Chaoyang Park: Guide to Living Here

Chaoyang Park (朝阳公园 in Chinese, Chāoyáng gōngyuán in Pinyin) is Beijing's second largest residential area downtown. The actual park itself from which the area gets its name is the largest open green space in Beijing, constructed in 1984 on what were formerly the grounds of the Prince's Palace.

chaoyang park

Popular among single expatriates and those with families alike, Chaoyang Park, while somewhat pricier than most other areas in Beijing (but still reasonable), features a multitude of Western accommodations, amenities, and expatriate residents, and benefits from a convenient location between the Third and Fourth Ring Roads, not far removed from Beijing's embassy area and CBD.

Traffic and road noise is lower than in other areas of Beijing, the area is more spread out than similar-but-relatively-compact Lido, and there are a number of international schools, Western restaurants, nightlife options, and multinational company offices located in the area.

Living Arrangements

Chaoyang Park features primarily apartment housing, while still offering a smattering of villas (such as Forest Hills) akin to those found in Shunyi and other Beijing suburbs. The area's luxury apartment communities include the Palm Springs and Park Avenue complexes, and are located mainly on the south and east sides of the park.

Only recently developed, Chaoyang Park's apartment buildings more or less all have been built over the last 10 years, and are modern gated communities.

chaoyang park

Included in the majority of complexes here are:

Central, government-mandated parks and green space
Exercise facilities and fitness gyms (not always open, however)
Convenience stores and shops
Guardhouses with regular patrols

Rents in Chaoyang Park range from ¥8,000 per month for an inexpensive studio apartment to ¥55,000+ per month for top flight apartments and villas. Normally, expect rents of ¥10,000 to ¥40,000 per month in Chaoyang Park, depending on the type of accommodation rented and the community you rent in. Prices directly off the park are understandably somewhat higher than those with less choice views of and proximity to Chaoyang Park's grass, trees, and bodies of water.

Local Amenities

Due to its population of expatriates, Chaoyang Park offers a number of amenities geared at catering to its large Western population. These include:

Western groceries including BHG, Carrefour, CenturyMart, and Jenny Lou's
Western restaurants, including Italian, Mexican, pizza parlors, and fast food (KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut)
Cafés and coffee shops including chains like Costa Coffee, SPR Coffee, Starbucks, and one-off shops like Sculpting In Time, Jamaica Blue Coffee, and Grande Ville Coffee
Electronics shops, convenience stores, pharmacies / druggists, and fruit and vegetable stands
Palm Springs Plaza, a small mall located within the Palm Springs community, featuring banks, restaurants (sushi, teahouses, barbecue, cafés, a Subway, and more), clothing stores, a jewelry shop, grocery, and more
Block 8, a nightlife and entertainment area on Chaoyang Park West Road featuring nightclub like The Beach and sushi house Haiku, with popular afterhours nightclub Suzie Wong just outside

chaoyang park

A number of other well-known nightspots, including Alfa, Face Bar, Paddy O'Sheas, and Chocolate
Spots and activities in the park itself including swimming pools, bungee jumping, a manmade beach, flower gardens, amusement park rides, concert and sports areas, and boat rentals

Chaoyang Park is one of the more "Western" areas of Beijing, and there are plenty of Western amenities scattered all around the park accordingly. You won't need to travel far to find the things you're used to having around in any Western city.

Education

Chaoyang Park offers some excellent options for parents with children of school age, including:

The British School of Beijing (BSB)

chaoyang park

Lycée Français International de Pékin (LFIP)
Yew Chung International School (YCIS)

... and a number of nurseries and kindergartens for younger children. Chaoyang Park is near to both Lido and the Lufthansa Area, and provides relatively short commutes to those areas' international schools too.

Main article: International Schools in Beijing: The School Guide

Location

Closer to the heart of downtown than either Shunyi or Lido, Chaoyang Park is situated rather conveniently for the needs of most expatriates and expatriates families. Hailing a taxi is relatively easy throughout most of the area; even in rush hour, taxis can usually still be found off Third Ring Road (though you might need to wait a few minutes to hail one).

chaoyang park

The South Gate of Chaoyang Park is located 1.5 kilometers (just under a mile) east of Tuanjiehu Station on the Beijing subway's Line 10. Expect a 10- to 15-minute walk to the metro from most parts of the area.

Verdict

For a quiet, more Western experience, Chaoyang Park makes a great choice. Its largest downside for families may be its relative lack of proximity to most of the city's international schools, unlike Lido or Shunyi; and its largest downside for singles may be its being farther away from the very heart of downtown that is Sanlitun and the CBD.

You might think of Chaoyang Park as something that's right in the middle; the main business district, nightlife areas, and Western shopping and dining areas are not too far away, and the primary clusters of international schools are not too far away in the other direction, either.

chaoyang park

That said, the Park area has plenty of its own amenities and attractions to offer - from dining to groceries to activities to nightlife to cafés to the park itself. While prices are a little higher than in some other parts of the city, what you end up paying for is convenience, relative quiet, and - should you choose a place overlooking the park - one of, if not the, best views in Beijing.

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