Exploring The Box: Beijing's Un-Mall

Julie Wolf | Feb 28, 2025 11:30 am | Add a comment | 103 reads

It's that strange in-between point in the year where you are ready to emerge from social hibernation but it's too cold to really enjoy Beijing's multitude of outdoor parks and attractions. This conundrum led a friend and me to go and explore The Box. The multi-level space looks like any other mall from the outside but is an interesting combination of stores, restaurants, pop-up makers spaces, arcades and artist collectives, and it is well worth an afternoon exploring.

As you enter, there is a skate park on the left reminiscent of a 90's teen movie set in California, and despite the cold, several young people were enjoying the ramps and showing off their skills. The big draw is the new multi-story Miniso Land store, the first one in Beijing, which is directly at the front of the complex. The well-organized and bright space has a main floor dedicated to toys organized by interest. Whether you're into Harry Potter or Doraemon, My Little Pony or Black Myth, there is a section for you to explore. If you head up the grand staircase, you will find a massive space devoted to fragrances, beauty and home goods and a large sub-space dubbed Miniso Pet for all your furry friends' needs.

But Miniso Land is really just the hook to reel you in. If you travel through to the main level, it feels strangely reminiscent of New York's Chelsea Market. An industrial, unfinished, no-frills space populated with high-end and emerging designers and restaurants. As you explore, you will find pop-ups for well known brands like MAC touting their newest lipstick line next to local jewelry designers.

The next level up reveals the coolest little hipster stationary store complete with a scrapbooking work space inviting you to unwrap and enjoy your new purchases as well as some items for communal use. On the same floor, there is also a series of photo booths complete with fun props like glasses, hats and headbands to stop in and enjoy with friends.

I also saw some individual KTV booths, a few DIY stores offering customizable crafts, tons of cool wall murals, and on the top floor an artisan market made up of small booths filled with local designers, candle makers, vintage collectors, caricature artists and more. Go up one more level and you come out on an unfinished rooftop space with a few bars and coffee shops and a novel view of Beijing. The minimalist space was filled with designers, models and content creators posing and filming but was large enough that it didn't feel crowded.