Beijing Winter Travel 北京冬季旅游攻略

史小今

Beijing is a wonderful place to go during winter when the city assumes different landscapes for visitors to admire. Winter usually lasts from November until March in Beijing， and it is cold indeed. However， the season is endowed with unique qualities， and you will have a great time， too. Here are some reasons why you should be tempted to go to Beijing in winter， and some advice on what to do.

There are many interesting activities that can only be enjoyed in winter， such as skiing， skating， and appreciating ice lanterns and snow.

Many traditional festivals are celebrated in winter， like the Laba Festival， Chinese New Year， and Lantern Festival; during the celebration periods， visitors can taste delicious festival food and experience traditional folk customs.

Travel expenses are greatly reduced in winter apart from during public holidays. There are savings to be made on such things as flights， hotels， admission fees， and charges for using facilities at scenic spots.

Scenic spots will be less crowded in winter. So， visitors will certainly have a much better experience.

Here are some suggestions on what to do when you travel to Beijing in winter.

As a typical northern city in China， Beijing is endowed with snow in winter. Sometimes， it snows to everyone’s surprise and the city presents a unique landscape. Everything is so peaceful and charming. Come out and enjoy the snow scenes; it will leave you with a deep impression. A visit to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall at this time will be a wonderful once in a life time experience.

Skiing is not only very exciting， but also good for ones’ health. Skiing is a great way to exercise， breathe fresh air， and have a lot of fun. There are many ski resorts in Beijing， including the Huaibei International Ski Resort， the Jundushan Ski， the Nanshan Ski Village， the Shijinglong Ski Resort， the Yuyang Ski Resort， the Qiaobo Ice and Snow World， the Yunfoshan Ski Resort， the Badaling Ski Resort， and the Xueshijie Ski Resort. Choose one and delight yourself in the white wonderland.

Apart from skiing， skating is also a popular and healthy sport. It can improve one’s sense of balance， coordination， and enhance flexibility. While exercising their hearts and lungs， skaters have lots of fun in sliding and gyrating on the pure ice. There are indoor and outdoor skating rinks in the city. The most popular indoor rinks are the New World Skating Rink， the Le Cool Skating Rink， and the Rink at the Olympic Sports Center. Outdoor rinks include the rink at Shichahai， the rink at the Taoranting Park， the Houhe Skating Rink， the rink at the Yuyuantan Park， the rink at the Zizhuyuan Park， the ice rink at the Old Summer Palace （Yuanmingyuan）， and the rink on the Weiming Lake in the Peking University. Skating is very popular with people of all ages on cold days. Tourists can experience the real life of local people by joining them in the exciting activity.

No matter how cold it is in Beijing， all the four （Badaling， Mutianyu， Ju-yongguan and Jinshanling） sections of the Great Wall are open to the public.

Climbing the Great Wall in Beijing winter will be more exciting and challenging， whether you are hiking on a clear sunny day or a snowy day.

The sunny winter days of Beijing is very warm and delightful， and select a section of the Great Wall， and climb to its top. What a sight！

While it’s snowing lightly， have an excursion to the Great Wall is another life-time experience.

Remember to wear warmly.

It is a unique and beneficial experience to bathe in a hot spring in the bitter winter cold. Hot springs are abundant with minerals and essential microelements. It can help to ease metabolic diseases， joint and respiratory disorders. Furthermore， they can make one’s skin smooth and delicate. There are many hot spring resorts in and around Beijing， including the Longmai Hot Spring Village in Xiaotangshan， the Nangong Hot Spring Resort， the Hot Spring Resort at the Yingda Biological Garden， and the Chunhuiyuan Hot Spring Resort.

Enjoying Ice Lanterns

Ice lanterns are a beautiful winter decoration. They fall into two types in accordance with their method of creation： freezing and ice-carving. To make ice lanterns by freezing means filling moulds with water， freezing them outdoors， taking out the ice， and lighting a candle in it. The other method is to carve different figures from a block of ice. These may be ice dragons， lions， towers， horses， or peacocks. The result is a beautiful ice lantern when lighting a candle in it or installing a lamp. After being lit， the lanterns will present different colors. That is very fascinating！ Enjoying ice lanterns is a traditional custom during Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. The most popular destinations to appreciate ice lamps include the Longqing Gorge in Yanqing， the Workers’ Stadium， and the Olympic Park.

Various temples fairs are held during the Chinese New Year， including the Red Mansions Fair at the Grand View Garden， the Imperial Temple Fair at the Yuanmingyuan （Old Summer Palace）， the Fair at the Ming Tombs， the Temple Fair at the Longtan Park， the Fair at the Temple of Earth， and the Fair at the Lianhuachi Park. Tourists can enjoy wonderful folk performances， such as the Oral Stunts， the Beijing Opera， and the Diabolo Performance. They can also appreciate other aspects of cultural heritages， including the paper-cut， pottery， and shadow puppetry.

