A family-friendly tourist destination

When friends from back home told me they were coming to Beijing for a holiday with their family, I was naturally delighted. But I was immediately struck by the boldness of their plans - was a sprawling city of 20 million people really the ideal destination to bring three kids of primary school age?

Beijing's traffic is notoriously congested, and notable too for some drivers' lax interpretation of road rules. Crossing a busy intersection can be a major undertaking at the best of times, if not occasionally terrifying. Imagine having to navigate the city with children in tow.

It turns out I couldn't have been more wrong. The whole ensemble literally hit the ground running, overcoming jet lag to cross-off Beijing's tourist sites from their list one by one, and with a vigor I had entirely underestimated.