The Badaling wildlife park is located just across the highway from Badaling Great Wall Centre and is home to a large selection of fascinating wild animals including wolves, lions and giraffes. The animals are free to roam around the park, and are a much better option than those in the poorly maintained cages at the Beijing Zoo.

The park covers over 6,000 acres and you can explore it either from the comfort of your own car, or alternatively, you can take a minibus provided by the park. Follow the winding path where you will see animals in their natural settings going about their daily lives. Unlike some safaris where you can drive for hours and not see any wildlife, over 2,000 beautiful animals are housed in this natural ecological park, so the law of averages means you’re bound to catch sight of some!

At feeding time, you can purchase food that you can feed, at a distance, the lions and bears, or get up close and personal with the gentle giraffes and zebras. Bring a picnic and take a seat in the park’s ‘ark’ area to admire the colourful peacocks as they show off their feathers to visitors.

Surrounding the park is the Badaling section of the Great Wall. So if the kids get bored of too much nature, you’re a quick jaunt away from one of the seven wonders of the world.

Address: Badaling Wild Park (八达岭野生动物园), south across the highway from the Badaling Great Wall Centre,Yanqing County.

Open: daily 8am-5pm. 90RMB for adults, 45RMB for kids, kids under 1.2m enter for free.

How to get there: Take the fast train to Badaling from Beijing North Railway Station. The trains run every two hours, and the journey takes around an hour. Badaling Wild Park is a 20 minute walk from the train station. If you’re travelling by car, take the Jinggang Expressway from Madianqiao. Exit at the Badaling Great Wall and follow signs for the Badaling Wild Park.