When the winter comes， all of the lakes in the parks will freeze over， so there are many fun activities on the lakes， including ice skating.

There are those bikes where the back wheel is a treaded bike tire and the front of it has ice skate runners. Some people ride bumper cars with one central tire and the rest ice skates.

A big sheep pull kids around in a padded ice sledge. There are those really weird little things for kids where a little automated figure pulls the kid around in a little cart.

Some people play ring toss games， where there are various prizes out on the ice and you can try to toss a ring around them. Others munched on cotton candy.

Besides， there are also lots of park performances： Chinese opera， collective Chinese folk songs， and lots of dramatic and emotionally-riveting karaoke performances.

Also， people will just be sitting and standing in large groups， chatting， playing cards， sometimes playing “go” or Chinese chess.

The popular parks and lakes include： Qianhai Lake， Zhongshan Park， Zizhuyuan Park， Weiming Lake at Peking University， Chaoyang Park， and Summer Palace.

All the major attractions， including museums and art galleries， are still open in Beijing in winter. As a China’s vibrant and exciting capital city， Beijing is home to many world-class museums and art galleries. There are over 150 to choose from， ranging from the historical to the hi-tech.

If you are not interested in shopping at high-end shopping malls in Beijing， where everything seems to be overpriced at fixed prices， then why not dig into the plentiful free or flea markets where you can enjoy bargaining with the local vendors.

The Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore and Beijing Xinhua Bookstore are major book sellers. The China Book Store in Liulichang binds and repairs all kinds of books and periodicals as well as selling them. Another good place for books is Haidian book street near Peking University.

After having a lot of fun， you may be cold and hungry， and wonder what to eat. The favorite has to be hot pot. You and your friends can sit around a simmering pot at a table， place your favorite ingredients into it， and then you can help yourselves. Typical hot pot dishes include the thinly sliced beef and mutton， meat balls， seafood， dumplings， wontons， noodles， mushrooms， seaweed， sweet corn， tofu skin， lettuce， and other green vegetables. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce， like sesame paste， chili sauce， and pickled tofu. It is all so delicious， and you will soon get warm.

● It can be very cold outside， so you are advised to put on thick jackets， hats， masks， and scarves before going out.

● Wear a pair of antiskid shoes after snow because the road will be slippery.

● Wear an anti-haze mask to protect yourselves from haze when necessary.

● Remember also that it is quite dry in this season. So you should drink plenty of water， eat fresh vegetables and fruit， and apply some moisturizer to your exposed skin.

● Wear a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes when skating and enjoying snow outside.

● Book transportation tickets well in advance during the Chinese New Year to avoid disappointment.

冬季的北京是旅游胜地，美景各不同，处处堪欣赏。

北京的冬季大约在每年11月至来年3月，冷是很冷，但别有一番韵味，一定会让你乐在其中。以下是一些值得让你冬季来北京的原因，以及游玩攻略。

很多有趣的活动只有冬天才能玩，如滑雪、滑冰以及看冰灯和赏雪。

很多传统节日都在冬季，如腊八节、春节、元宵节等。庆祝这些传统佳节期间，游客们可以品尝节日美食，体验传统民俗。

只要不是在公众假期，冬季旅游能在机票、酒店、门票、景点设施收费等方面大大节省支出。

冬天，旅游景点的人也会少很多，因此游客一定会获得更好的旅行体验。

以下是冬季到北京游玩的若干建议。

北京是中国典型的北方城市，冬天总会下雪。有时，飘落的雪花给人们带来惊喜，而銀装素裹的北京有种别致的美，一切都是那么祥和、迷人。出门赏雪吧，那美景定令你难忘。这个时候若能到紫禁城和长城一游，则是此生难得一遇的绝妙体验。

滑雪既刺激又有利于健康，是集锻炼身体、呼吸新鲜空气、开心玩乐为一体的上佳运动方式。北京有很多滑雪胜地，如：怀北国际滑雪场、军都山滑雪场、南山滑雪度假村、石京龙滑雪场、渔阳国际滑雪场、乔波冰雪世界、云佛山滑雪场、八达岭滑雪场和雪世界滑雪场。任选一家，都能让你置身于冰雪仙境之中，乐不思蜀。

除了滑雪，滑冰也是一项既流行又有益健康的运动。它有助于提高人的平衡感、协调性和灵活性。在锻炼心肺功能的同时，滑冰者们还能体验到在冰上滑行和旋转的乐趣。北京有室内和室外溜冰场。比较受欢迎的室内溜冰场有新世界溜冰场、国贸溜冰场和奥体中心溜冰场。室外溜冰场则有：什刹海冰场、陶然亭公园冰场、后河滑冰场、玉渊潭公园冰场、紫竹院冰场、圆明园冰场，以及北大的未名湖滑冰场。在寒冷的冬日里，各个年龄段的人们都喜欢滑冰。游客们可以通过加入这项激动人心的活动来切身体验一下北京人的生活。

