april-2012

PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES, SIMON WONG (TOP)
Sunday
Be part of the
street art!
VISIT The Drum and Bell Towers, built in the late 1200s,
make for an entertaining visit for the whole family. “There
are drum performances several times a day that last for
15 minutes. Set aside some time to make it up the steep
staircase and catch your breath before the drummers begin,”
advises Cosio-Mercado. The Bird’s Nest and The Water Cube
are two of the most popular Beijing Olympic venues — great
for a photo opportunity but with not much to do indoors.
Olympic Park makes for a nice leisurely walk, but Chaoyang
Park offers more by way of carnival-style attractions.
STROLL Beijing’s parks and lakes are picturesque and
conducive for long walks. Shichahai, dating back to the
1100s, is where the locals go to relax under the shade of
the willow trees. The lake will have boats available in the
summer months for touring (think Burnham Park lake but
bigger). You can escape the searing sun by ducking into one
of the small museums in the area: Prince Gong’s Mansion,
Prince Chun’s Mansion, the residence of Song Qing Ling, or
of Mei Lan Fang. BeiHai Park, built during the Liao Dynasty
(916-1125), has an area of under 1km², more than half of
which is taken up by a lake. Have your photo snapped at the
White Dagoba, which was constructed in the 1600s, then
check out four other scenic areas in the park.
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Beijing from Manila. www.cebupacifi cair.com
C ERTIFIED FAMILY FUN
SHOP
798 is an
art district housed in
decommissioned military
factory buildings that date back
to the early 1950s. There are lots of
souvenir craft shops and interesting
boutiques to please grown-ups looking
for very cool fi nds. Lunch options
range from street carts peddling
Beijing “pancakes” to midrange
cafés and high-end
restaurants.
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Clockwise: You won’t run
out of crazy photo-ops
at the 798 art district;
life-sized art to gawk at;
the Drum and Bell Towers
feature drum performances