Beijing's Lesser-Known (But Still Awesome) Places

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It feels like nowadays whenever anyone talks about taking their family out for a day of fun it's always to Universal Studios. Now, I'm not arguing that a day at Universal Studios isn't fun, but if you're looking for something other than that, there are a few other places that have been flying under the radar that will entertain your family.

Let's start with Beijing's original amusement park: Happy Valley

While it doesn't offer the same quality of shows and rides as Universal Studios, Happy Valley was around for years before Universal Studios opened. Even now, it continues to entertain Beijing's thrill seekers, especially when tickets to Universal are out of reach.

Open daily from 9am until 10pm, Happy Valley has plenty of roller coasters. If you go on a weekday, you can ride some of the roller coasters in a matter of minutes.

Find it:
Happy Valley 欢乐谷和垡头
Wuji Beilu, Dongsihuan Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东四环路小武基北路

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The world-famous wax museum opened in Beijing a few years ago and it's home to Chinese and Western celebrity wax figures alike. It's been a while since the Beijing location had an unveiling of a new celebrity statue, but sipping tea with Audrey Hepburn, getting sexy with Marilyn Monroe, finally getting that date night photo with David Beckham, and going hand to hand with Jackie Chan make for a fun afternoon and great photos to post on Instagram and WeChat Moments.

Madame Tussauds

Find it:
8 Qianmen Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区前门大街8号

If you're having serious travel withdrawal, perhaps a day at Beijing's World Park could be just the thing. It's been over a decade since I've visited World Park, but nothing has changed.

Open daily from 9am to 10pm, it's essentially mini versions of the most popular landmarks around the world. If you do make the trip to Fengtai District to visit this place, be sure to rent a cart once you're inside because the park is pretty large, and on a hot summer day it can get super exhausting, super fast.

There are no rides at World Park (unless you count the ducky boats that will require an additional fee), but what makes this place cool is their shows. During the day, but especially in the evening, World Park has a variety of cultural performances from around the world. If you're a true world traveler and have seen the real thing, these shows won't wow you, but if you've yet to venture around the world, these are a fun peek into the post-Covid travel that will surely be a part of your life.

Find it:
158 Fengbao Lu, Huaxiang, Fengtai District
丰台区花乡丰葆路158号

Images: Dianping, Mina Yan

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