Family Getaway Near Beijing: Yanqing Club Med Joyview – A Kids' Paradise

This Children's Day, my bestie and I took our families—four adults and two kids—on a three-day, two-night stay at Club Med Joyview Beijing Yanqing. I remember when I was little, only on June 1st would my parents take me to the amusement park for the whole day. Back then, I wished every day could be Children's Day. Now that I'm a mom myself, I realize that childhood wish can come true—just pick the right hotel and every day can feel like a holiday~

This isn't my first time at Club Med. The tropical vibes of Sanya Club Med and the sea-and-sky views of Beidaihe Club Med Joyview all won over this island girl's heart. (If you're curious, check out my earlier travel diaries.) Most importantly, Club Med's all-inclusive offerings and the G.O.s' special service quality are perfect for families with kids. I'd been wanting to visit ever since I heard that Yanqing had opened a Club Med Joyview. Before coming, I worried that no beach might mean something was missing, but the experience in the mountains of Yanqing turned out to be even more incredible than I imagined.

People often say my bestie and I look alike—see if the two kids could pass as twins~

At dawn, we strolled through the idyllic green hills and fields; in the drizzle, we immersed ourselves in the Mini Club's game world; with a gentle breeze, we wandered in the outdoor playground's childhood paradise; at sunset, we lingered in the poetic chapel shrouded in mountain mist. As the resort's wall says: 'Wonderful moments are about savoring every second of your vacation.'

【Hotel | As Big as 511 Football Fields】

We booked two nights in a Superior Twin Room, checking in on Friday and out on Sunday. When booking, I insisted on two nights, and Summer's dad teased, 'Staying three days at the same hotel? Won't it get boring?' Well, haha, he ate his words. On the last day, he was the one who couldn't bear to leave, just like a child~ Club Med Joyview Beijing Yanqing Resort has 307 rooms. I'd heard that the Saturday before Children's Day was fully booked, and I worried about crowds ruining the experience. But I needn't have worried at all—the resort covers about 5,500 mu, equivalent to 511 football fields! Shocking, right? I was amazed. With so much open space and plenty of big play areas, even at full capacity, guests stayed well spread out. Even in this post-pandemic time, the resort's safety measures remain comprehensive. Check-in required filling in very detailed forms, which was reassuring. A G.O. put on our green all-inclusive wristband, and we were free to roam the entire resort.

【Room | Unexpected Surprises in the Superior Twin Room】

Club Med delivers reliably, and the rooms here in Yanqing are simple yet elegant. With natural wood and pure white as the main colors, accented by bright lemon yellow, you feel a holiday mood the moment you enter. For families with young toddlers, a king bed is most convenient. But when we booked, only twin rooms were left; luckily, they can add an extra bed for free. This trip I discovered that my not-quite-4-year-old Summer could actually sleep in a little bed by himself. As an old mom, I felt both proud and reluctant. Proud that my child is starting to be independent, yet a little sad thinking I can't cuddle up with my soft little baby at night anymore. Our room was close to my bestie's, so the two kids often popped into each other's rooms, saying 'your house' and 'my house.' If only we actually lived this close in real life~

【Surroundings | All the Most Instagram-Worthy Photo Spots】

The main hotel building has a French winery vibe, and a close look at the resort's logo reveals that surrounding mountains and vineyards are its signature. The resort sits on a property with a 660-mu vineyard and a winery housing home-brewed fine wines. If you're interested, you can also take a wine appreciation course with the pros. But before playing with the kids, we two moms had to get our photo fix! After three days and two nights of scouting, I've nailed all the best photo spots~

1. In front of the hotel lobby, walk past the fountain and snap a shot by the hotel logo. With the symmetrical French-style building behind you, plus blue sky, white clouds, and manicured lawn, the vacation vibe hits instantly~

2. Through the ground-floor corridor, you can reach the two-story 'Playland.' Inside the glass-and-white-framed corridor, just standing casually on the colorful floor gives off an Instagram look—great for photos.

3. Beneath the corridor, there's a pattern made of colorful pebbles, super playful and perfect for kids' photos.

4. On the lawn of the outdoor playground, a brick-red mini windmill stands quietly against the rolling hills. That day, the clouds looked like the sky in a Makoto Shinkai movie—a manga scene. Seriously, you can take photos anywhere here, it's so photogenic.

5. Beside the outdoor playground's lawn, a road stretches out as if to infinity, giving a sense of peace away from the city's chaos. This lawn is also a great spot to get a family portrait.

