Our Beijing trip
On 11 March, my wife and I took our 6-and-a-half-year-old son Andy to Beijing by high-speed train for a challenging visit. We wanted to show him the city’s major museums and broaden his horizons. We largely followed our original plan. Although the walking left our legs and feet sore, we gained a great deal, enough to write an account to remember it.
1. Preparing
Once I knew I had more than 10 days off, my wife and I discussed taking our son away before he started primary school. We first considered nature around Chengdu, but his age, the distance, the season and the weather led us to Beijing instead. Initially we planned the usual attractions: the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Old Summer Palace, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, Water Cube and Bird’s Nest. Then a Douyin post on ‘6 must-see Beijing museums’ caught my eye: the China Science and Technology Museum, National Museum of China, Military Museum, Beijing Planetarium, Beijing Auto Museum and National Natural History Museum of China. They matched our little boy’s curiosity and love of exploring. Considering his understanding and the scarcity of places, we built the trip around these 6 museums. We booked Xixili Hotel’s Longtan Lake branch beside the eastern Second Ring Road a week ahead, and reserved museum tickets at the first opportunity.
2. The trip: arrival and Qianmen
Day 1, Monday 11 March: high-speed train from Anshan West to Beijing, 7:42–12:20. From Beijing Railway Station we took a ride-hailing car to the hotel, settled in, then explored the neighbourhood as a family. We were beside Longtan Lake, so walked halfway round its park, found Tiantandongmen metro station and took the metro to Qianmen. Dinner was at Jingdu Old Beijing Shuanrou’s Qianmen branch, found through Amap. The setting and food were mediocre; I do not recommend it. Then a car back to the hotel cost RMB 17.95.
Daily exercise: 15438 steps, 10.89 kilometres.
Day 2: the science museum
Day 2, Tuesday 12 March: China Science and Technology Museum. My rating: ★★★★★.
Journey: about 1 hour 9 minutes. Walk 1.5 kilometres, 21 minutes, to Tiantandongmen’s Exit C southeast; take Line 5 towards Tiantongyuan North for 13 stops, 25 minutes → Datunlu East, transfer to Line 15 towards Qinghuadongluxikou for 2 stops, 4 minutes → Olympic Park station, Exit G northeast → museum, arriving at 9:30. Rush-hour trains were crowded. We bought tickets for the Children’s Science Paradise, where our son played from 9:30 until the noon clearance at 12. We then visited the other galleries and finished at 16:00. It was thoroughly worthwhile: more than 6 hours, with many galleries, real objects, frequent updates and engaging content.
We took the metro back to Qianmen Street, wandered around and queued for half a roast duck at Siji Minfu. It is best to ask for duck-bone soup; normally only a whole duck allows an extra portion for RMB 25. The setting and food were good; recommended. A ride-hailing car back cost RMB 17.6.
Daily exercise: 18513 steps, 12.98 kilometres.
Day 3: national and military museums
Day 3, Wednesday 13 March.
1. Morning: National Museum of China. My rating: ★★★★.
A ride-hailing car cost RMB 21.09 for 4.59 kilometres, 23 minutes. The building was magnificent; the exhibits were unremarkable. We spent about 2 hours.
2. Afternoon: Military Museum. My rating: ★★★★.
Journey: about 23 minutes. From Tiananmen East station’s Exit C southeast, take the Line 1–Batong service towards Gucheng for 6 stops, 11 minutes → Military Museum station, Exit B northeast; walk 382 metres inside the station, 5 minutes → museum. A broad and extensive collection of weaponry; about 2 hours to visit.
We returned by metro to Qianmen Street, wandered and queued for a set meal at Fangzhuanchang No. 69 Zhajiangmian. The setting and food were good; recommended. A car back cost RMB 27.33.
Daily exercise: 19906 steps, 14.09 kilometres.
Day 4: zoo, planetarium and Forbidden City
Day 4, Thursday 14 March.
Beijing Planetarium. My rating: ★★★.
Beijing Zoo. My rating: ★★.
Palace Museum, the Forbidden City. My rating: ★★★.
A ride-hailing car cost RMB 51.18 for 14.53 kilometres, 56 minutes.
1. Beijing Zoo: our planetarium show was booked for 13:00, so we first visited the zoo opposite and bought a combined ticket including the panda house. Overall, it was very disappointing. Apart from a few pandas, we saw few animals in the huge zoo. About 2 hours.
2. Beijing Planetarium: two exhibition buildings, relatively small overall, with ordinary exhibits and content. About 2 hours, plus roughly 30 minutes in the dome theatre.
3. Palace Museum: we took the metro to the Forbidden City and visited from 14:00 to 16:00. Without some grounding in Ming and Qing history, there is little to make sense of; our child barely responded to it.
A ride-hailing car back to the hotel cost RMB 37.78. We had dinner at the hotel.
