TUANJIEHU – AN URBAN OASIS

Located in the heart of Beijing’s central business district, just north of the CCTV Tower, Tuanjiehu Waterpark is a widely popular respite from the summer heat. While certainly not a fountain of youth, it still draws all walks of life from the city – tattooed gangsters and children share inner tubes while lady boys in banana slings contest for sand space with the elderly. There is always a motley crew trying to catch a little sun or enjoy a quick run down the water slide. Catering to a rough neighborhood of Soviet housing blocks, Tuanjiehu was one of the first, and now last, leisure parks in downtown Beijing.