Why the Heck Would You Want to Visit Tongzhou Anyway?

Why the heck would you ever want to go to Tongzhou District if you don't live there, you ask? Well, although this big district east of Chaoyang does seem a little far removed from the capital proper, there are a ton of things to do here. If you ever get tired of the hustle and bustle of the city center and just want to have a little getaway, the "sub-center", as the city government has dubbed it, is here. Here's a one-day itinerary to make the best out of Tongzhou.

How do you get there?

You don’t even need to travel that far – just hop on subway Line 6 and it will whisk you to Tongzhou in about 40 minutes.

Xihaizi Park

Starting from Exit C on Line 6's Tongzhou Beiguan Station, walk south for 10 minutes until you arrive at Xihaizi Park.

In spring, the whole park turns into a paradise of green trees and flowers in bloom. Stroll around the river and see if you can find an elm tree, an age-old wonder that's been around for 300 years, and was once growing from the 13th floor of a nearby pagoda until the structure was renovated in 1987.

Beijing Tongzhou Museum

The Beijing Tongzhou Museum is roughly 10 minutes south of the park. Here, you can find some of Tongzhou's most important cultural relics as well as a big bell dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). If you're a history buff and curious about the evolution of Tongzhou beginning with the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-24 CE), this place is definitely worth a visit.

Xiaolou Restaurant

Craving some eats after a morning of tooling around? For an unforgettable treat of authentic Tongzhou flavors, head to Xiaolou Restaurant and order their 小楼烧鲶鱼 Xiǎo lóu shāo niányú, a must-try dish regarded as one of the three treasures of Tongzhou cooking.

Yunhe Park

After you've eaten your fill at Xiaolou Restaurant, take a walk around the Grand Canal and enjoy the views at Yunhe Park – not to be confused with the similarly named Dayunhe Forest Park.

The canal is currently closed for boat rides due to low temperatures, but the staff told us canal boat tours would reopen around April.

Boat or no boat, it can make for a memorable experience walking along this grand marvel of engineering.

La Palette

When night falls, head to La Palette Season Banxican, where you can fill up on some roasted chicken or Australian rib-eye steak. Pair that with a few pints of craft beer and you're in for a good meal.

This entire itinerary can be walked in a single day, however, if you're down to explore more places in Tongzhou, here are a few other things you can do.

Immerse yourself in the arts at Songzhuang Art Gallery.

If you want to do some shopping, there’s Wanda Plaza, featuring a newly-opened underground food court called East 8 Yeah Alley, which features familiar brands like Seesaw Coffee and Croissant Village.

Inside the food court, you can also find a coffee shop called OKEY DOKEY, which offers oddities like cactus-flavored tea and hawthorn-flavored coffee.

For more craft beer, there's the Tongzhou branch of Jing-A. Although it's currently closed for winter, it's a fun spot to hit up and enjoy a few brews and snacks with friends when spring rolls around.

Have you paid Tonglifornia a visit yet? Why not do it sometime soon?

Read: Universal Studios Poised to Grow with Tongzhou 

Images: Irene Li,Dianping