Park Life: All You Need to Know About Dongjiao Wetland Park
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Life's a park! We take a look at Beijing's most beloved parks, dig into what makes each of them special, and why they're worth your time to explore.
Located by the Sixth Ring Road at the junction between Chaoyang, Shunyi, and Tongzhou districts, Dongjiao Wetland Park is an expansive and bucolic 3-square-kilometer space home to a lake, several ponds, a white sand beach, and a 35km-long fitness trail.
Name: Dongjiao Wetland Park 东郊湿地公园 (dōngjiāo shīdì gōngyuán)
Opening hours: Daily, 8am-6pm
Price: Free
Amenities: Fitness trail, lakes, children’s sand play area, exercise equipment, toilets
Known for: Fitness trail, lakes
Dongjiao Wetland Park is one of Beijing's newest parks, and one of four countryside parks established as part of Beijing's Urban Master Plan and reforestation push. While the initial section – including a 7km cycling greenway – is now open to the public, the park looks to be completed by the end of this year.
Dongjiao Wetland Park is one of Beijing's largest parks and is comparable to New York's Central Park in size. Surrounded by wetlands and cut diagonally by the Xiaozhong River, it's also one of Beijing's most idyllic and makes for a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. The park is also littered with scenic spots and green activities, including a white sand beach for children and a "Lovers' Harbor" for romantic photo ops.
The park also boasts over 600 species of plants, with flowers of all colors stretching across the paths during summer months, giving the impression of having just stepped into a Monet painting.
Apart from the serenity provided by the park's greenery, the fitness trail also makes it a great place for cycling, hiking, and dog walking.
In addition to exercising and appreciating the flowers, you can also join square-dancing aunties for some morning fitness, the senior citizens' jazz karaoke ensembles, or bring your own picnic for an afternoon tea by the waters.
More than anything though, its distance away from the city makes it the ideal place to escape for a breath of fresh air and an afternoon of carefree exploration.
Images: trip.com
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