Your Beijing winter bucket list – how many can you check off?
Make the most of Beijing while trying to ignore the cold
We know it's cold out, but that's no reason to stay wrapped up in bed all day. With winter not quite giving up on us yet, here's a guide for how to make the most of the icy winter. With the help of some warm indoor activities, some bracing wintry air and a stiff drink or three, see if you can tick them all off.
Go ice skating
Or go swimming in Houhai Lake
Our recent, very scientific, poll on Instagram found that only 7 percent of respondents had taken a dip in Houhai Lake during the winter. It's shocking, isn't it? Winter swimming is a tradition in a number of cold countries, which is why even as the temperature drops you’ll see keen swimmers donning swimsuits for a numbing dip in Beijing’s lakes. Crazy as it may seem, and risks aside, there’s a long list of purported health benefits to cold-water swimming – including boosting the immune system, reducing stress and even enhancing sex drive.
Soak away the cold at a hot spring
A hotbed of geothermal activity, Beijing is blessed with the gift of hot springs. Full of all manner of minerals, the steaming pools are a great way to escape (if only temporarily) the onslaught of winter. There are hot springs closer to the city centre, but Chun Hui Yuan bucks the trend in the world of Beijing hot springs, forgoing kitsch adornments and faux tropical scenes for something more stylish, with classic wooden trellises and sleek stone furnishings dominating the decor. The baths are divided into three areas – one indoors, two outdoors – and vary in size with plenty of options for both couples looking for a bit of privacy and large groups. The Garden Baths garner the most attention: ten steaming open-air pools offer different types of aromatic-infused waters to help relaxation; stay here into the evening for a soak under the stars. The next-door Lakeside Baths shouldn’t be missed either, offering views of Chun Hui Yuan Hotel’s grounds beyond.
Take a (bracing) hike
Winter might well be the best time of the year to make tracks through Beijing’s countryside: there are fewer traffic jams, tour groups dwindle in numbers and you don’t get all hot and bothered clambering up the hills. There’s just nature, and a lot of it. After 15 years of leading groups through the capital’s wilderness, guides at Beijing Hikers know all the best routes: wander through deserted canyons; pass through the frozen streams, pools and waterfalls; hike through the extra quiet country hills; or just go tosee the Great Wall in all its glory.
Learn all about China
Sitting on the east side of Tiananmen Square, The National Museum of China is the second most visited art museum in the world and its third largest. And it really is quite large: with 65,000 square metres in area, it can be a dizzying experience trying to catch it all in one go – so there's no shame in taking a breather, or even two separate trips. We've broken it down into its best on our handy walkthrough guide. Head there for a journey through 1.7 million years of history.
Snack on street treats
One of the very best things about living in Beijing? You’re never too far from tasty and mightily cheap street snacks wherever you are in town. As the temperature drops, street vendors will be out in full force selling bags of sugarcoated roasted chestnuts (tangchao lizi) and roasted sweet potatoes (kao hongshu). Wrap your freezing fingers around one of the steaming hot bags and wait for the warm fuzzy feeling to kick in.
Drink baijiu
There aren't many drinks more polarising than baijiu. Sometimes compared to paint thinner or rocket fuel, this Chinese spirit is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world. Whether you like it or not, it's guaranteed to warm you up. Check your preconceptions at the door and make yours a tasting flight at Capital Spirits (from 30RMB), this specialist baijiu bar might just change the way you think about the contentious spirit.
Carbo-load on Dongbei food
Hailing from China’s frosty northeastern provinces – and characterised by oil-rich broths, succulent meats, pickled vegetables, dense wheat noodles, potatoes and steamed breads – Dongbei cuisine is the ultimate comfort food. Chain restaurant Culiang Renjia (粗粮人家) is an ever-reliable option for worthy renditions of the classics at reasonable prices. Dongbei-style sweet and sour pork guobaorou (国宝肉) features juicy slices of twice-fried pork smothered in gelatinous sauce and peppered with ginger and garlic; the humble, no-frills ‘Farmer’s Harvest’ (nongjia da fengshou, 农家大丰收) arrives on a large platter with a generous portion of stewed, tender seasonal vegetables and roughly cut chunks of pork. It certainly ain’t fancy, but it does the trick every time.
Brunch your way around town
The beauty of the bottomless brunch is the lack of judgement: it's a guilt-free zone, so don your stretch pants and embrace your inner glutton at these truly tasty, (often) alcohol-soaked daytime feasts. Do it right this weekend. Read all about them here.
Eat yourself warm
Nothing cuts through the wind chill or breaks up polluted and cold days like a punch in the face from some fiery Chinese cuisine. Basted in chilli oil, mounded with freshly sliced chillies, coated in pickled chillies, or almost completely hidden by cracked dried chillies – we'll eat just about anything imbued with enough heat. Yet when it comes to the spicier things, these dishes have got the balance of flavour, texture and face-melting heat down.
There are many more things to do in Beijing, of course, regardless of the weather. For inspiration and guidance on making the most of Beijing, hit 'Read more' below.
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