Winter has come to Beijing with heavy snowfall, and various lakes have frozen. It's the best time in a year to go out and put on the skates.
Beijing has several open-air ice rinks. Some of them have been turned into modern ice and snow wonderlands. If you like the pure experience of sliding on ice, then you shouldn't miss the following rinks in the downtown area.
Skating anyone?
# Shichahai
Location: Shichahai (also known as Houhai), Xicheng district
Opening Hours: 9:00-17:30
Maximum number of permitted skaters: 2,000
Tickets: 30 yuan on weekdays, 40 yuan weekends and holidays
Fun games: Ice slide, dragon boat on ice, motorbike on ice, etc.
# Kunming lake
Location: Summer Palace, Haidian district
Opening Hours: 8:30-16:30
Area: 700,000 sq. m, equivalent to 98 soccer fields
Tickets: 20 yuan for park entrance, additional charges for games on ice.
Fun games: Ice slide, sled, electric ice boat, etc.
# Hehua lake
Location: Beihai Park, Xicheng district
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00
Area: 15,000 sqm
Tickets: Five yuan for park entrance, additional charges for games on ice
Royal Manchu Ice Skating Performance: 11:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, January 13 -17
# Beijing Botanical Garden
Location: Wofosi Road, Haidian district
Opening Hours: 7:00-17:00
Area: 1,000 sq. m
Tickets: yuan for garden entrance (2.5 yuan if you have student ID), additional charges for games on ice.
Fun games: Sled, bike on ice, etc.
This is a man-made ice rink.
# Weiming lake
Location: Peking University, Haidian district
Opening Hours: 10:00-18:00 on weekdays, 9:00-18:00 on weekends
Tickets: 20 yuan per hour and 200-yuan deposit for outsiders to rent skating boots, 40 yuan per hour and 200-yuan deposit for outsiders to rent sleds
Visitors must book in advance on the WeChat account of Peking University or the website of the university’s Security Department.
# Xihu lake and Heilong lake
Location: Tsinghua University, Haidian district
Opening Hours: 8:30-11:30, 13:00-16:00
The ice rink on Xihu lake is divided into recreational and training zones. Only the recreational zone is open to the public. The ice rink on Heilong lake is open only to Tsinghua students.
