8 perfect dates for Chinese Valentine's Day

Between lost hutongs and luxe clubs, Beijing is an incredibly romantic city. We set you up with eight dates just in time for Chinese Valentine"s Day.

　
　

Revolutionary Date

　
　

A truly great date plays on a city"s history. For Beijing, exploring the capital"s 20th century past is a romantic rendezvous for two sinophiles in love.

　
　

Start your Revolutionary Date by marching with your comrade to Panjiayuan to get decked out in a proper PLA or Red Guard getup. If it"s a weekday, you can always buy Red Guard caps at Ya Show for ¥15.

　
　

Dressed to the nines, head down to Tian"anmen Square where you can pay your respects to the Chairman. Afterwards, march down Chang"an Jie to the Wangfujing Photo Studio, where Mao, Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai all had their pictures taken back in the day. This is still the city"s best known portrait studio, and every day, government officials and newlyweds stop by for their snapshots. It"s also one of the few studios left that shoots mostly on film. Pose together with your Little Red Books just like it was the summer of "69.

　
　

Another not-to-be-missed Revolutionary Date destination is the Military Museum, where you can check out Fidel Castro"s revolver, larger-than-life statues of CCP superstars, a captured U.S. spy plane and one of Chairman Mao’s limos.

　
　

Faces shining with hope, head out to Red Capital Club, a kitschy Maoist-style courtyard restaurant that serves classic Zhongnanhai cuisine alongside imperial favorites. Dishes are garnished with vegetables carved to look like Mao and Deng. Red Capital Club is located on Dongsi Jiutiao Hutong—just look for Madame Mao’s old limo, parked in front.

　
　

For entertainment, check with the People"s Liberation Army Song and Dance Theater, which regularly performs Cultural Revolution-period model operas and ballets.

　
　

Afterwards, if you’re lucky, you’ll spend the night clasping each other in chaste revolutionary fervor, and be up in time for the sunrise flag-raising, back at Tian’anmen Square.

　
　

Arty Date

　
　

Lint-roll any unsightly white fuzz from your nicest black turtleneck and then head out for a Saturday afternoon of gallery openings in 798.

　
　

Start the day off with Erwin Wurm"s "Narrow Mist," an exhibition of striking interactive sculptures at the UCCA. Afterwards, step into Super Ganbei for espressos—or better yet, martinis—before continuing your 798 romp.

　
　

When your date becomes weary of leering cartoon faces and pigtailed Mao portraits, confess that you only come to these openings because you"re friends with the curators. Down some free wine and rant about the commercialization of contemporary Chinese art. Tell your date you know a great “space” in a former vegetable stand that “signals an economy of means that informs practice.” Hop in a cab to check out Arrow Factory"s site-specific installations that are viewable from the street.

　
　

Afterwards, dine early at ROOMbeijing, where every room is a mini art installation. End the night by getting drunk on too much red wine, then do a bit of impromptu performance art for the Yintai Center security guards.

　
　

Sporty Date

　
　

Nothing is more romantic than a grueling, 50 km bike ride in the mountains and valleys surrounding the city. If it sounds intimidating to try this on your own, join in with the Beijing Peloton, which rides every Saturday morning.

　
　

If biking’s not your thing, try a twee game of menqiu (it’s sort of like croquet), which can be played at the northeast corner of Ditan Park. Follow that with a booze-fuelled 8-10 km run with the Beijing Hash House Harriers.

　
　

Having now sufficiently warmed up, head to the rock climbing wall at Ritan Park to show off those gleaming muscles, or if you feel the need for a cool-down, to the ice climbing wall inside the North Face store at Sanlitun Village.

　
　

Refuel with American-style bar fare at All-Star Sports Bar & Grill, where the mere sight of its 65 plasma-screen TVs, all airing sports matches, is enough to get the heart pumping.

　
　

Burn off the calories with a ping-pong match at the park east of the south corner of Sanlitun Bar Street. Keep up the sweat with some free throw hoops and Dance Dance Revolution at Game Park in the basement of 3.3 Mall. If the date has gone well so far, sneak into the closeted Safari Park video game for a secret make-out session.

　
　

Indie Hipster Date

　
　

Your look will make or break the night, so get ready by not showering for a few days and buying a pair of fake glasses at Beijing Eyeglasses City.

　
　

When you pick up your date, casually mention that you need to buy a new camera at the Lomo store on Andingmen Nei, just north of Jiaodaokou Dong Dajie.

　
　

After dithering over Dianas versus Holgas for a bit, trek over to Wudaoying Hutong to do a bit of secondhand clothes shopping at Brand Nü, a charity shop whose proceeds benefit rural women in China. Stop by Natooke to check out the fixed-gear bikes, before deciding that what you’re really looking for lies in the secondhand Jiuhuo Bike Market on Dongsi Beidajie.

　
　

Newly armed with appropriately rickety, rust-encrusted Flying Pigeons, pedal to Chaodou Hutong for chicken wings served up by the all-hipster staff at Hot Bean Cooperative.

