The peach blossoms and the willows turn green, and it's weekend again. The spring waves are rippling, and boating on the lake is the best way to experience the spring in Beijing. According to statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, as of August last year, there were more than 50 cruise ship units in the city, with a total of more than 5,000 cruise ships of various types.

The Summer Palace

On March 20,2023, more than a hundred ships of all sizes on Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace officially set sail. On the basis of comprehensively updating the wharf facilities, the 200 small cruise ships in the Summer Palace are also equipped with the "5G + Beidou" cruise ship system this year. The tiny 5G box allows the Summer Palace cruise ships to enter the 5G era and at the same time enhances the shipping experience of tourists.

This year, the 200 ships in the Summer Palace are fully equipped with 5G boxes, which integrates the cruise ships into the park’s smart management system. When there is an emergency or a problem with the cruise ship, tourists can call for help through the 5G box so that the staff can quickly locate the ship and provide timely support through the 5G box carried on it. In addition, the on-board commentary service will also be launched this year. Relying on the cruise ship positioning system, when the ship comes around the lake and approaches nearby the attractions, the mobile phone mini-program will pop up a voice guide. Thus the tourists can truly visit the Summer Palace on Kunming Lake.

This year, the Summer Palace has opened 3 small piers, namely Yulantang Pier, Wenchangge Pier, and Bafangting Pier, providing tourists with 200 antiqued battery-powered boats, pedal boats and rowing boats. 11 fixed routes have been set for tourists, basically covering popular scenic spots and main visiting routes in the park. When the wind reaches level 4 and above (including gusts), the staff will stop selling tickets of all cruise ships to ensure the safety of tourists. Additionally, all ships are stocked with life-saving equipment according to the number of passengers permitted.

Tongzhou Grand Canal

[Photo by Gu Wei]

It is learned that the sightseeing sailing route is the round-trip route from the No. 2 Pier of the Canal Olympic Sports Park to the Caoyun Pier. The voyage takes about 60 minutes, with no stops in the middle. After boarding a sightseeing cruise ship, tourists depart from Pier No. 2 and they will cross six bridges all the way to the south, arrive at the Caoyun Pier and finally turn back.

[Photo by Gu Wei]

It is understood that the Canal Cruise currently has 115 ships in operation, including 18 self-propelled ships and 97 non-self-propelled ships, all of which are driven by clean energy.

[Photo by Gu Wei]

In addition to the large sightseeing boats at No. 2 Pier, there are also a variety of small cruise ships in operation at Liuyin Pier and Caoyun Pier. Visitors can row oars with relatives and friends on the canal and feel the breath of spring.

[Photo by Gu Wei]

Sightseeing cruise ships depart 4 times a day, at 9:30, 10:30, 14:00, and 15:30 respectively. On weekends and holidays, the number of sailings will be appropriately increased according to the actual needs of tourists.

[Photo by Gu Wei]

Address: Pier No. 2, Canal Olympic Sports Park, Tongzhou District, Beijing

Yuanmingyuan Park

The Old Summer Palace (also known as Yuanmingyuan) in its heyday was composed of Yuanming Garden, Changchun Garden and Qichun Garden. It began to be built in the period of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty. After more than 150 years of management by emperors such as Yongzheng, Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang, the gardens had been built on flat ground and trees and flowers had been widely planted. People can see various kinds of flowers blooming and rare animals playing there. It was called the royal botanic gardens and zoo for rare animals at that time. Today, this former royal garden is still full of poetic and picturesque scenery when the flowers bloom in spring.

In March, it is warm and flowers are blooming in the Yuanmingyuan Park, while the birds are singing and one can feel the fragrance of flowers. The cruise ship there has started sailing on March 18, 2023.

The Yuanmingyuan Park provides tourists with recreational facilities such as cruise ships, battery cars, and bikes. Among them, there are four-seat and six-seat battery  boats and pedal boats in Fuhai Scenic Area. In order to ensure the safety of tourists on board, the park completes the repair and maintenance of ships and piers in advance. The sightseeing tour around the Fuhai Lake, the lotus area and the transportation boat will start successively. Please refer to the official notice of the Yuanmingyuan Park for the specific sailing time.

Address: No. 28 Qinghua West Road, Haidian District, Beijing

Beihai Park

This year, Beihai Park has prepared 8 categories, 10 types of boats with more than 400 boats for tourists to choose from, including battery-powered boats, pedal boats, rowing boats, sculling boats, and modeling boats.

At present, the bright springtime, the weeping willows around the lake are swaying, while the spring flowers are blooming all over the garden. Tourists may meet with friends, or bring the whole family to explore the Beihai Park, wandering over the Taiye Lake, which will be a great fun.

