Beijing’s Ancient and Modern Family-Friendly Attractions

Literary and Artistic Pursuits

On a smaller scale, Kid’s Republic is a fanciful children’s bookshop offering picture books. The fantastical décor has white molded plastic shelves, circles and arches punctuated with colorful swirls and lights. Think Austin Powers meets Dr. Seuss. Lined circular seats where kids can do some light reading are tucked in amidst the shelves. Located at 1362, Tower13, JianWai SOHO, Middle Street, East 3rd Ring Road.

Parents with artistic teens should check out Studio 798, an avant-garde space that houses studios, galleries, cafés and a bookstore. The former military electronics factory is still covered with communist slogans from the Cultural Revolution. Studio 798 aspires to be Beijing’s Soho—and is well on its way.

• Don’t miss Studio 798, Beijing’s ultra-hip art district.
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Kid-Friendly Hotels

The contemporary Ritz-Carlton Financial Street is the city’s best hotel. It welcomes children with its Ritz Kids program, which includes toys and amenities including an adorable mini Ritz bathrobe.

The Peninsula Hotel Group created the Peninsula Academy to offer cool classes and experiences for both adults and kids at its Asian properties. Kid-friendly experiences in Beijing include making Beijing-style candy apples and dumplings or learning kite-making at the home of a master kite-maker. After class, kids can fly their handmade kites over Tiananmen Square. The Peninsula Beijing is another of the city’s top hotels.

• The Commune by the Great Wall is a great boutique hotel to stay at during your Great Wall adventure.
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You can spend the night in a hutong neighborhood at the Red Capital Residence, a kitschy courtyard house once occupied by Communist leader Lin Biao, who was widely expected to succeed Mao until he plotted to assassinate the party leader (oops). The residence, an Art Deco blast from the past, is a bit scruffy, but if your kids are history buffs, it’s a cool place to sleep. Classic movies from the Cultural Revolution are shown in the former bomb shelter at night. (Technically it’s a cigar bar, but if no one else is there, you and your family are free to commandeer the space.) 

The best way to visit the Great Wall is to spend a night at the Commune by the Great Wall, a boutique hotel in which the rooms are fantastic contemporary houses designed by 11 of Asia’s best young architects. (They’re also great for large families: Some can sleep up to 12 and all have kitchens and multiple bathrooms.) The Commune has a Kid’s Club that offers things like Great Wall hikes, kids’ movies and cooking lessons. This gives parents a chance to enjoy a cocktail at the Commune Club lounge, a sexy boîte with walls lined with peacock feathers.