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Snow and Ice at Bird’s Nest (National Stadium)

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Plan your Beijing winter tour? Are you coming from a hot country with little concrete concept of snow? If you are eager to play snow in Beijing, now you don’t have to bother yourself to go to the ski resorts dotted around the suburbs of Beijing ( See the Top 10 Ski Resorts in Beijing ). You are able to enjoy various snow activities inside Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest). Its third “Happy Snow and Ice Season festival starts from Dec 17, 2011 to Feb 29, 2012.

The two-week Olympic fiest has left Beijing the two world famous olympic sites nicknamed Bird’s Nest and Water Cube. Beijing National Stadium faces almost the same problem as other post olympic games countries in how to keep the their stadiums in the black. So an albatross or a fortune for Bird’s Nest? The fake fluff produced inside Beijing National Stadium since 2009 has shown that it wants a positive result.

This year’s Happy Snow and Ice Season held by National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) lasts from Dec 17, 2011 to Feb 29, 2012. As usual the basic snow activities inlude an artificial snow playground (or so-called ski resort), bumper cars, sled runs, snow castle featuring cartoon characters an ice rink.

Beijing National Stadium’s 80% of the annual income comes from the entrance tickets paid by visitors during their maiden trips to Beijing. Making the good use of Bird’s Nest in winter is aimed at keeping its profit generating momentum. People have to shell out over RMB 50 apiece just to enter the stadium, plus RMB 40 for the snow playing inside, added up to RMB 90 per person.

The Third Happy Snow and Ice Season at Bird’s Nest
Opening Time

9:00 – 17:30
Entrance ticket: RMB 50 + RMB 40
Transport: about bus lines or the Metro Line 8
Hotline：010-84373008
Please check How to visit Bird’s Nest for more transport information.

There are varous entrances leading to the compound where the Bird’s Nest is located. We enter the complex buildings from its northeast entrance. I take a whole picture of the huge Bird’s Nest thanks for Canon.

We enter the complex buildings from its northeast entrance

We are on the first floor of National Stadium with a fairly clear picture of the ski resort.

The snow castle featuring cartoon characters on the snow.

A ice rink on the man-made snow field.

Walking up to the fifth floor step by step.

On the fifth floor and about to see the whole playground.

Now we have a panoramic of the whole ski resort at Bird’s Nest.

Now we have a panoramic of the whole ski resort at Bird's Nest

Play a transparent ball in a the snow park.

Play a transparent ball in the snow park.

Very few people on the snow playground.

A close look at the ice rink.

Tags: Bird's Nest ski Resort, The ski resort in the downtown of Beijing city
Posted in Beijing Attractions, Beijing Ski, Beijing Tour Reviews, Beijing Winter Tour | No Comments »

Beijing Ski Resorts Review & the Most Popular Ski Resorts in Beijing

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

If you make a Beijing Travel in winter, skiing is highly recommended on your Beijing Travel plan no matter you are an experienced skier or you never have had any experience of skiing. Beijing is a metropolitan enclave that requires only 1-4 hour’s drive to reach the ski slopes. Several ski hills sit right on the edge of the city. A dry and less snow city, most of the Ski Resorts in Beijing produce some of the best man-made snow in the world with hi-tech snowmaking equipment and groomers to ensure that the runs are always in perfect condition.

There are dozens of ski resorts around Beijing within the range of one hour – 4 hours’ drive. The following 4 ski fields are mostly welcome due to its featuring market positioning catering for different groups of skiers.

Nanshan Ski Resort - most suitable for the energetic and skilful young people

Nanshan Ski Resort is the most successful ski resort in Beijing. Each year it receives over twenty hundred thousand skiers. One and half hour drive puts you in Nanshan Ski Resort located in Miyun County in the northeast of Beijing. Majority of the skiers coming to Nanshan are young people who are energetic and skilful in skiing and snowboarding.

Transportation
1 Jingcheng Highway – Exit 15, Shunmi Road – Nanshan Ski Resort
2 Airport Highway – Airport North Line – Exit Pinggu – turn lift after Chaobai River – Shunmi Road – Nanshan Ski Resort
3 Jingshu Road – Kulijshu Traffic Circle – Kaifang Traffic Circle – Jingmi Fast Lane – Turn right at West Bridge – Nanshan Ski Resort
4 Take Bus No.980, the Dongmi Special Railway line, stop at West Bridge, take taxi to Nanshan Ski Resort

Jundushan Ski Resort - the hangout for the elegant and high-end gentlemen

Jundushan Ski Resort is favored by the people with the age bwtween 40-55. It is located in the famous Xiaotangshan Landscape Resort Area in Changping District, about over 50 kms from the center of Beijing. Extending your trip to one hour finds you in Junshan Ski Resort.

