BEIJING: In winter, Kunming Lake of the Summer Palace, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site in Beijing, becomes the city’s major ice rink for winter fun.
The natural ice rink in the northwestern part of Beijing has a total area of 350,000 square meters, able to accommodate 5,000 people at a time. In January, it received more than 230,000 players in activities such as ice-cart racing and speed skating.
Several rounds of snowfall this winter have adorned the grand ancient architectural structures in the park, garnering widespread popularity among tourists.
“Skating on the ice lake in the former royal garden, with the backdrop of the famous 17-arch bridge, is like a dream for me,” said a tourist surnamed Liu from Shanghai.
After hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing had a packed schedule of giving its sports venues to international competitions of winter sports this winter. Beijing’s Shougang Park, an iconic venue from the Winter Games, welcomed the return of big air action with the FIS Snowboard and Freeski Big Air World Cup between Nov 30 and Dec 2 in 2023.
In addition to using the Winter Olympic heritage to stage professional matches, Beijing has been keen to attract locals and tourists to experience the ice and snow fun with the public facilities. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
