Beijing - Post Report Question and Answers

Chaoyang park has a path for running and biking, but the high AQI is often a problem. The streets also have bike/scooter lanes that are separate from the vehicle lanes. Just be aware if you are out running on the streets that the scooters go everywhere- and I mean everywhere. There are delivery persons on scooters going through red lights and all over the sidewalks. They are often e-bikes that are very quiet so you do not know that they are behind you until they pass. More serious hiking is available outside of Beijing, around two hours away, but you will usually need your own vehicle for that. - Nov 2025

Beijing has a lot of cars and minibikes, so it’s not particularly safe to run or bike along main thoroughfares. However, Beijing does have many parks and green spaces for running and distance walking. Biking is harder, as many parks prohibit bikes, but it becomes progressively easier as you move away from the city center. (Stronger bikers can also ride out to the rural areas along the edge of the city without much difficulty.) For younger children, there’s usually sufficient space to ride bikes within your diplomatic compound. If you like hiking, Beijing is a gem. Beijing itself is very flat, but there are hundreds of hiking areas within an hour or two of the city center. Beijing Hikers is one of several hiking clubs / outfitters that organize hiking excursions in the hills outside the city, ranging from leisurely family walks through farmland to tough treks up and down the Great Wall. There’s no better way to experience the Great Wall than hiking and/or camping in a “Wild Wall” site. - Nov 2024