1. Exit 13C at Badaling Highway – Xiguan Traffic Circle – Dongguan Traffic Circle – Jundu Ski Resort

2.Exit 11 (Xiaotangshan) at Badaling Highway – Jingmi Yinshuiqu – northward after seeing the guidepost – Jundu Ski Resort
3.Jingcheng Highway – Heading Changping – Exit in Xiaotangshan – Xingshou – Jundu Ski Resrort
4. Take Bus No. 345 (branch), or No. 918 at Deshengmen, stop at Dongguan Traffic circle, then take small bus No. 12 until Jundu Ski Resort

Snow-world Ski Resort - the paradise for the beginners and family friendly

Snow-world ski resort is most family friendly, only 40 minites’drive from downtown Beijing, the the nearest to Beijing city center. Beside normal skiing activities, Beijing Snow World Ski Resort offers snow flying disk, romantic sleigh drawn by dogs or houses, Ice garden, and Snow garden. Most parents would come to Snow-world to play ice and snow with their kids.

Transportation
1. Go out from 13A at Badaling Highway, northward 6kms at Ming Tomb, on Changping Traffic circle, then turn left about 800 meters at Tailing Park
2. Take Bus 345 (lateral) at Deshengmen, then get off at Zhengfa University, then take Bus 3 (Huancheng), get off at the Snow World Ski Resort.

Wanlong Ski Resort - a place for two ”high”: high salary and high-level skiers

Wanlong Ski Resort is situated at Honghualiang, 12km in the east of Chongli County in Zhangjiakou City, about 260km northwest of Beijing. It is the largest mountain ski resort in Northeast China. At the time writing, there are totally 22 trails in Wanlong Ski Resort, including advanced, intermediate and primary levels, occupying over 700,000 square meters. Every trail is equipped with a perfect snow–made system.

In comparison with the three resorts above, Wanlong Ski Resort is mainly targeted at high-end and high-level skiers. Each year, it takes over fifteen hundred thousand skiers from all over the world.

Normally you have two options of going from Beijing to Wanlong Ski Resort – either by driving along Jingzhang Expressway and directly getting to Wanlong or first taking a fast train from Beijing to Zhangjiakou, then connecting a local van or bus from Zhangjiakou to Wanlong Ski Resort.

Some photos of the trails in Wanlong Ski Resort:

Wanlong Ski Resort A

Wanlong Ski Resort B

Wanlong Ski Resort C

Wanlong Ski Resort D

Wanlong Ski Resort E

Wanlong Ski Resort F

Wanlong Ski Resort G

Wanlong Ski Resort H

wanlong Ski Resort I

wanlong ski Resort J

Posted in Beijing Ski, Beijing Tour Reviews, Beijing Travel, China Ski | No Comments »

How to Drive from Beijing to Wanlong Ski Resort, Beijing Wanlong Ski Resort Driving Route

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

As a keen skier, when you plan your Beijing Tours in winter, you have many options of ski resorts to choose from such as Nanshan Ski Resort, Jundushan Ski Resort, Yuyang Ski Resort etc.

If you are a high-level skier wanting to take more advanture and would like to pay a little more as well as give yourself more leisure time in Beijing, then I suggest you to go to Wanlong Ski Resort.

Wanlong Ski Resort is the largest mountain ski resort in Northeast China with 22 trails ranging from advanced-level to primary one. It is located in Honghualiang, 12km in the east of Chongli County of Zhangjiakou City, 260km north of Beijing.

There are two expressways connecting Beijing andWanlong Ski Resort – Jingzhang Expressway and Zhangcheng Expressway. Jingzhang Expressway (Beijing-Zhangjiakou Expressway) is part of Jingzang Expressway (Beijing – Tibet Highway). Zhangcheng Expressway means “Zhangjiakou – Chengde Expressway”. You first get to Zhangjiakou City, by driving 200km along Jingzhang Expressway and then change for Jingcheng Expressay and reach Chongli County by driving 50km, then get off the expressway and drive 10km to Wanlong Ski Resort along the province-level mountain road.

