The essential family events in Beijing this July
Families leaving for home this summer might want to check out these tips on making the journey back, and then rue missing out on July's line-up of great family events from Broadway musicals to anime exhibitions. While the temps are going to continue to climb, there'll also be cloudy days to get some essential sightseeing done during the school holidays. In any case, enjoy our list of events this month which are worth putting on the sunscreen and heading out of the air-conditioned comfort of home.
To see our complete listing, which we'll continually update, our menu is just a few taps away.
And as always, have a great month, Beijing!
Activities
Parent-child farm exploration: Capture your own scarab
Photo: Organiser
Unspecified Venue ,Sat 20-Sun 21. 2pm (Sat)-1.30pm (Sun). 1,680RMB for two.
Plant vegetables, prune fruit trees, watch the sunset and get close and personal with small animals in the wild at this camp at Cuicun Town at Changping district. You'll learn to set up a small tent and trap light after the night falls and wait for these small critters for you to bring home or just learn more about. The group will be a mix of Chinese and English-speaking guests. Add the organiser’s WeChat (ID: 18548911765) for more information.
Roundabout Children's Market
Photo: Roundabout
Shine Hills. Sat 20. 2-5pm. FREE
Head over to this family-oriented flea market at Shine Hills and see if you pick up a bargain for the kids from the array of secondhand goods being sold.
Shine Hills 中粮祥云小镇. 9 Antai Dajie, Shunyi district. 顺义区安泰大街九号院
The Children's House Summer Camp 2019
Photo: The Children's House/WeChat
The Children's House (Oceanwide branch). Mon 8-Fri Aug 9 (every weekday) 9am-3pm. Full day 3,500RMB/week, half day 2,500RMB/week (includes lunch).
The Children's House summer camp aims to get the young ones all familiar with summer activities. Depending on the week, the kids, aged 18 months to 6 years old, will explore the beach life, discover the wonders of the oceans or find out all that's fun about parks.
The Children's House. 1 Yaojiayuan Bei Lu (inside Haofeng Tiyu Park), Chaoyang district (8556 4611) 朝阳区姚家园北路豪丰体育公园内
For more summer camps,
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British Beef and Bingo
Photo: Emerson Viera/Unsplash
Arrow Factory Brewing. Sat 6 noon-2.30pm. 200RMB.
Join in this special event in support of HOPE, organised by the British Club Beijing. For 200RMB, expect a homely homemade roast beef lunch (vegetarian options available as well), together with a glass of wine, beer or Prosecco. Also included are two rounds of bingo and dessert. For more info, contact the organiser on their official WeChat (ID: BritishClubBeijing).
Arrow Factory Brewing. Liangmahe Nan Lu, Chaoyang district (8532 5335). 朝阳区亮马河南路
Stage
Audio-visual Interactive Concert: Do-Re-Mi
Photo: 247 tickets
Rulun Lecture Hall of Renmin University. Sun 28 Jul. 3-5pm. 100-380RMB.
The kids will sing along at this event where a variety of songs from classic family movies, including Beauty and the Beast, Shrek and The Sound of Music will be performed.
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Magic Drama: One Starry Night and Out of the Blue
Photo: Grand Boat Culture/247 Tickets
Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre. Jul 12-14 Jul 18-21 Various timings. 180-480RMB
A unique combination of art and education, kids learn to appreciate the multimedia magic of 28 masterpieces of nine masters including Van Gogh, Monet, and Da Vinci, accompanied by the live piano compositions of Mozart, Chopin Debussy and more. The drama tells the story of Lena, who visits her grandfather one summer. One night, Lena mysteriously falls down a hole, to a hidden world of classical paintings. The magic gallery comes to life and Lena is taken on a fascinating journey through the world of art.
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Double Piano Concert: Tom and Jerry
Photo: 247 Tickets
Beijing Theatre. Sun 7 10.30-11.30am. 100-380RMB
Hear your favourite cartoons brought to life at this unique concert. The program includes themes from Tom and Jerry, My Neighbour Totoro and Beauty and the Beast. Stroll down memory lane, and introduce your kids to the beauty of live classical music.
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Cats
Image: Alessandro Pinna
Beijing Century Theatre. Wed 3-Sat 6 7.30-9.30pm. 180-1,180RMB
One of the longest-running shows on both Broadway and the West End is coming to Beijing this summer after doing so well last year. Since its premiere in 1983, Cats has received seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and has been performed in 30 countries. The kids will love this musical that tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles. Set against the backdrop of a junkyard, the musical is centred around the night 'Jellicle choice' which decides which cat will come back in the next life. The over-the-top set, hit songs and eye-catching choreography make it a musical not to be missed. The musical will be performed in English with Chinese subtitles.
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St. Petersburg State Children’s Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake
Photo: Saint Petersburg State Children's Ballet Theatre/247 Tickets
Beijing Theatre. Sat 6 7.30-9.30pm; Sun 7 3-5pm. 180-580RMB
The classic tale of Odette and Odile is performed by the Saint Petersburg State Children's Ballet Theatre, made up of around 100 child dancers, aged 7 to 17s. With magical choreography and a score written by the legendary Tchaikovsky, this is a show that might possibly inspire the kids to try for a career in ballet.