Daily exercise: 21323 steps, 15.21 kilometres.
Day 5: cars, natural history and the Temple of Heaven
Day 5, Friday 15 March.
Beijing Auto Museum. My rating: ★★★★.
National Natural History Museum of China. My rating: ★★★.
Temple of Heaven. My rating: ★★★.
1. Auto Museum: about 50 minutes. Ride-hailing car, 2.79 kilometres and 6 minutes → Puhuangyu metro station, Line 14 towards Zhangguozhuang, 10 stops and 21 minutes → Qilizhuang, transfer to Line 9 towards Guogongzhuang, 4 stops and 9 minutes → Fengtai Science Park, northeast exit; walk 687 metres inside and outside the station, 10 minutes → museum.
A large museum with many exhibits; about 2 hours.
2. National Natural History Museum of China: journey about 53 minutes.
Walk 687 metres, 10 minutes → Fengtai Science Park station, Exit B northeast; Line 9 towards National Library, 4 stops and 9 minutes → Qilizhuang, Line 14 towards Shangezhuang, 8 stops and 18 minutes → Yongdingmenwai, Line 8 towards Zhuxinzhuang, 1 stop and 3 minutes → Tianqiao, Exit B northeast; walk 245 metres inside and outside the station, 4 minutes → museum.
A smaller museum with fewer exhibits; about 2 hours.
3. Temple of Heaven: 15:00–17:00. Again, without some knowledge of Ming and Qing history, much is hard to appreciate; our child barely responded to it.
Daily exercise: 20604 steps, 14.88 kilometres.
Afterwards we walked to Jingdu Xiewangfu’s eighth directly operated lamb-spine hotpot restaurant near the hotel. Excellent setting and food; recommended.
Day 6: the motorhome show and Wangfujing
Day 6, Saturday 16 March.
2024 Beijing International Motorhome Show. My rating: ★★★.
We happened to encounter the show and stopped by. Overall, it was quite good.
We passed Wangfujing on the way back, walked around, ate local snacks and returned.
Daily exercise: 10163 steps, 7.14 kilometres.
Costs and reflections
1. Costs: about RMB 5000 overall, comprising:
Accommodation: RMB 260 per day for 6 days, total 1560.
Transport: train tickets for 2 adults and 1 child, RMB 1218; metro and cars about 500, total 1718.
Food: about RMB 2000.
2. Timing: mid-March is an excellent time for Beijing. Visitor numbers were at their lowest and the museums felt like private sessions. No activity required queuing, and with so few people we could repeat experiences almost without limit. Room rates were at their annual lowest; during peak travel periods they generally exceed a thousand yuan. Temperatures were pleasant, 8–20 degrees, and spring in Beijing felt comfortable.
3. We made every reservation or ticket purchase online in advance, then simply scanned our identity cards on arrival.
4. We must thank Jack Ma: Alipay and Amap solved our transport needs extremely well. Finding places, booking cars and taking the metro or bus were all easy.
5. Combining cars and metro works best. If the station entrance is over 1 kilometre away on foot, take a car to a station about 3 kilometres away; it saves considerable time and energy.
6. A few thoughts:
First, the stamina and recovery of children aged 6 or 7 exceed adult expectations. In 6 days we walked over 100000 steps and 75 kilometres. By day 3 I could hardly go on, with swollen, painful calves and soles. My son never complained of being too tired or sore; each morning he was as lively and energetic as though nothing had happened.
Second, looking into his clear eyes and feeling his innocent heart always moves me. Will this carefree innocence disappear after he starts primary school?
Third, I only wanted this trip to broaden his horizons. I did not expect him to remember or understand much; a trace in his young heart would suffice. ‘Do not ask about the harvest; attend to the cultivation.’ I hope he grows strong and well.
My booking notes for six museums
My booking notes for Beijing’s 6 must-see museums.
① China Science and Technology Museum. Admission: RMB 30.
Opening: 9:30–17:00. Reserve 7 days ahead; tickets released daily at 18:00.
② National Museum of China. Admission: free.
Opening: 9:00–17:00. Reserve 7 days ahead; tickets released daily at 17:00.
③ Military Museum. Admission: free.
Opening: 14:00–17:00. Reserve 5 days ahead; tickets released daily at 8:00, 17:00 and 20:00.
④ Beijing Planetarium. Admission: RMB 45.
Opening: 9:00–16:00. Reserve 3 days ahead; tickets released daily at 15:00.
⑤ Beijing Auto Museum. Admission: adults RMB 30, students RMB 20.
Opening: 9:00–17:00.
Reserve 7 days ahead.
⑥ National Natural History Museum of China. Admission: free.
Opening: 14:00–17:00. Reserve 3 days ahead; tickets released daily at 11:00. (Author: 葛元家)