　
　

With the fire of their uber-hot wings still burning your lips, hop back on the bikes and ride over to Yugong Yishan. Drink cheap beer. Bob your head up and down to the sounds of the capital"s most Pitchfork-worthy bands, but remember, no dancing. Repeat: NO DANCING.

　
　

Getaway Date

　
　

One sure way to impress a date is by rescuing them from Beijing"s polluted air and getting back to nature.

　
　

The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu makes this easy for any budget with buses from the Lufthansa Center and Starbucks at Pinnacle Plaza every Saturday morning (¥120/person roundtrip). Spend the day wandering the mountains near the Great Wall, then end the day with dinner at The Schoolhouse. You may even want to consider making it at an overnight trip and stay at the nearby Brickyard eco-retreat (rooms from ¥1,200/night). Alternatively, pamper yourself at The Commune"s Anantara Spa.

　
　

Whether master yogis or just a couple looking to stretch in the beautiful Fragrant Hills, you and your date might also try a weekend retreat at Mountain Yoga. September"s "Love, Devotion, Surrender" workshop (¥2,200) may be the perfect tantric spark.

　
　

DIY Date

　
　

For some good, cheesy fun, head to Viplus Unique Gifts in The Place to get yourselves carved into clay figurines, perhaps holding hands under a heart. For more hands-on action, zip across the city to Hobby Town in Xidan’s Joy City Mall, which stocks all kinds of DIY craft kits for painting, embroidery, sock-doll-making, or even creating a personal seal.

　
　

While you’re in the hood, act out the pottery-sex scene from the movie Ghost at Xidan Yilie Pottery Art Bar, down Zhongsheng Hutong in Xidan. There are usually four technicians on hand to help you with shaping, sculpting and painting your own piece of ceramic art.

　
　

Get a set of felt coasters for your creations, along with his ‘n’ hers slippers and anything else you can dream up at Yours, a store on Nanluoguxiang that can hand-make anything you design out of felt.

　
　

Pick up a local craft with a traditional kite-making course at China Culture Center. Afterwards, take your kites for a test flight at Ritan Park.

　
　

The perfect end to the night is, of course, a home-cooked meal back at your place. Stock up with fresh ingredients at the Sanyuanli Market.

　
　

If things go well, you’ll be shopping for DIY house & home wares in no time at the world’s largest branch of B&Q.

　
　

High-Roller Date

　
　

Rent a limo and driver for a day from Beijing Central Chauffeur (¥3,000/day), or better yet, buy a Maybach at the Lufthansa dealership. The new Maybach limo, which debuted at the Beijing Auto Show in June, includes a 19-inch cinema screen, perfect for Ring Road gridlock.

　
　

Have Jeeves drive you to Green T. House Living"s Bath House in Shunyi for one of the most luxurious spa treatments available in Asia. This cathedral to high design and posh pampering sells an indulgent couples massage, spa and beauty package, including four hours of treatments for you and your sweetheart, for just ¥8,800.

　
　

Glide along in that state-of-the-art suspension system to Naoki, the French-Japanese fusion restaurant in Aman at the Summer Palace. The set lunch there is a steal at ¥498 each.

　
　

To counter this regrettable act of thrift on your part, pop open a bottle of Dom Perignon during your ride south to Lane Crawford in Season’s Place on Financial Street, where you can romp through a luxury wonderland of Prada, Gucci, LV and Dior.

　
　

Settle down afterwards for a tea ceremony at the Whampoa Club with tea picked by its in-house tea master. They also make a mean martini. Pay the ¥688/person minimum for one of the gorgeous VIP rooms next to the lotus pond.

　
　

For a dose of culture, call up Stretchaleg Travel, a custom-designed private tour company, and be whisked off to the Forbidden City where, for an extra ¥2,000 on top of entrance fees, you can get exclusive access to a closed-to-the-public garden where emperors once received foreign dignitaries.

　
　

Finally, feeling heady with power, roll into China Grill at the Park Hyatt for dinner and drinks. Look out across the city from the highest restaurant in Beijing before retiring to your solid gold bed.

　
　

Heavy Petting Date

　
　

Start your day by swimming among sharks, with diving lessons at the Blue Zoo Aquarium. After you’ve dried off, head over to the Beijing Zoo to contemplate the birds and the bees—and the pandas.

　
　

Stop by the pet stores on Gulou to check out the adorable bunnies, puppies, chinchillas and ferrets. We recommend Coco Pet.

　
　

For dinner, reserve a table at Afunti, a Xinjiang restaurant that features a real-deal snake charmer. In addition to spectacular dancing and live music shows. The night always ends with diners dancing on the tables.

　
　

While dancing on tables may sound wild, it"s never as wild as Pet Conspiracy"s live show. Cheer on Beijing"s most infamous band as they rock their electro-punk anthems in animal costumes and black vinyl. If the spirit moves you, join the conga line during their requisite "Zhantai" encore.

　
　

To wind down, grab a drink at Amilal, home to two very inquisitive cats who’ll probably spend most of the evening curled up in your lap. If all goes well, bring your date home and unleash your inner animal.
　

　

本文相关标签： Valentines Day Chinese for dates perfect