When you think of what you might enjoy doing on any given weekend, what comes to mind?
Relaxing with loved ones, family, or friends? Taking a pet for a leisurely walk outside and enjoying nature? Learning about something new? Eating a big and delicious meal? Well, it just so happens that on March 21st CandleX was able to combine all of these activities into our very successful third dog event! For this outing, we took our time strolling through the Beijing hutongs with our furry family members, learned some interesting bits of history along the way, and at the end of our walk sat down to a much-anticipated meal at a wonderful Yunnanese restaurant.
We began gathering around 9 a.m. at Shichahai subway station, waking ourselves up with warm beverages and good conversation. All our doggies received snacks for the walk, provided by Real 鲜食宠鲜粮.
Once everyone arrived, we set off on our adventure! As expected, the dogs took the lead!
We started with a relaxing walk along the beautiful Jade River, which really stands up to its name! Some of the dogs were keener to explore than others, but everyone enjoyed the scenery and the clear, refreshing morning air.
Soon we moved into the winding alleyways of the hutong neighborhoods in the heart of Beijing. This was the most educational part of our day. Our doggy friends were probably less interested in learning the history behind how the hutongs got their name, or the important information doorway architecture and decoration can provide (Have you ever wondered what the different numbers of beams above some doorways might signify, or why a house might have stone drums or books on either side of its threshold?), but the human participants soaked up these tidbits with interest!
As our walk progressed, we didn’t limit ourselves to looking and learning history. The time also gave us an opportunity to get to know each other. What a wonderful way to make new human and canine friends!After about an hour and a half of exploration we sat down to the wonderful food and homey atmosphere of Yun’er Town, nestled among the buildings and shops along scenic Beiluoguxiang.What a fantastic place to rest after our walk and build upon the friendships begun in the morning. Great food, great conversation, and plenty of play—definitely among the best ways to spend a weekend morning! Thank you to everyone, dog and human, who participated.We will be hosting dog events throughout the year, so if you missed this one and are keen to join us in the future, please join our Dog Event WeChat group to stay in touch!
The funds raised by our dog events and donations go to a good cause—the CandleX Mental Health Pre-treatment Guidance Project. Your support enables CandleX to keep our mental health resources and services accessible to those who are in need, regardless of their financial capability. We would like to thank our photographer, Yang Zhou, for capturing all the fun of the day. We would also like to thank our sponsor, Real 鲜食宠鲜粮, for their continued support, for providing the dog snacks and for donating a portion of their sales to our project.
Special thanks to Lost Plate Food Tours for providing us with the hutong walking route. Feel free to check out their authentic local food tours in Beijing!
CandleX’s Resources
Are you or a friend in a Crisis?
Your questions on mental health | CandleX Classroom
https://www.candlex.cn/classroom
Depression stories from our community members (both adults and teens)
CandleX Column | Community Writing
https://www.candlex.cn/community-writing
Pretreatment
CandleX Wechat Groups
all ages, add our admin: niama_elazzab
for 15-22 year old, add our admin: amaraprenderyya
Peer Support Group
