffee and Croissant Village.
The newly-opened food court in Tongzhou
Inside the food court, you can also find a coffee shop called OKEY DOKEY, which offers oddities like the cactus-flavored tea and the hawthorn-flavored coffee.
For more craft beer, there's the Tongzhou branch of Jing-A. Although it's currently closed for winter, it's a fun spot to hit up and enjoy a few brews and snacks with friends when spring rolls around.
Jing A's Tongzhou branch was still closed when we visited, but they'll be reopening when spring comes around
Have you paid Tonglifornia a visit yet? Why not do it sometime soon?
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Images: Irene Li, Dianping
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