One big problem about the driving from Beijing to Zhangjiakou or vice versa is traffic congestion. Light traffic jam happens every day. If you are unlucky, you will be stuck on the way for hours, even for days in the most extreme cases. But the traffic congestion never frightens people driving from Beijing to Zhangjiakou City,. It is said that the second highway is under construction between Beijing and Zhangjiakou City,

When you are going to return from Wanlong Ski Resort to beijing and learn that Jingzhang expressway is seriously jammed, you can consider to use the mountain road returning to Beijing and skip over the Jingzhang Expressway as stated below:

Beijing Wanlong Ski Resort Driving Route

Travel tips from Beijing to Wanlong Ski Resort by road:

1. Ready for plentiful bottle of water, but drink as little as possible to avoid using toilet.
2. Prepare for snacks
3. Think of how to use tolets if stuck on the way for a long time
4. Spare enough time on the way

Normally it takes 3 hours from Beijing to Wanlong Ski Resort by road. But on December 03, 2010, we made a 5-hour trip from Beijing to Wanlong Ski Resort due to some traffic congestion on some sections on the way. If you are interested in knowing what’s like on the way from Beijing to Wanlong Ski Reort driving on Jingzhang Expressay, and further to Wanlong Ski Resort

, please follow me:

We start at 6:30 early in the morning and try to avoid heavy traffic. Still a little surprised, you see there has been already much traffic on the east second road.

We start at 6:30 early in the morning and try to avoid heavy traffic

Now we are on the north second ring road with colorful leaves on the road sides.

Now we are on the north second ring road with colorful leaves on the road sides

We turn north at Deshengmen and drive all the way to the Qinghe Toll Gate and embark Jingzhang Expressway (Jingzang Expressway) through the ETC Gate.

We turn north at Deshengmen and drive all the way to the Qinghe Toll Gate

At the distance of 46km, we drive by Changping Disrict, one of the 14 districts under the administration of Beijing. The famous Ming Toms are located in Changping.

At the distance of 46km, we drive by Changping Disrict

At the distance of 61km, we pass by Juyongguan Great Wall . The pass looks gorgeous!

At the distance of 61km, we pass by Juyongguan Great Wall

The road after Juyongguan Great Wall is quite difficult to drive due to the higher slope and sharp curves.

The road after Juyongguan Great Wall is quite difficult to drive

At the distance of 68km, we are passing by Shui Guan Great Wall ( Water Pass Great Wall ). This section of the Great Wall is seldom on the travel list of foreign visitors mainly becuase it is too artificial and teemed with domestic tourists.

At the distance of 68km, we are passing by Shui Guan Great Wall

At the distance of 80km, we are driving by Badaling Great Wall . The early morning Badaling Great Wall in autumn looks amazing!

At the distance of 80km, we are driving by Badaling Great Wall

Haven’t come back at the joy of seeing the grandeur Badaling Great Wall , we come to a standstill, the first traffic congestion on the way.

We come to a standstill, the first traffic congestion on the way.

We are moving again and soon we are sandwiched by trucks and lorries.

we are sandwiched by trucks and lorries

Zhangjiaku still 93km away, almost half way. We have to drive on the emergence lane with the fast lanes occupied by trucks.

Zhangjiaku still 93km away

We see hundreds of wind turbines on the both sides of the highway. China is said to be the leading wind turbine production and operation country in the world.

We see hundreds of wind turbines on the both sides of the highway

It is an important fork. Drive right you go to Datong and drive left you go to Zhangjiakou. So, don’t confused!

Drive right you go to Datong and drive left you go to Zhangjiakou

Now we are close to the city of Zhangjiakou. There are 5 entrance toll gates to the city of Zhangjiakou. We randomly choose the Weisanlu Toll Gate and drive along the new finished Zhangcheng Expressway.

Now we are close to the city of Zhangjiakou

We are driving on the brand new Zhangcheng Expressway. Now Zhangjiakou is 4km and Chongli County is still 50km. But we don’t drive directly to Chongli County . Instead, we go to Zhangjiakou City for an inspection short trip.

We are driving on the brand new Zhangcheng Expressway

We enter Zhangjiakou City through Weisanlu Toll Gate.

We enter Zhangjiakou City through Weisanlu Toll Gate

Zhangjiakou City is a booming city, the size of twice as big as Beijing. Zhangjiakou is a vital north gate to Beijing due to its strategic location as well as a passage to the development of west China. It is also a transport hub of coal shipment of Shanxi coal and Inner Mongolia trade. It now administrates 3 districts and 13 counties occupying an area of 36861 square meters with a population of 4.49 million.

After simple lunch at Zhangjiakou City, we start for Wanlong Ski Resort. Wanlong Ski Resort is located 12km in the east of Chongli County. So we have to go to Chongli first. This time we don’t choose the Zhangcheng expressway from Zhangjiakou to Chongli. We drive along the province-level mountain road to Chongli. It turns out a great scenic drive!