Beijing's best shopping malls for families

Find kid-friendly restaurants and cafés, top stores for all the family and indoor play centres inside these Beijing shopping malls.

Solana

Located on the northwest corner of Chaoyang Park, Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park has a comprehensive range of foreign high street brands and trusted Western restaurants. A popular weekend itinerary features a wander around the park followed by a shop in Mothercare, Mamas & Papas or Gap Kids, then a refuel at health-conscious eatery Tribe. For the active kids, there’s also the All Star Ice Rink or the play centre Gymboree.

Parkview Green

Part giant pyramid mall and part surrealist art museum, Parkview Green (Fangcaodi) is an irresistible playground for kids, where they can touch and climb on the most bizarre sculptures you can imagine. The luxury brands (including Stella McCartney and La Perla) that fill this mall may be out of reach for many, but you’ll be grateful for a pop into City Shop, the supermarket that carries an extensive range of imported foods from around the world, followed by lunch at pork cutlet restaurant Saboten or dumplings haven Din Tai Fung.

Parkview Green is also a regular destination for mums and babies visiting Little Oasis, the indoor play area. New mums would be glad to know that breastfeeding and baby changing rooms are particularly plentiful and clean in this mall.

Indigo

The pleasant, airy Indigo mall near 798 Art District boasts a comprehensive outdoor playground and play centre PPKids. For a spot of shopping, check out boutiques Counting Sheep and The Fifth Avenue Children’s Furniture and Toy Shop, as well as big hitters Mothercare and Kids Land. A tip for new mums: the Muji branch in Indigo tends to stock maternity wear and nursing tops.

Family-friendly restaurants a-plenty in Indigo: as well as reliable chains Lime Thai, Bibigo, Element Fresh and Blue Frog, popular brunch venue Feast (Food by East) can be accessed directly from the mall.

Shine Hills

Shine Hills (also known as Shine City), the shopping centre in Shunyi, caused quite a stir when it opened a few years back. Spacious at 200,000 square metres, it’s packed with kids’ stores, family-friendly restaurants and big names like Uniqlo and Gap. It also has the biggest OSGH Cinema in town.

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