Winter Tour Beijing

Every year, when a whole load of fluffy snowflakes fall in Beijing, the city turns into a winter wonderland – for about an hour. Then, it all turns to brown, slippery slush or a compressed sheet of ice with the sole purpose of slipping you up. Only parks, roof tops and other spots untouched by man seem to retain that wintery beauty we all long for when the bitter, cold descends upon the city – at least that's what the clueless think. But we've got news for you: Beijing is home to not one but many ski resorts , offering a range of snowy slopes for beginners and advanced level skiers, all within easy reach of downtown Beijing. So quit moaning about Beijing's smoggy, grey winters and embrace the winter activities on offer!Nanshan Ski Village Nanshan is hands down one of the most popular skiing resorts in northern China. Located in Miyun County about 80 km from downtown Beijing, Nanshan is both a site for top class skiing that caters to all levels, and a first choice venue for major international winter sport events such as the annual Nanshan Red Bull Open snowboarding competition. Another integral reason for its popularity is the fact that Nanshan Ski Village is the largest of its kind in northern China. The resort currently boasts twenty-one slopes for beginners, intermediate and advanced skiers and is equipped with top of the range facilities and high-tech snow making machines. Besides the ski trails, the resort also offers many other entertainment choices, such as a 1,318 metre long toboggan imported form Germany, sleds and children's snowmobiles from Canada as well as cable hang-gliders. Ski lessons are also available starting from 264/330 RMB per person on weekdays and weekends respectively, though you'll get a better rate for larger groups. Though Nanshan can be reached by car in 30 minutes from Beijing via the new Jingcheng Highway making it a convenient day-trip ski destination, the resort also offers excellent food and lodging facilities for overnight guests.Add: Nanshan Ski Village, Shengshuitou Village, Miyun County, Beijing Website: www.nanshanski.com/english/index.htm Getting there: Special direct buses leave from the parking lot near Home Link real estate in the Fortune Times building daily at 08:30, and takes approximately 50 minutes. The shuttle leaves Nanshan at 17:30 for Beijing and costs 40 RMB round-trip. Seats should be booked at least a day in advance, call 8909 1909 for info. Jundushan is located in the middle of a hot springs resort—a great place to relax after a day of skiing. Featuring seven ski slopes of varying difficulty, Jundushan also has an excellent lighting system so you can ski at night too. Ski lessons start from 320/360 RMB for two hours on weekdays and weekends, respectively. There's also a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi.read more...