【Surroundings | A Poetic Chapel Beneath the Green Hills】

My favorite spot at Club Med Joyview Beijing Yanqing Resort is this chapel-like building nestled beneath the mountains. Its triangular shape, wood construction, and openwork design blend seamlessly with nature. Through the cross, the shifting sky light, clouds, and mountain hues give the chapel less religious mystery and more a sense of the sacred spirit in all living things. The way light plays on the building even reminded me of Tadao Ando's Church of the Light. At dusk, we followed a winding red path slowly toward the chapel. Breathing in Yanqing's fresh air, gazing at the distant layered peaks, and listening to the birds and insects accompanied by the children's laughter from the playground—this is exactly what a peaceful, idyllic life feels like. Next to the chapel is a little shop called 'Miss Meow,' where a giant tree casts dappled shadows on the wooden floor. Just imagining our family sitting there, sipping a drink and enjoying the beautiful moment, makes my heart flutter.

【Fun | The Largest Kids' Club in Asia's Club Med】

At Club Med, the many all-inclusive family activities are of course the highlight! Not just the two little ones—we four big kids also had a whale of a time. Yanqing Resort's recreational activities are mainly divided into indoor and outdoor, with most indoor fun concentrated in the two-story 'Playland.'

In the Mini Club, there are different themed activities every day to keep your child engaged and fulfilled. Sponge pools, mini trampolines, ball pits with slides, mini castles... the facilities are endless. There's also a Kitchen Classroom for family cooking sessions, depending on the hotel's schedule. Summer even joined older kids for a fun card game led by a G.O. big sister.

The ground floor houses an indoor water park and sports hall for the whole family. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, these were temporarily closed. But taking a quick tour made us want to play even more. Now that Beijing has lowered its emergency response to Level 3, I believe these two major facilities will soon reopen. We'd come back just for them.

The second-floor indoor kids' playground is a paradise for little ones! According to the introduction, it's the largest children's playground in any Club Med resort in Asia, divided into Family Fun Space, Mini Club, and Kitchen Classroom—you really could play all day and not get bored~

The Game Factory features high-tech interactive games like Interactive Beach, Interactive Football... The kids' favorite was the Interactive Ball Pit. Using the ocean balls as 'weapons' in games projected on the wall, they played match-three, whack-a-mole, Tetris... Much more exciting than playing on a small screen~

The Family Fun Space is free for both room-and-breakfast guests and all-inclusive guests, and is especially suitable for toddlers under 4, with game walls, a little climbing area, role-play zones... so many playthings you can't try them all.

In the Music Academy, there are tons of fun interactive music setups~ piano keys you can step on to create a tune, a drum table for ensemble play, all kinds of percussion instruments... Honestly, adults find them pretty fun too~

【Fun | Outdoor Playground Surrounded by Mountains】

Apart from Saturday's rain, which kept us in the indoor playground most of the day, I generally preferred taking the kids to the outdoor playground—soaking up the sun, feeling the gentle early-summer breeze, and enjoying nature's gifts. They'd been cooped up during the pandemic, so it was time to really let loose~

I absolutely love Club Med Joyview Beijing Yanqing Resort's outdoor playground. The sprawling green hills and vast sky make it incredibly comfortable~ The kids' favorite was this set of outdoor play equipment—slides, climbing frames, swings... another sacred place to (partly) free the parents and while away the hours.

The dads' favorite sports are all covered too~ outdoor basketball court, soccer pitch, tennis court, table tennis, and archery range~ The archery range is for all-inclusive guests only; the rest are open to room-and-breakfast guests as well. It was our first time trying archery, and we did pretty well~ Basketball is Summer's dad's forte—look at those youthful, carefree faces~

It's not often you get to play football on a real 'green' pitch~

My nearly 4-year-old still has a hard time with a hula hoop~

【Fun | High-Energy Nightly Shows】

Every evening at 8 pm, on the stage on the first floor of the 'Playland,' a different themed show is performed. Friday night's theme was Chinese style—lion dance, tai chi, acrobatics—and the kids were captivated. After the show, all the children were invited on stage to dance along with the performers.

But kids-only wasn't enough—a dance instructor from Hawaii and an energetic fitness coach got all the big and little kids moving~ the energy was off the charts!

After the workout, we grabbed a delicate cocktail at the nearby Yi Bar and watched the kids keep going~ Back in the room, Summer practically fell onto his little bed and was asleep in seconds, haha.

【Fun | Summer's First Stage Performance Experience】

Saturday night's performance was a special Children's Day show, with the cast replaced by the young guests staying at the hotel. They were divided by age and gender; Summer was in the youngest group. After the afternoon celebrations, there was a quick rehearsal. Once grouped, each team's guiding G.O. led the kids through the dance.

Looking back, this was probably Summer's first-ever formal stage performance~ The hotel really went all out: after rehearsal, there was full hair and makeup. For the little girls especially, it was likely many of their first times in stage makeup.

I think all the parents, like the kids, never expected that a holiday getaway would include actually performing on stage! Summer isn't even 4 yet, and his group was the first to perform—it was a total comedy of errors, haha. There was even a little boy who cried through the whole thing but still tried to follow the G.O.'s moves from the side of the stage—that must have been tough.

