Beijing Winter Games – Ice Biking on Lake Houhai
Sunday, 10. January 2021
The past week has been uncharacteristically cold with almost everyone agreeing that this is the coldest winter in Beijing since a along time. While I think its somewhat similarly cold as in February 2016 – when one of my best friends came to visit Beijing and we were almost unable to leave the comfort of the indoors – I have to agree that is was (and still is) ice cold. Figuratively as well as literally. And unlike last year when temperatures did barely go subzero, the arctic weather of the last few weeks had all bodies of water freeze over permanently. Perfect conditions for one of Beijing’s most beloved winter traditions to come to the fore – ice biking and skating on Shichahai.
What I remembered from two years ago and the years before was that on the west side of Shichahai (basically the west end of lake Houhai) the amount of visitors would be a little less. It turned out however that despite our relatively late arrival at around 3pm the crowds were still arriving, with queues to go onto the ice some two hours long. Different was also the location of the ice skating “rink” and the open ice for other games, such as the ice biking. It used to be the same entrance with two different sections leading either onto skating or riding ice, yet this year the two activities had completely separated access locations. We went around the ice until we finally – and after two false starts at queue up – arrived at gate #6, from which we could go onto the ice biking section of Lake Houhai with only a 15 minute wait. We diligently showed our green health code, paid the stiff 80 RMB entrance fee and then were off onto the ice. Grabbing a bike was easy enough and once you remembered how to steer it and accelerate, the only trick left to learn is to dodge the other people on the ice who have not yet learned those crucial skills. Every year I’m newly surprised at how much fun this is.
And while it was not super cold this Sunday we were still glad to have brought a thermos with hot tea and heated soles inside our shoes. Usually you cannot be longer than 60 minutes on the frozen lake and after a few rounds around and across the lake, your fingers and feet start freezing no matter your degree of preparation. Traditionally we go for hotpot after this frozen adventure, but this time we settled for Vietnamese Pho to heat us back up instead. A truly delicious end to a fun afternoon out during Beijing’s winter.
rice is the new bread 