Entertainment Options in Beijing

Beijing offers a wide variety of entertainment for everyone. For those with kids, leisure activities can include visits to museums, aquariums, botanical gardens, amusement parks, water parks, theme parks, and play centers.

For those interested in Chinese culture, there are endless options within the city and nearby for sightseeing. There are plenty of old neighborhoods to explore, walking tours that take people through hutongs (traditional alleyway communities) and historical sites, as well as cultural relics dotting the city even amongst the skyscrapers. Wonderful sightseeing opportunities abound for those who want to explore ancient temples, city walls, traditional parks, and residences of historical figures.

Nightlife has exploded in the expat-frequented areas of the city in the past ten years. There is a burgeoning bar/lounge/club scene in several areas of Beijing housing everything from humble sports bars to shiny mega clubs frequented by the rich and famous.

Music festivals and art shows are abundant as well, with many targeted towards young Chinese. However, being a metropolitan stop on international concert tours means that Beijing sees several large popular music artists coming through each year. Classical concerts, western operas, Broadway shows, foreign cinema, and even English-language community theaters also exist amidst Beijing’s strong Chinese stage culture.

Karaoke (aka KTV) is a popular form of entertainment that often combines eating, drinking, and singing with friends and even business colleagues and clients. Karaoke emporiums abound, with floors of private rooms and sophisticated music selection and sound equipment that make it more of a stage set sometimes than a night out shamelessly belting out songs off-key. Karaoke venues can look like 5-star hotels, with elaborate lobbies and service people bustling in and out of rooms bringing food and drinks (often included in the price), and helping the uninitiated learn to use the sound system.

Whether it’s sporting events you’re looking for, art exhibits, music concerts, or traditional Chinese opera and acrobatic performances, there is something to entertain any taste in this city.

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