I have to give a shout-out to Summer. After changing, the kids had to leave their parents and wait backstage with their group. We were really worried he'd break down once we left. But he surprised us all—he happily waited his turn and, once on stage, very seriously followed the G.O.'s moves. Since they'd only rehearsed once, he was a bit off at first, but soon got into the groove. Hearing people around us say, 'That little guy is awesome!' nearly brought this old mom to tears.

The older groups improved in stage presence as the age went up. Especially the girls' group dancing to Cyndi Wang's 'Love You'—it's hard to believe they also only rehearsed once~

Maybe more than just playing and watching, working hard on stage and breaking through all those 'firsts' was the best Children's Day gift~

【Fun | Lively Children's Day Celebration】

We chose this timing to give the kids a Children's Day celebration with a sense of ritual in the Club Med atmosphere. At 3 pm on Saturday, the big Children's Day party kicked off~ Although the weather didn't cooperate and the venue moved from outdoors to the Playland's first floor, the festive vibe remained undiminished.

During the parent-child DIY session, both kids made sparkly masks with (mostly) help from their moms. The kids did the painting, and the moms helped stick on glittering gemstone stickers. Honestly, I think the moms enjoyed it even more~ Family activities easily bring out adults' inner child too~

Inflatable play structures were everywhere, and the G.O.s dressed up as festive cartoon characters—it truly felt like going back to childhood.

【Fun | Fairytale Train Ride】

One day, while strolling aimlessly around the resort, we suddenly spotted a fairytale-like little train. The burgundy train was decked with rainbow ribbons and crystal-clear wish bottles that fluttered in the wind. The kids said it looked just like Thomas the Tank Engine~

The train ride loops once around the resort, passing through scenic spots and stopping at two child-friendly stations. The first is a cute mini zoo where kids can feed bunnies, ponies, and sika deer, and also watch proud geese and haughty peacocks.

The other stop perfect for kids is the vegetable-picking garden—a chance for them to learn about different veggies, so different from city life. Too bad it turned muddy after the rain and we couldn't go in right then. Hopefully next time~

【Eat & Drink | A Buffet Restaurant You Won't Get Tired of After Six Meals】

Club Med Joyview Beijing Yanqing Resort has six restaurants & bars, with Xunwei Restaurant, Yi Bar, and Lobby Bar currently open. Xunwei is the main buffet restaurant. Over three days and two nights, we had six buffet meals there and never got bored—so the quality is solid.

For breakfast, the highlight for me was the noodle station and freshly made pancakes, giving off a street-food vibe. Compared to a Western breakfast, having pancakes, fried dough sticks, and noodle soup felt much more down-to-earth and soul-satisfying. The lunch spread was even more varied, with freshly made cold noodles and jelly noodles, great appetizers between the heavier dishes.

Dinner had more hearty options: freshly carved roast lamb leg, grilled steak, and made-to-order teppanyaki—both carnivorous dads were well pleased. As a wine-themed resort, the restaurant featured many dishes with wine elements, like red wine-braised beef, a memorable delight. And the desserts were just too adorable~

A nice memory: during lunch, it happened to be a guest's birthday. A G.O. came in costume to perform and even sang 'Happy Birthday' with everyone. Total envy. What a thoughtful hotel~

【Eat & Drink | Unlimited Refills of Feel-Good Junk Drinks】

With the all-inclusive package, you get unlimited drinks around the resort, including all kinds of hot and cold beverages and alcohol (a quick glance at the menu showed around a hundred drinks, about two-thirds of them included in the all-inclusive plan—meaning free, which was more than enough for us). When we were dripping with sweat at the outdoor playground, exhausted at the Mini Club, or watching the evening show, we could always pop over to the Lobby Bar or Yi Bar for a drink. The kids' favorite? Juice~ They guzzled it down with pure delight~ The perfect vacation is all about unlimited refills of those feel-good junk drinks!

【Tips | All-Inclusive or Room with Breakfast?】

Personally, I'd go all-inclusive, because it's one of Club Med's essences and offers great value. All-inclusive guests enjoy: ♪ Use of resort facilities from 3 PM on check-in day, plus meals at all restaurant and bar outlets, as well as breakfast and lunch on checkout day. Drinks include only the first two pages of the beverage menu. ♪ Checkout by 11 AM, but with your wristband you can keep using the activity facilities until 5 PM on the day you check out. ♪ Many activities are exclusively available to all-inclusive guests.

///// I remember when Summer was smaller, every time a trip ended, he would cry and refuse to leave. This time, though he was still deeply reluctant—he'd miss his buddy, the playground, the stunning scenery beneath the mountains, the sweet juice on tap...—he finally didn't cry and resist going home. Maybe it's because he's beginning to understand that the end of a trip isn't the ENDING—there's always a next time. Summer's dad remarked that it seems like Summer grows up a lot after each trip. And it's true: I've always felt that for kids, travel is the gentlest yet most powerful form of growing up. I can't wait for our next visit to Club Med. I wonder what will stay in Summer's deepest memories~