Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
has an English-language preschool and kindergarten campus in the East Lakes community.
Then for older kids there is Beijing No. 55 Middle School and High School. More local
than global, it does have an international department, and reports to bring students up to
standards that will allow them to get into universities back in their own country. It's a pop-
ular choice for parents wanting their kids to have a more authentic Chinese education than
what they would get in the fully international schools.
For adults, there is the Culture Yard as well as The Hutong. With both these educational
gems in your hood, there's no excuse for not getting into your community and Beijing life.
If you'd like to expand your knowledge of acupuncture, there's the China Beijing Interna-
tional Acupuncture Training Center. Mandarin schools in the area include That's Mandarin,
Frontiers, and Rosefinch Mandarin.
Shopping and Dining
There's no shortage of department store shopping in this area of town. Dongzhimen alone
has three major malls—Ginza, Guoson, and Raffles City—which all sit around the sub-
way station. About two kilometers down the road is yet another major addition to the area,
Galaxy SOHO, designed by architectural firm Zaha Hadid. At the time of writing, Galaxy
was still a few months from completion, but given the SOHO empire's history in Beijing,
and particularly with a name like Zaha Hadid attached to it, this one is bound to be occupied
by a cosmopolitan collection of retail outlets, cafés, restaurants, and bars. If you're farther
south, Cofco Plaza, a much older complex just past Chang'an Jie, can provide you with lux-
ury homeware and clothing.
