Winter in Beijing

Asia » China » Beijing
January 10th 2010

Published: January 11th 2010

Winter in Beijing, by Paul From Hong Kong we flew to Beijing. We had spent four months in tropical heat in Southeast Asia, then a bit of time in Hong Kong, which was cool and refreshing. Then it was straight into mid-winter in Beijing. Cold Beijing. Beijing was cold. We were prepared, as you can see from the pictures, but it was cold. Most days were sunny, with highs around freezing and low... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 63, Displayed: 21

Park Outside Forbidden City

Huge Sweet Potato

Sweet Potatoes are sold on the streets as a cheap and healthy snack. This one was huge. They were always delicious.

Lama Temple

This temple supposedly is Tibetan, but there wasn't much about that appeared or felt Tibetan.

May and Ella, Temple of Heaven

Niuje Mosque Minaret

This is a minaret, even though it doesn't really look like one. There has been an active mosque here since the 900s. Muslims were active in Beijing when Europe was still 500-600 years from the Renaissance.....

Roofline, Forbidden City

Winter Trees, Hutong

Our youth hostel was on a re-built and gentrified hutong, a traditional Beijing back alley. The winter trees were beautiful against the clear winter sky.

Our Youth Hostel

Great place to stay - toasty warm, helpful staff, great breakfast, huge room, comfortable beds.

Curving Wall

Ella on the Edge of the World

Great Wall

Curves of the Great Wall

Ella Running on the Great Wall

We hiked for 2-3 hours on the wall. Ella liked it so much that she trotted, skipped, ran, or hopped most of the hike. We slogged along behind her, trying to keep up.

Steep Stairs Up, Great Wall

This was a long climb. You can tell that Ella is excited to take it on.

Steep Ladder Steps, Great Wall

May isn't fond of heights and tricky steep parts. This was not her favorite section of the wall.

Ice Swimming

We saw several people swimming in this place where they somehow kept the ice clear.

Heading Down the Steps

Great Wall, heading back down

Starting Down

May and Ella starting back down a loooong flight of steps.

Strong Women, Great Wall

They did it!

End of the Hike, Great Wall

Beijing Streets

Much of Beijing was fancy and new and redone, but much of it too was like this - nice, new, modern, but not so fancy and a bit drab.

Frozen Lake, Summer Palace

Not very summery - a walk along a frozen lake with hundreds of Chinese folks on a very cold Saturday.

11th January 2010

marian
non-member comment

Beijing winter
I'm going to read this several times, to take it all in. It almost makes me feel like I've been there too. Sounds as if they snow and ice actually gave you a second visit to Beijing, Thanks for putting together these blogs! Marian

11th January 2010

Louisa Goebel
non-member comment

Beijing
Glad to hear China is doing so well! I'm sure Mother and Daddy would be fascinated by all of the changes! Winter sounds like a great time to see Beijing. I will avoid the banana pancake trail and the yoga meditation trail. It is good to sometimes move on. Great pictures! Maybe the middle/old age park dancing will catch on here. Happy Birthday, May! Love, Louisa and Paul

13th January 2010

Holly
non-member comment

Enjoyable evening
I just wanted to thank you for sharing these posts. We've had a run of cold wintry weather and I haven't thought to disco dance in a park or ice scoober, but now I will. I agree with Marian--there's so much to take in from your posts! Patsy--you rock!

16th January 2010

Doris
non-member comment

Beijing
I loved your wonderful description of Beijing. The dancing was great. I would have been right out there with them. I thought I might have seen Ella in the first one. I have always wanted to see the great wall. Your pictures are wonderful. It is cold here also but nothing like what you have. We did have 15 inches of snow 2 weeks before Christmas. In fact some of it is still hanging around. Everyone says it is waiting for more. Thanks for your wonderful blogs. They are great! Doris

9th October 2011

Lorraine L.
non-member comment

SUB ZERO Winter in BEIJING
Winter in Beijing is appealing without so many tourists & is a totally different climate to my home.Thinking of going as extension to Harbin Ice Festival.Friends think it odd.

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Winter in Beijing

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