Top Ten Winter Attractions in Beijing and Zhangjiakou
1. The Palace Museum, Royal Snow
Also known as the Forbidden City, the Palace Museum is located at the center of Beijing. It served as the royal palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), where 24 emperors resided and handled state affairs. The best season to admire it is winter, especially after snow, when tourist flow is lighter and the royal palace presents an aura of dignity and solemnity. On snowy days, many romantics opt to enjoy the grandeur of the royal palace on the spacious square laid with bricks and flavored with the aroma of history.
2. Shichahai Skating Rink
There is no better place to have fun than the skating rink at Shichahai in the northwestern corner of downtown Beijing. First established in 1952, Shichahai is known for its wide and long skating rink. During the skating season, it draws numerous ice fans, young and old, who come to enjoy speed skating, sleighs and ice hockey. Notably, it is the only skating avenue that stays open late at night. When night falls, the skating rink shines under the lights. Reflections of nearby neon lights shimmer on the rink. People stroll around the many nearby places of historical interest.
3. Lofty Great Wall
Badaling Great Wall in Yanqing County, Beijing, is an important stretch of the Great Wall, an enormous defensive project built in ancient China. It is considered the best section of the Great Wall erected during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During the three other seasons, people can hardly enjoy the surrounding scenery due to the overflow of visitors. In winter, the lack of visitors affords quiet serenity, leaving space to admire the rolling hills in the distance and the vigorous mountains of northern China. When snow falls, Badaling’s unique splendor is wrapped in silver.
4. Strolling through Hutongs
Hutong, or small lane, is a standout feature of Beijing as well as a synonym of old Beijing, and surviving lanes have developed a culture of their own: gentle, serene, pure, and as eternal backdrops of countless touching stories. Hutongs turn particularly charming on snowy days, with old knife grinders working on corners or a young man passing on bicycle carrying a bunch of candied hawthorns on sticks... Occasionally, old men take a stroll with long-stemmed Chinese pipes in hand or drop by to chat with neighbors and enjoy the mild winter sunlight.
5. Western Hills Shimmering in Snow
The Western Hills are a generic term for a stretch of mountains highlighted by Fragrant Hill, a famous wooded mountain featuring royal gardens. A number of relics and places of historical interest as well as terraces and pavilions are scattered along the hills. Fragrant Hill, one of four places known for maple leaves in China, attracts streams of visitors in autumn. However, less are aware of its greater charm after snowfall. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was so moved by the winter view there that he wrote four Chinese characters, 西山晴雪, literally meaning “Western Hills Shimmering in Snow,” which were later carved on a stele erected along the hillside. It was dubbed one of the Eight Great Sights of Yanjing (old name of Beijing).
6. Stunning Ice Lanterns
The ice lantern is an art form which has been handed down for generations in northern China. It has become art following more practical usage in production and daily life. Longqingxia is a noted scenic spot in Yanqing County of northwestern Beijing that draws visitors from near and far during its lantern festival. As a time-honored brand, the festival has had 29 editions, each with a different theme. While showcasing wisdom and creativity, the neon lights and ice lanterns add beauty to Longqingxia particularly by fusing cutting-edge technologies featuring sound, light, and electricity.
Ice climbing derives from rock climbing, a basic skill for snow mountaineering. It has strict equipment requirements, and most sites are natural ice waterfalls. Contrasting formal sports, it is considered an extreme sport to challenge oneself and return to nature. Taoyuan Xiangu (Peach-Garden Fairy Valley) Scenic Area is located in Miyun, northeastern Beijing. It is one of the best choices for ice climbing near the city, with dense forests, numerous pools and waterfalls, and massive natural ice waterfalls. Climbers of all skill levels will find a proper place to adventure.
8. Skiing in Chongli
The unique topography of Chongli County in Zhangjiakou City of Hebei Province creates a unique micro-climate with 150 snowy days of fine-quality snow – good enough for skiing in terms of solidity and viscosity, favoring skiing tourism. Since 2001, the government of Chongli has made full use of such a natural resource, holding 13 sessions of an international ski festival. Snow lovers can enjoy their favorite sports while admiring the natural landscape and shaking off metropolitan stress in chilly fresh air.
9. Ebbs and Flows of Dajingmen
Located in northern downtown Zhangjiakou, Dajingmen is one of the four major junctions along the Great Wall. Known for precipitous terrain, it was first built with bricks in 1644, the first year of the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty. The rostrum stands in the valley of Mt. Taiping stretching from east to west. The inscription of four Chinese characters “大好河山” (Magnificent Rivers and Mountains") found over the mantel was mounted in traditional Han-style upon commission by Gao Weiyue, a lieutenant general of the former province of Chahar. As a thoroughfare guarding the capital in the north in ancient China, it witnessed the wind and rains of Zhangjiakou.
Yuxian, at the southernmost tip of Zhangjiakou, is known for Dashuhua, a traditional folk event inspired by the flashing sparks while forging iron 300 years ago. It is a game for the brave, physically strong and highly experienced, in which molten iron, as hot as 1,000 degrees Celsius, is splashed out by a man in an inside-out sheepskin jacket with a willow spoon against cold walls to produce sparks-like fireworks. Dashuhua has been listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Hebei.
