Lauren Thornberg

Good shopping mall if you're looking for big brands - Gap, UNIQLO, Nike, etc. Also has restaurants, ranging from cheaper to more expensive, with a good variety of different foods - noodles, pizza, dumplings, Korean food, etc. Oftentimes the stores will have sales, but don't expect it to be incredibly inexpensive. Also has a grocery store in the basement with a good selection of (occasionally overpriced) food and necessities.

An amazing art museum! It's free, all you need to bring is your passport to get a ticket. They host a wide array of different exhibits, usually highlighting Chinese artists, but you can also expect to see foreign art there, too. Be sure to check the website before you go, so you can make sure they're not in the middle of changing exhibits - at that time, there won't be much to see.

Exciting in some ways, and disappointing in other ways! Admission is free, and the building is pretty easy to find. It's about a ten minute walk from 珠市口 subway station (line 7). There is very little English signage, but I used my google translate app's camera function to get a rough translation. The aquarium is amazingly pathetic and sad, don't bother going downstairs to see it unless you want to feel pity for some fish. However, the other exhibits, particularly the human origins exhibit, were really cool!!!

Good place to find inexpensive goods, especially shoes. You're also in luck if you need beauty supplies, stationary, holiday decorations, etc. Of course, it's a wholesale market, so some stores may not be what you're looking for (chairs for beauty salons, for example). In some shops you can negotiate, in others, the prices are set. I'm not certain how well one would fare here if they didn't speak Chinese. Basically, I'd recommend it to expats living in the city, not tourists or anything.

Really pretty park! Definitely has some of the most beautiful views you'll see in a Beijing park. The white tower costs extra to be admitted to, and, in my opinion, you don't really need to bother with it. The park is plenty enjoyable without the extra.