Ice, ice baby

By By Cheng Anqi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-19 12:34

Skaters having fun at Shichahai. AFP

Ice-skaters are grabbing their skates, putting on their mittens and heading to some of the capital's most picturesque frozen lakes for a twirl on the ice.

Beijing winters are famously freezing and 2008/09 has been the coldest in 5 years. Ice rinks, therefore, make the most of frozen assets. Kids take out their wooden "ice-chairs", older couples slide arm-in-arm across the ice.

You don't have to go far to ice skate. Weiming Lake, inside Peking University, continues its age-old tradition of small-scale, local skating and free-admission. Skates can be rented from makeshift skate stalls for 10 yuan, and snack vendors stand by with candied crab apples.

For real ice enthusiasts, Qianhai Lake in Shishahai, Xicheng district, remains the city's premier outdoor skating rink. It has been attracting locals more than 50 years.

As Christmas carols and waltzes blare through loudspeakers, huge crowds of skaters stumble through either low speed or high speed skating zones. The real die-hards suit up for the hockey rink on the lake's interior.

Shishahai Lake has more on-ice vehicles than ever this year, but "ice chairs" steal the show. Couples on these double-seated chairs, kids on stools with steering wheels attached, and men on high chairs all sail by. A boy maneuvers a giant plastic rabbit with blades glued to its feet.

Before you go, you'll need to think about safety. Although people skate on many lakes in Beijing, only a few of them are actually endorsed by the authorities. At approved areas, you will find carefully sectioned off skating arenas for novices, intermediates and "ice-chair" drivers.

For those want to enjoy the ice in a less painful way, they can go to Yanqing county for the Longqingxia Ice Lantern Festival. With all its ice carvings, colored lanterns and steep ice slides, it's got all the ingredients for an ideal family day out or a romantic get-away.

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