Beijing unveils summer tourism guide

Beijing has launched a summer tourism guide, highlighting hundreds of activities across the capital during the school holiday to encourage residents and visitors to explore the city's cultural attractions, performances and outdoor destinations.

The guide organizes summer offerings into six themed categories: family entertainment, educational tours, museum and exhibition visits, performing arts, nighttime experiences, and summer retreats.

For families, city parks are hosting art workshops, hands-on crafting activities and outdoor performances as part of the 2026 Beijing Park Art Season. Attractions including the Beijing Zoo, Beijing Aquarium, Beijing Planetarium and Beijing Wildlife Park have introduced family-oriented programs and discounted tickets. In Yanqing district, Yeya Lake Wetland has launched nature-themed family activities, while Longqing Gorge has added new water recreation projects.

The city is also promoting study tours that combine history, culture and nature. Themed routes invite young visitors to explore Beijing through the lens of their textbooks, with programs focusing on the city's Central Axis, the Grand Canal, the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Museum, the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, and the Ming Tombs.

Museums, libraries and cultural venues have also expanded their summer programs. More than 440 public cultural events, including exhibitions, lectures and performances, are being held at venues including the Capital Library and Beijing Library. Major exhibitions include the Archive of Possible Worlds — 2026 International Tech & Art Exhibition at the Bird's Nest Tech-Art Center, featuring nearly 150 works by more than 70 Chinese and international artists, and a special Tyrannosaurus rex exhibition at the Natural History Museum of China, where two full-scale T rex skeletons are displayed together for the first time in China.

Beijing's performance calendar will also be packed throughout the summer. Tickets for more than 6,500 commercial performances have already gone on sale citywide. The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism has launched the "Great Performances in Beijing" arts carnival, featuring selected concerts, operas, musicals, dramas, dance productions, and traditional Chinese opera.

Nighttime tourism has been expanded with open-air film screenings, evening museum events, night markets, and cultural festivals. Attractions such as Beijing WTown and the Badaling Great Wall have introduced themed evening programs, while commercial areas including Qianmen and Dashilar are offering extended nighttime shopping, dining, and cultural experiences.

Visitors can obtain the latest event schedules and travel information through the official "Culture and Tourism Beijing" social media accounts and the official channels of Beijing's districts and event organizers.