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The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between women’s leisure spaces and gender roles, as well as the gendered nature of public leisure spaces in Beijing. China is a country that has undergone one of the most rapid social, political and economic transformations of the past century. The shift from a highly patriarchal imperially ruled society, to a closed off totalitarian form of socialism under Mao, and now to the more open yet strictly regulated free-market era, has entailed a whirlwind of implications for China’s society as a whole, especially for women. As these changes have taken place, so to has women’s position in society and gender roles. One way to gain a greater understanding of gendered social structures in any society is through examining public places. The types of public places in Beijing now available to women for leisure activities are numerous, however little remains known regarding their perceptions and use of these places. I conclude that although new types of public spaces have been opened up for women, which provide greater opportunities for challenging hegemonic gender norms, women’s role in the public sphere remains highly traditional.