By Lin Shujuan (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2007-11-09 11:00

As the cold sets in, going out for the night doesn't sound like such an appealing idea. But it doesn't have to be the case if you've managed to stay warm. Wrapped in a knee-length down jacket, I spent a recent night at Happy Valley, which turned out to be like a journey to a magical world.

Happy Valley, a theme park located at the southeast corner of Sifang Bridge on the Fourth Ring Road, has received bad press in the past for overcrowded and long waiting hours on warm days and holidays.

However, in the cold and dark of night, the park looked like a perfect deserted wonderland accidentally discovered by a few surprised visitors. Above all, it costs much less, 60 yuan ($8) at night (6 to 10 pm) compared to 160 yuan ($21.30) in the day.

While by day, the park echoes with shrieks of fun seekers, it is much quieter at night. As the well-lit exotic landscape of the theme park comes to its full play, a stroll through its six themed regions of Bay Forrest, Atlantis, the Lost Maya, Aegean Harbor, Shangri-La and Kingdom of Ants was full of delight.

Somewhere you might stop by for a warm drink from a roadside canteen, served by waiters dressed like a wizard, a ride on the flying horse, a short break from the chill in the magical theater staging the mythical legend of the crystal skull of Atlantis, or a one-hour escape in the OCT Theater for a grand original Chinese play.

Sponsored by Overseas Chinese Town (OCT), the developer of Happy Valley theme park, the Golden Mask Dynasty is an original Chinese show featuring Chinese dance, acrobatics, clothing, top quality artistic lighting and acoustics, and incredible stage settings. Expect some real peacocks dancing for you and a convincing flood on stage, in which several dancers fight for survival. Compared to its visual and acoustic effects, the story is relatively weak and cliched, but easily comprehensible. English subtitles are available.

Happy Valley
Location: Xiaowuji Beilu, East Fourth Ring Road, Chaoyang District, 20 minutes walk from Bus stations of 740、840、752、657、29、743、753、801.
Tel: 010-67201818