Embrace Winter at These Outdoor Skating Rinks

Ice skating season is firmly upon us, and we'd have to admit, there’s nothing quite like skating in the open air on a frozen lake. Thankfully, there are plenty of such places in Beijing during the winter months where you can lace on some skates, hop on an ice bike or even do some zorbing all out in the open air.

Below we’ve highlighted some of the top spots and it’s easy to buy tickets for them either through Dianping, or through the mini program 同程旅行 Tóngchéng Lǚxíng, just follow the instructions in this article. 

Shichahai

One of the most popular spots to strap on some skates, Shichahai – aka Houhai as it’s commonly known – swaps out boats for skates and other ice-friendly vehicles once winter hits. Shichahai’s central location makes it a super easy place to get to and with all the bars and restaurants surrounding it, you’ve got tons of options to warm up with some food or a drink afterward! Be warned, though, it can get pretty busy here so it’s a good idea to book tickets ahead. 

Shichahai 什刹海冰场
5 Qianhai Nanyan, Xicheng District
西城区前海南沿5号
Price:  Weekday RMB 30, weekend RMB 40
Hours: 9am-6pm

Beihai Park

With scenic views of its famous White Pagoda, Baihai Park is a lovely spot for skating and, much like Shichahai, its central location means you don’t have to go miles to get there. Here they’ve got skates, ice chairs and ice bikes available to rent. 

Beihai Park  北海公园荷花湖冰场
Inside Beihai Park, 1 Manjin Jie (South Side)
文津街1号北海公园内(南侧)
Price: RMB 80
Hours: 9am-5pm

The Summer Palace

If you’re looking for plenty of space while skating then you can’t beat the Summer Palace with its massive Kunming Lake! Plus with all the temples, bridges and other Chinese architecture in the background, it makes for one truly stunning place to skate. 

Summer Palace 颐和园昆明湖冰场
Kunming Lake, Yihe Yuan, Haidian District
海淀区颐和园昆明湖
Price: RMB 50
Hours: 8.30am-4pm

The Old Summer Palace

The lesser known Old Summer Palace also has a skating rink and tends to be a little less busy than some of the other spots on this list. Here they also have a snow area where you can partake in various activities like sledding, zorbing, driving in a mini tank (yep you read that right) and more.

Old Summer Palace 圆明园冰场
28 Qinghua Xilu, Qinglongqiao Jiedao, Haidian District
海淀区青龙桥街道清华西路28号
Price: RMB 50-100
Hours: 9am-5pm

Olympic Park

For those wanting to skate in the shadow of more modern architecture, there is a skating rink just southeast of the Birds Nest Stadium in Olympic Park. Here along with the usual skates, ice chairs and ice sleds, you can also go dog sledding! 

Olympic Park 双奥冰场
Inside the Olympic Park, 15 Beichen Donglu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区北辰东路15号北京奥林匹克公园内
Price: Zone 1 RMB 90; Zones 2-4 weekday RMB 250, weekend RMB 300
Hours: 9am-5pm

Shougang Park

Located right by the famous Big Air ski jumping ramp from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is a pretty large ice rink. Although it’s a little far to get to you’ll be rewarded with far less crowds than at some of the other places on this list. Along with ice skating, they’ve got numerous other fun things to do like sledding, snow digging, sledding, zorbing, snow tubes and, of course, posing with a big Bing Dwen Dwen statue. 

Shougang Park 首钢园冰雪
360 meters southeast of the intersection of Minghu Beilu and Minghu Xijie, Shijingshan District
石景山区汇群明湖北路与群明湖西街交叉口东南360米
Price: RMB 29-178
Hours: 10am-5pm

Bonus: Ice and Snow Festivals

There are a few places in Beijing that while don’t really do ice skating per se, but instead offer a whole range of other ice and snow related activities to partake in as part of snow and ice festivals. These are also great options for those with kids. 

The Liangma River Ice and Snow Festival

Located just south of Solana in the north section of Chaoyang Park, this ice festival features many activities like sledding, towable snow tubes, trampolines and more. To purchase tickets you can scan the QR code in the poster below.

Chaoyang Park 朝阳公园
Chaoyang Park, Shell Theater, Central Island, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳公园中心岛贝壳剧场
Price: Weekday RMB 99
Hours: 9am-5pm

Purple Bamboo Park Ice and Snow Festival

Normally known for its stunning cherry blossoms during the spring, Purple Bamboo Park transforms during the winter months into an ice and snow park. Here they have electric snow bikes, snow tube games, zorbing, sledding and other snow and ice related activities. 

Purple Bamboo Park 紫竹院公园
35 zhongguancun Nandajie, Zhuziyuan Jiedao, Haidian District
海淀区紫竹院街道中关村南大街35号
Price: RMB 50
Hours: 8.30am-5pm

READ: Soak in Some Warmth at These Hot Spring Resorts

Images: Uni You, courtesy of the venues, Dianping