Slip 'n Slide

If you're looking to make a splash, check out City Seaview Water Park. It's the city's largest outdoor water park, with an area of 33,000 square meters. In addition to a large white sandy beach, made with imported Fujian sand and complete with gentle surf made with industrial-strength wave machines, there are a variety of long and winding waterslides, pools and a hot-spring bath. Complementary lounge chairs and thatched huts on the beach provide shade, and the park also organizes various activities every weekend, including picking coconuts (more challenging than you'd imagine) and volleyball competitions. Professional coaches and lifeguards are on hand to keep everyone safe and sound.

Another option is the recently opened Tulip Hot Spring Garden Resort, close to City Sea View and containing Merry Water World, the largest indoor water park in Beijing (35,000 square meters, open all-year round). There's entertainment for all the family with waterfalls, wave machines, and a variety of slides.

These Poolish Things

There are options around town for swimmers of all types, from those who want to just float on an innertube to the lappers.

Tuan Jie Hu Park Pool can be found inside the increasingly popular park of the same name and is a small water wonderland conveniently located right in the heart of the city. Amidst stone gardens and traditional buildings, screaming children, flirtatious adolescents and sun thirsty adults play at this mini-beach resort, complete with water slides, oddly shaped islands and amusing, albeit very unseaworthy, boats from which to dive off. The park also has its own wave machine. All activities are accompanied by loud pop music.  

The cost for this in-town  getaway is only ¥20 (¥25 on the weekend).

The Splash, located at the Sino-Swiss Hotel, offers the luxury and facilities of a quality resort hotel at a reasonable price within reach of the city.
During the summer, the large out-door leisure pool is connected to a 20m indoor pool, providing options for all aquatic types. There are plenty of lounge chairs to enjoy a good paperback poolside in a peaceful setting, and the ¥100 day ticket includes use of the hotel's gym, sauna, jacuzzi and natural hot spring pool. Racquet sports and a solarium are also available. To ease the cost, shuttle buses run to the city seven times a day.

Getting Wild

For a city that considers a lake an ocean (Houhai), there are a surprising number of options in Beijing when it comes to aquatic adventuring.

River rafting has caught on in a big way in the burbs, with a number of different organizations that can help get you out on the water. Sanfo organizes monthly expeditions approximately 2 hrs away in Huairou county, starting on the north fork of the Yibaihe River and ending up at the popular Longtanjian scenic area. The poetry of Chinese landscape paintings as claimed in the promotional literature cannot be promised, but a full day of rafting through Beijing's 'three gorges' is on the menu. Spend the night in tents and barbecue the night away before heading back to Beijing. The price of approximately ¥300 per person, includes travel to and from, as well as raft rental and the ever-dreaded menpiao (gate fee). Add a little extra if you need to rent a tent.  

You can also head to the coast to do some sea canoeing. The Beidaihe Guesthouse for Diplomatic Missions has boats for rent and an instructor to teach you how to use them (¥80/day).