不管天多冷，北京的八达岭、慕田峪、居庸关、金山岭四段长城都会向公众开放。

无论天晴还是飘雪，在北京冬天爬长城都会令人兴奋且充满挑战。

在北京阳光灿烂、温暖宜人的冬日里选择一段长城登顶，望长城内外，风光无限。

而若在雪花飘零的时候选择去登长城，则是另一种难得的人生经历。

记得多穿点哦。

三九天泡温泉，是种独特而又有益的体验。温泉中富含矿物质和人体必需的微量元素，有助于缓解代谢性疾病、关节和呼吸系统疾病。而且，泡温泉使人的皮肤光滑、细腻。北京周边有很多温泉度假村，包括小汤山的龙脉温泉度假村、南宫温泉度假村、英达生态园温泉度假村和春晖园温泉度假村。

冰灯堪称北京冬季里一道靓丽的风景线。按照制作方法，可以分为冷冻冰灯和雕刻冰灯两种。冷冻冰灯的做法是，在模具里装满水，置于室外将水冻结成冰，再将冰从模具中取出，然后在里面点上蜡烛即可。另一种雕刻冰灯则是在一大块冰上雕刻出诸如龙、狮子、高塔、马或孔雀等不同造型，然后在里面点上蜡烛或者安装电灯，美丽的冰灯就完成了。点亮后的冰灯五彩斑斓，甚是迷人。赏冰灯是中国春节和元宵节期间的传统风俗。北京最佳赏冰灯的地点包括延庆龙庆峡、工人体育场和奥林匹克公园。

春节期间，北京会举办很多庙会。包括大观园的红楼庙会、圆明园皇家庙会、明十三陵庙会、龙潭公园庙会、地坛庙会和莲花池公园庙会。游客们可以欣赏到口技、京剧、抖空竹等民间表演，也能欣赏到剪纸、陶艺、皮影戏等其他文化遗产。

冬天来临时，公园的湖面都会冻结成冰，冰上可以进行包括滑冰在内的许多娱乐活动。

比如，有这样一种冰上骑的自行车，后端是普通自行车车轮，而前端则是滑冰鞋用的那种冰刀。还有冰上碰碰车，这种车中间有个车轮，底部还装有冰刀。

大绵羊拉着加垫雪橇载着孩子到处跑，还有些稀奇古怪的叫不上名字的玩意儿，比如可以拉着他们满场转悠的自动小人儿车。

冰面上可以玩的还有掷环游戏，就是在冰上摆放各种奖品，你可以试着投环套奖品，套住就是你的了。不玩的人可以吃棉花糖。

此外，还有很多公园表演，如中国戏曲、民歌合唱以及许多激动人心、引人入胜的卡拉OK表演。

当然，人们也可以坐在一起或站在一块儿，聊天、打牌，下围棋或者象棋。

人气较旺的公园和湖泊景点包括：前海、中山公园、紫竹院公园、北京大学未名湖、朝阳公园和颐和园。

包括博物馆与艺术画廊在内的所有主要景点，在北京的冬季都正常开放。作为中国充满活力又令人兴奋的首都，北京有许多世界级博物馆和艺术画廊。从历史领域到高科技领域，有超过150家博物馆与艺术画廊供游客选择。

北京的高端商场商品都太贵还不能打折，如果你不喜欢去那里购物，为什么不去逛一逛那么多的自由市场和跳蚤市场呢？和当地小贩砍砍价，多有趣呀！

北京外文書店和北京新华书店是大型书店。琉璃厂的中国书店除卖书之外，还能装订和修复各种书刊。北京大学附近的图书城步行街也是买书的好地方。

游玩过后，你可能会又冷又饿，吃点儿什么呢？首选当然是火锅了。你跟朋友们可以围坐在桌旁，在热气腾腾的锅里涮自己喜欢的食材，然后大快朵颐。经典的火锅涮菜有切得很薄的牛羊肉片、肉丸子、海鲜、饺子、馄饨、面条、蘑菇、海带、甜玉米、豆腐皮、莴苣和其他一些绿色蔬菜。涮菜通常要配合蘸料吃，如芝麻酱、辣椒酱和酱豆腐。这些美味会让你很快暖和起来。

外面可能会很冷，所以出门前最好穿上厚夹克，戴上帽子、口罩和围巾。

雪后路滑，最好穿双防滑鞋。

带上防雾霾口罩，以抵御雾霾侵袭。

要记得这个季节很干。最好多补充些水分，多吃新鲜的水果和蔬菜，在暴露的肌肤上多涂抹一些保湿乳液。

户外滑冰、赏雪一定要戴墨镜以保护眼睛。

为了避免旅行计划落空，新年期间去北京游玩要提前订好往返票。                       □

（译者单位：清华大学社科学院）