Seven Tips for Surviving Beijing's Cold this Winter

Temperatures are dropping fast, and we won't be seeing a temperature above 0 degrees Celcius (32 Fahrenheit) for the next seven days. If this is your first Beijing winter, you aren't from somewhere chilly, or you just like to complain about being cold, here are some tips to keep the blood flowing through your toes and fingertips this winter.

Warning: Many of the items below do not follow conventional fashion trends or guidelines and you will have to make a choice: to be warm, or to be fashionable.

Don't Scrounge on Shoes and Clothes
Don't be silly, spend the money to keep yourself warm. Get a good quality (and probably expensive) coat, and invest in some good thermals (Uniqlo's range are my favorite). Even easier if you are going home for Christmas: make sure you invest in some good quality threads and shoes, especially if your shoe size doesn't fall in the conventional Chinese range. 

Get Heat Patches
Your local 7/11 and Haolinju supermarkets will sell patches that automatically warm up in various different shapes and sizes: some are fit around your toes, some for your back (pictured above), and others are simply to put in your pockets to keep your hands warm when you're out and about.

Turn on Your AC
This one might seem obvious, but it's easy to forget that your a/c also has a hot setting. If your heating isn't doing its job, turn your AC on 28 degrees right before you go to sleep to warm up your room. It's worth it, and should be done in about 10 minutes depending on the size of your room.
 

A Blanket For Your E-Bike
RMB 40 will get you a pretty nice set of blanket and mittens that will, at the very least, keep the wind out, but generally also adds another layer of insulation. Just make sure you remember to take it off or leave your bike under cover when it starts snowing (something I did not do this past weekend ...). Get a hat, and you'll be ready to get going. Only for those who don't mind being stared at even more.

Electric Blanket
Getting an electric blanket can make all the difference at night, especially if your heating isn't working well or you don't have any. There are plenty of different options in all price categories on JD.com, and some aren't even that hideous! As long as you're not planning on taking anyone home, that doesn't really matter.
 

Fluffy Leggings
Fluffy leggings – where do we start with these? A friend of mine has best described the sensation as "as though angels are hugging your legs." That's really all you need to know, I think. Get them on JD.com here, or otherwise get to your local supermarket where they'll always sell an assortment of brands. Golden Towers in Wudaokou sells them, and the Silk Market does too. Unfortunately we used to buy them in Yashow, but haven't yet seen any in the new rendition. Get these tiger ones and you'll easily be the most fashionable person in the office.

Batteries
Granted, this tip is more valid if you're visiting Harbin this winter, but temperatures are dropping enough to make it worth mentioning: your batteries will deplete really quickly in the cold. Make sure you keep your phone or camera warm, for example by sticking the batteries or your phone in a sock. Warming up the battery should restore it relatively quickly.

More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Photos: JD.com