In order to ensure the safety of the water surface and make the tourists more comfortable, the ship is equipped with enough life-saving equipment according to the number of passengers allowed. The park is also stocked with full-time safety inspectors, who are ready to provide safety reminders and emergency assistance. The park also reminds all tourists not to leave their seats, lean out of the cabin or shake the boat when boarding. And the tourists are reminded to take garbage off the boat after a sailing.

After starting the sailing, the business hours of the cruise ship are from 9:00 to 17:30, and tickets will not be sold after 16:30. In case of strong winds of level 4 and above, to ensure safety, the park will also stop selling tickets.

Address: No. 1 Wenjin Street, Xicheng District, Beijing

Yuyuantan Park

The 34th Cherry Blossom Cultural Activity and the 4th Spring Flower Exhibition in Yuyuantan Park with the theme of “Spring Dawn in Beijing, Cherry Blossoms in Yuyuantan Park” officially opened on March 18, 2023. At present, there are nearly 3,000 cherry blossoms of more than 40 varieties available for tourists to appreciate in Yuyuantan Park.

Visitors going to Yuyuantan Park to enjoy cherry blossoms can choose different gates to enter the park and enjoy different cherry blossom landscapes, especially the Nanshan cherry blossom viewing scenic spot, which was fully completed at the end of last year. Visitors may walk along the mountain cherry blossom viewing trail, watch the cherry blossom garden in full bloom on the opposite bank from afar, and enjoy the beauty of the new garden from different angles to appreciate the stunning Yuyuantan Park.

It is also a good choice to go boating while enjoying the cherry blossoms. You can look at the red blossoms and green willows on both sides of the bank from a distance, and also see the sparkling water around you, indulging in the scenery of cherry blossoms and swaying willows on the waterfront.

There are four piers in the park, namely Yinghuayuan Pier on the north side of West Lake, Nanshan Cherry Blossom Pier on the south side of West Lake, Wetland Garden Pier on the north side of East Lake and Yuanxiangyuan Pier on the south side of East Lake. The piers are equipped with cartoon ships such as flamingo boats, dolphin boats, and yellow duck boats. There are more than 500 cruise ships in total for tourists to experience boating or shipping.

It is worth mentioning that during this year’s cherry blossom cultural activities, Yuyuantan Park implemented “full-ticket” reservations for the first time, involving tourists who buy tickets, tourists with annual, seasonal, or monthly tickets, as well as those who hold Beijing Pass-Pension and Disabled Cards and other policy free tourists. Please don’t forget to make a reservation before traveling.

Address: No. 10, Xisanhuan Middle Road, Haidian District, Beijing

Zizhuyuan Park

Zizhuyuan Park is located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, in Haidian District. This park was built in 1953. It was named after a temple in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Fuyin Zizhuyuan Temple. The entire park covers an area of 47 hectares. Among them, the water surface occupies one-third of the area. In the park, the Shuangzi Canal of Nanchang River meanders through. The whole park forms a structure of two islands, one embankment, one river and one canal. It is a natural garden landscaped with bamboo and has been open for free since 2006.

Chengxian Lake in the park, commonly known as the Great Lake, has a water area of 88,000 square meters. There are three piers in the east, south and north, including 132 four-seat, six-seat, eight-seat battery-powered boats and four-person pedal boats, which can fully satisfy different needs of tourists. There are not only flamingo boats and panda boats that are loved by children, but also interesting imitations of antique car boats, imitations of Hanma warships, and novel beach boats and pavilion boats. With the spring breeze, tourists can go boating to enjoy the peach blossoms, green willows and the spring scenery around the lake.

Address: No. 35 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Liangma River International Customs Waterfront

The 2023 Liangma River cruise line was officially launched on March 19.

The commercial and economic belt along the Liangma River will also witness an upgrade. At present, the planning and construction work has been fully commenced. On the basis of the connection of the 18-kilometer waterfront greenway, the Liangma River commercial and economic belt will form “four characteristic sections and five key links”, while Chaoyang Park and the Junwangfu area will be built into “Pearls” on the Liangma River.

Along the Liangma River, there are Sanlitun, Yansha, Blue Harbor and other important business circles in Beijing. There are not only five-star hotels such as Four Seasons, Bulgari, Kempinski, Westin, Yuyang Hotel, but also restaurants on Michelin and Black Pearl lists such as Xin Rong Ji and Ran Guo. In addition, there are new Internet celebrity restaurants such as Zhuping and 49 Coffee.

Beisded business districts and parks, there are many viewing projects like light show and performances, which makes it become a new highlight of Beijing’s cultural and tourism consumption in recent years.

It is learned that last year, there were 12 ships of 3 types on the Liangma River route, and 6 new cruise ships of 5 types were also added this year. Among them, open-top boats, water buses, and ordinary cruise ships are mainly for ordinary tourists, while Chinese-style luxury boats and small luxury boats are mainly for group tourists.

Address: Yansha Pier, Yansha Youyi Shopping Center, Dongsanhuan North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing