Beijing News You Might Have Missed This Week, Jan 10

“Brrr” is an understatement: On Wednesday, we reported that Beijing was set to have the coldest night in two decades. It did indeed set the record for coldest night of the century, but the very next day, the winds took it away. The coldest day in 54 years, freezing out tears, happened on Thursday as temperatures dipped to -19.2-degree Celcius. In fact, it was so gosh darn cold that some Beijingers were able to film themselves throwing hot water to watch it freeze before their eyes.

Train to the burbs: Suburban travel is getting easier by the day as Beijing continues to expand its subway lines to the city’s outskirts. Last week, the middle section of line 16 opened, completing the route from Xicheng district straight through to the north-west corner of Haidian district. The northern section of Fanshang's line opened as well, which runs from Fengtai district to Fangshan district. Additionally, transit authorities announced that Line 1 will be connected to the Batong Line by 2022.

Refundable travel plans: As city residents are being strongly discouraged from traveling outside the capital during Spring Festival this year, many airlines are now offering full refunds on tickets purchased for upcoming travel. If you have purchased plane tickets and would like to cancel, check if the airline has issued a new refund policy.

Eagles show tail at the Ming Tombs: In a hopeful pattern of migratory birds reappearing in Beijing, a family of white-tailed eagles was spotted at the Ming Tombs for the first time. Representatives from the conservation research center said they expect the number of bird sightings to increase.

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