This summer in Beijing, while the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace continue to top tourists' lists of must-see destinations, a lesser-known riverside venue has quietly emerged as a viral sensation among both locals and international visitors - Liangma River.
With heatwaves sweeping Beijing as early as May and China's visa-free policy drawing more foreign tourists, social media platforms like RedNote have been flooded with tags such as "Liangma River night kayaking" and "paddling with international friends." The once-overlooked waterway in Beijing's northeast embassy district has earned a cheeky nickname among netizens: "Beijing's Seine River."
In one viral video titled "China vs. US on the Beijing Seine," young men from China and the US engage in a playful "pushing game" atop a paddleboard, trying to topple the adversary into the water, while, the gathered crowd cheers on, relishing the spontaneous riverside spectacle.
Li Yun, a national first-class registered structural engineer, told the Global Times that the sudden popularity of Liangma River reflects a deeper urban yearning - for spaces without barriers, time limits, or entrance fees, where one can sprawl on the ground and experience a raw, natural vibe.
"Beijing is a city of right angles," Li explained. "The climate and geography don't lend themselves to water activities, so options are limited."
"But Liangma River winds its way eastward from the Second Ring Road to the Bahe River beyond the Fifth Ring, tracing a delicate arc across areas as diverse as old residential neighborhoods, luxury villas, embassies, and bustling commercial zones. The river connects people from completely different backgrounds through its flow."
The Liangma River in Beijing Photo: VCG
Beijing's Seine RiverJust a five-minute walk from Zaoying station on Beijing's Metro Line 14 lies the Blue Harbor Pier - the area's main launch point for kayaking, arguably Liangma River's most eye-catching activity. Still unfamiliar to many first-time visitors, the spot has become a daily ritual for Sebastian, an Argentine actor who has lived in China for 14 years.
Sebastian first came to China as a volunteer and later stayed to pursue stage acting. After years of searching, he found Liangma River to be a rare slice of water-based leisure in Beijing.
This summer, his mother visited Beijing. Having already explored the Great Wall and Forbidden City, she stumbled upon Liangma River, after learning the Argentine national football team had once visited it. Surprisingly, she declared it her favorite stop.
"She told me that here, she saw a completely different Beijing - one that's not just solemn and historic, but also vibrant and full of life," Sebastian said.
Located near the embassy district, Liangma River has become a favored gathering place for Beijing's foreign residents. In September 2024, online influencers from 19 Latin American countries took a nighttime boat ride here, livestreaming their experience and sharing their perspectives on travel in China.
Yet Liangma River is far from an "expat-only" enclave. It has evolved into a true cultural crossroads.
Every Friday at 6:30 pm, Li Xin wraps up work at Beijing's central business district and heads straight to the river, where he warms up for his weekly kayak session. "This is the only time of the week I can fully control and flow with," he told the Global Times.
Over time, kayaking introduced him to a new social circle, and on top of that, he's also added diving to his riverside routine.
"I was initially shy about diving," Li recalled. "But then I saw four elderly men jumping into the river side by side. They noticed my curiosity and invited me to join. That first dive led to many more. Now I've made lots of foreign friends through this."
For Li, the shift from calm kayaking to carefree diving has made Liangma River his personal stress-relief haven.
The area's popularity didn't skyrocket overnight. According to the 2024 Liangma River Forum, the district has seen a 14 percent increase in foot traffic over the past two years, with over 400 brands setting up shops nearby. Meanwhile, commercial activity along the riverside grew by over 32 percent.
At the heart of this transformation is a massive urban revitalization project that began in 2016 and concluded in 2019.
Urban waterway upgradeLiangma River's rebirth began with a municipal effort to redesign its appearance and function. As a drainage canal, the river had long been neglected. In 2016, Beijing's Chaoyang District Water Affairs Bureau launched a comprehensive upgrade: intercepting sewage, dredging the riverbed, widening the waterway, and restoring its aquatic ecosystem. By 2019, Liangma River had become a scenic water corridor.
Shen Tongsheng, who oversaw river management for the Chinese branch of a design firm involved in the project, once said in an interview that the most significant breakthrough was unifying what had been "fragmented, incomplete, and disjointed." The result is a 5.5-kilometer riverside promenade, complete with wetlands and reclaimed public spaces previously swallowed by commercial developments.
The design team deliberately avoided generic municipal landscaping in favor of preserving a degree of wildness - patchy lawns, spontaneous mushrooms poking through marble, and the distant croaking of frogs at night.
"In a dry city like Beijing, people crave nature," Shen said. "The dynamism of water is essential to modern life, yet so rarely found."
As the river surges in popularity, it now faces its own version of traffic jams. On the weekends, as many as 40 boats and paddleboards can be seen jockeying for space along just 200 meters of water.
This boom has raised safety concerns. Despite warning signs placed every 100 meters urging visitors not to swim, diving and water play remain rampant. In response, city authorities have increased trash collection and stationed staff along the river to ensure safety.
Under a national action plan for outdoor sports infrastructure from 2023 to 2025, efforts are underway to bolster outdoor recreation safety. The plan calls for smarter signage, rescue systems, and even digital monitoring infrastructure.
Still, some netizens worry: "What if someone gets hurt?" Their concerns raise a broader question - can Beijing offer more safe, open water spaces for its residents?
According to Li Yun, the answer may lie in expanding the city's slow-travel system and in interconnecting the existing water bodies.