TRAVEL WATCH: SEPTEMBER 27, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 12

beijing city guide: Trend Spotting By JOSEPHINE LAU Ever since China put out the welcome mat, Beijingers have embraced all things foreign: Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald are both big hits. Now citizens of the ancient capital have reached back in time to embrace a trend from cold war-era America: the drive-in movie theater. Not since Elvis was in the army has it been so cool to catch a flick in the comfort of your car. Since it opened on the east side of Beijing, the Feng Huayuan Drive-In Theater has been playing to a parked house. But the theater is more than just a spot to watch a movie with your squeeze. Covering almost five hectares, the former apple orchard offers motorists and pedestrians alike a pastoral experience in the city. As a random goat grazes on the surrounding greenery, the audience watches an eclectic mix of dubbed foreign films, classics and local productions. This combination of greenspace and cinema has proved to be a winner for entrepreneur Wang Qishun and his fellow investors. As many as 50 carloads a night pay the $10 per vehicle fee to get through the gate. While the necessity of a car might seem to limit the theater's audience, its other delights have drawn customers without wheels. Children play around hearty bonfires, while 20-somethings dance the night away in the disco. If those options sound a little too hyperactive for your tastes, head to the karaoke bar or have a seat in the beer garden and tuck into some home-style barbecue or a more Asian-style snack of noodles. The Feng Huayuan Drive-In Theater is on Liang Ma He Road East, five minutes by car (15 by foot) east of the Lufthansa Shopping Center on the third ring road. Tel. (86-10) 6434-9280. Introduction Orientation When to Go History Facts at a Glance Events Activities Attractions Off the Beaten Track Getting There & Away Getting Around Recommended Reading View a Map

Back to the Beijing City Guide Home Click here for more information from Lonely Planet Trend Spotting Ever since China put out the welcome mat, Beijingers have embraced all things foreign Short Cuts Want a different angle on the Great Wall? How about looking down on the serpentine monument from a donglisan Detour When British author William Lindesay ran 2,470 km of China's Great Wall 12 years ago, he saw plenty of what he calls 'wild wall' Web Crawling China's lag in all things cyber is well-documented, with a mere 4 million citizens online. Yet their ranks are swelling