A Day at the Zoo, the Beijing Zoo

buying the 40 RMB/CNY ticket gives you the combi ticket so you won't have to pay for the Panda zone entrance fee and a boat ride

Zoos, aquariums and museums rank high in the places we bring the kids to. Learning doesn't have to be boring. Seeing and experiencing first hand stuff taught in the classroom makes it all so much more interesting. This is why we headed on out to the Beijing Zoo.

On our way to see the pandas first :)

"so mom said not to cross the metal bar...hmm..wonder where THAT is?"

The Beijing Zoo is a zoological park in Beijing, China. Located in the Xicheng District, the zoo occupies an area of 89 hectares, including 5.6 hectares hectares of lakes and ponds.

the lake on our way to see the big cats :)

loving this pergola

The zoo was founded in 1906 during the late Qing Dynasty. Like many of Beijing's parks, the zoo's grounds resemble classical Chinese gardens, with flower beds amidst natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, stretches of meadows, small streams and rivers, lotus pools and hills dotted with pavilions and historical buildings.

The site is comprised of 16 different exhibition areas and halls. Here we are on our way  to check out some nocturnal mammals

too bad we came a week early before the leaves fully changed it's color

The place, as with most tourist stops in Beijing, this massive zoo (which is also where you will find the world's largest indoor aquarium) would take up a day to see the sights and experience all that they have to offer. We weren't even able to get to a couple of other areas and missed out on seeing the aquarium.

the fountain a stone's throw from the the Beijing Aquarium

There's a modified golf cart that moves people to and fro. Just ask the information office to the left after showing your tickets at the entrance. Keep in mind though that the golf cart ride isn't a scenic ride.

no time to smell the roses...breezing through the park in a modified golf cart

in front of the Australian restaurant, right after the big cats area

The purpose is to really just get people and to the entrance and the aquarium and vice versa, but you can request the driver to drop you off one of the areas along the way. It costs 10 RMB per person. (helpful words: entrance - Rùkǒu and exit -Chūkǒu. As in Wo xiang yao qu de chukou or just plain chukou if you want to leave the place)

this zoo is sooooo huuuuge!!!

On Getting there, rates and nearby places:
We took a cab from our hotel, telling the driver to bring us to the Beijing Zoo (Wǒ xiǎng yào qù de běi jīng dòng wù yuán). For those taking alternate routes, this is for you (as linked from travelchinaguide.com:

Subway:	Subway Line 4: get off at Dong Wu Yuan Station, get out of the station from Exit A (northwest exit), and you'll find the south gate.
Bus Route:	Take bus no.360, 319, 347, 362, 534, 714,87, Yuntong 106, Yuntong 104, 563, Yuntong 205, Te 4, 614, 697, 209, 608, 107, 105, 206, 111, Yuntong 105, 27, 632 and get off at Dong Wu Yuan Station.  Bus / Subway Search

**Quick tip: attempting to ride a cab back from that area is just insane!! Crossing the street (via the underpass), you'll find yourself in front of a huge wholesale mall  (as well as the Beijing Planetarium) with more passengers waiting for a ride. It took us about 2 hours waiting for a ride and even walking several blocks from the place to decide to just ride the subway near the zoo.

weeping willows :)

Riding the subway was tricky at first coz we didn't know that the long line to get in wasn't for the tickets but just the xray machine before the actual ticket line, thinking that people bought theirs off the Chinese language only ticket machine already. A flat rate of 2 RMB/person for any stop is all it takes to get on the subway.

Admission Fees:	Entrance Fee (excluding the panda's house): CNY 15 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); CNY 10 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)  Combo Ticket (including the panda's house): CNY 20 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); CNY 15 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)  Aquarium Combo Ticket (including entrance fee, the panda's house and the aquarium): CNY 130  Children lower than 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) are free of charge.
Opening Hours:	Zoo: 7:30 - 18:00 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); 7:30 - 17:00 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)
	Aquarium: 9:00 - 17:30 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31); 10:00 - 16:30 (Nov. 1 to the next Mar.31)

monkey see monkey do :P

quick game: find the planking panda!

**By the way, you could also get a ride to the Summer Palace and the Purple Bamboo Garden from the zoo:

Opening Time & Schedules:	1. Opening Time: from April 1 to October 31 (closed from November 1 to next  March 31) 2. Schedules: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14: 00, 15:00 and 16:00
Ticket:	CNY 40 (including the panda's house and the boat)  Children lower than 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) are free of charge.

stroller friendly

By the way, there are restaurants around the Zoo that offer various cuisines. Snack kiosks abound that offer fried chicken, fries and the usual fast food offerings as well as more traditional snackage like hot buns and milk tea.

nom nom nom near the panda hall

overpriced thin cotton shirts abound in that store behind me

although, I must say, the terracotta looking chess set was a good buy to add to my dad's chess collection

The souvenirs sold in the zoo are quite pricey compared to the ones I found in the shops near our hotel. I studied some Mandarin beforehand and was quite disappointed that when I asked one of the store attendants at the panda hall, the price of  kiddie shirt, I was given a price 10 RMB higher than the guy who asked about the same time I did. I bought a shirt through another attendant and got that rate as the Chinese dude who asked before me.

snack bars near the aquarium

rooooar!

I seriously felt that we missed out on a lot of things in the zoo given that we were there for almost an entire day. No hard feeling however, as what we saw was just fabulous.

we love the zoo!!!

From TMW, may your wanderings be better than ours!