Beijing's best outdoor ice skating rinks

Head to these rinks around town before they all melt

Skating outside on one of the city's picturesque frozen lakes is one of the joys of Beijing. Grab a pair of skates (or an ice bike...) at one of these great spots.

Peking University

Skate among China’s brightest young minds at Peking University’s (PKU) famous Unnamed Lake (Wèi Míng Hú 未名湖), a short walk from the campus’ east gate. The lake here isn’t huge, but it’s located under a charming little pagoda that’s seemingly ancient, yet was only built in the 1920s. Here you can feel the buzz of youthful energy: students, kids, young couples and quirky professors high on ice.

At one end, the regular semi-pros glide about with one leg pointed skywards, with cart-skating at the opposite side. From 3-5pm daily, there’s a mass skating lesson (Mandarin only) for newbies that makes for a curious sight in itself.

Olympic Park

If you’re looking for a city centre ski slope, a medium difficulty one has gone up just outside the Bird’s Nest as part of its annual winter festival, along with snow activities for children inside the stadium. But entrance alone is a hefty 160RMB on weekends, not including gear rental.

Zizhuyuan Park

There may be none of the purple bamboo after which the park is named, but this idyllic spot is nevertheless worth seeking out for its lake, (green) bamboo and skating  – an especially tranquil activity on a weekday afternoon.

Drooping willow branches line the shores of the rink on the south west side of the park. The rink has two skating areas: one for casual skating, the other for speed skating. There are also zones for ice-carts, ice-bicycles and ice bumper-cars. The atmosphere is relaxed and amateur-friendly – there’s even seating along the partitions for breaks between skates.

Qianhai

Skating at Qianhai, with a view of the historic Drum Tower, is one of those quintessential Beijing experiences. Note that when people talk about skating at Houhai, it’s actually the southern part of the Shichahai lakes, Qianhai, you want to head for –  the ‘front sea’.

There’s a huge choice of skates, ice-bikes, carts, mini-rickshaws and bumper cars, but as Beijing’s most popular skating spot – given its location and picturesque surroundings – the crowds are hard to avoid, especially at peak times. The experience is certainly special at night, marred (or enhanced, if you prefer) by the bright neon lights of the surrounding bars and pumping EDM soundtrack. Expect to be upstaged by old men practising their pirouettes, and to run into ice that can get lumpy and bumpy.

Summer Palace

For winter revelry, no backdrop is more breathtaking than Beijing’s imperial gardens. So count your lucky mittens that the Summer Palace has opened its beautiful Kunming Lake for ice-based cavorting.

Skates are sadly forbidden; only sleigh-like ice-carts (basically chairs on skis) and ice-bicycles are permitted (‘icicles’, surely?). But don’t let that dampen your spirits, since ice-cycling is actually bucket-loads of fun. There’s a generous stretch of the lake to ride on, from near Longevity Hills to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, and a welcome lack of excessive fencing, unlike at many other lakes. Plus, it’s nowhere near as crowded as Houhai, even at weekends.

For full venue details, hit 'Read more'.

More from Time Out Beijing