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Dream to Glide
Photo: Dream to Glide/247 Tickets
Beijing Workers' Gymnasium. Fri 5 7.30-9.30pm; Sun 7 2-4pm. 180-1,880RMB
Inpsire the kids with the life story of skating champion Zhang Dan in this ice skating performance that combines acrobatics, dance, drama with Western and Chinese music. Following her initial steps as an eight year-old, uncover the journey of Zhang Dan, and her trails and tribulations to becoming a world skating champion.
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St. Petersburg State Children’s Ballet Theatre: The Sleeping Beauty
Photo: St. Petersburg State Children’s Ballet Theatre/247 Tickets
Beijing Theatre. Sun 7 7.30-9.30pm. 224-580RMB
Catch this fairytale classic of Princess Aurora, who will only be awakened when a Prince bestows a true love's kiss on her. Performed by the St. Petersburg State Children's Ballet Theatre, comprised of over 100 children aged seven t0 17.
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Paw Patrol Live: Race to the Rescue
Photo: Paw Patrol Live/247 Tickets
Beijing Exhibition Center , Jul 24-27, timings varies. 180-1,280RMB
It’s the day of the Great Adventure Bay Race between Adventure Bay’s Mayor Goodway and Foggy Bottom’s Mayor, Humdinger. However, Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found. Paw Patrol's crew Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma and Everest are summoned to rescue Mayor Goodway and run the race in her place. This exciting stage show brings the beloved series to life.
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Art & Exhibitions
Japanese Animation and Studio Ghibli Manuscript Exhibition
Photo: 247tickets
Polar Bear Gallery. Until Aug Thu 29 9-5pm daily. 68RMB, 120RMB (for two)
If the kids are getting tired of comics, then introduce them to the world of anime. Japanese animation has captured the hearts and minds of millions worldwide, this exhibition at Polar Bear Gallery showcases some of the best cels (short for celluloid) that anime has to offer. Featuring work from Studio Ghibli and Osamu Tezuka, this is an event for true fans of anime and newcomers alike.
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Anthony Browne's Happy Museum
Photo: The Visitors Who Came to Stay (1984)/Anthony Browne
National Museum of Classic Books. Until Sep Sun 22 (Every day except Mon) 9-5pm. 88RMB-218RMB.
Anthony Browne's Happy Museum focuses on 162 original paintings by Anthony Browne, a surrealist artist who has won the International Andersen Prize for illustrators. The main characters of his popular books will be shown for the first time in China collectively, its vivid picture book characters and absurd and humorous artistic imagination to the delight of Beijing's audiences. Integrating more than 20 artistic scenes from creative photography to punching cards, it will be a multi-media image interaction and exhibition experience for all.
National Museum of Classic Books 国家典籍博物馆 Second Floor (inside National Library of China) 33 Zhongguancun Nan Dajie, Haidian district (8854 5426) 海淀区中关村南大街33号国家图书馆二层
3D Digital Space Exhibition 'Hello Mars'
Photo: 247tickets
China Millennium Monument. Until Aug Sun 25 (Every day except Mon) 9am-5pm. 98RMB, 168RMB for two.
Walk through space and find out how outer space has changed over the years at this educational, immersive exhibition about planet Mars. The huge 1,500sqm exhibition space is split up into 14 different sections where visitors are directed to touch or step on – cue mesmerising extraterrestrial popups and interactive projections. With its spectacular high-tech exhibits, you'll feel like you're walking on Mars for real.
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NBA Exhibition: Unstoppable Beijing
Photo: 247 tickets
Yang Art Museum. Sat 13-Sep Fri 13. 10am-6pm. 75RMB, 140RMB (for two, adv), 90RMB, 160RMB (door)
Perfect for the basketballers in the family, 'Unstoppable Beijing' is a multi-level experience with interactive exhibits, video, and imagery to showcase the passion of the league, its teams and players, going back to the league's early years and exploring the many ways the NBA has evolved since 1946.
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Films
Next Gen
Photo: Next Gen/Netflix
Cinemas around Beijing. Opens Fri 26.
Next Gen is a 2018 science fiction animated film based on the online Chinese comic 7723 by Wang Nima. A friendship with a top-secret robot turns a lonely girl's life into a thrilling adventure as they take on bullies, evil bots and a scheming madman.
The Lion King
Photo: The Lion King/Fairview Entertainment
Cinemas around Beijing. Opens Fri 12.
We all know the story of the Disney animated classic, The Lion King. Watch it again, this time in a photorealistic animated version. Simba idolises his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Cinemas around Beijing. Opens Fri 5.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2016 comedic blockbuster. Packed with its signature irreverence and subversive humour, this new chapter explores the emotional lives of our pets, the deep bond between them and the families that love them, and answers the question that has long intrigued every pet owner: What are your pets really doing when you’re not at home?