Beijing Ice and Snow Festival at Former Imperial Garden Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace )

The First Imperial Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) Ice and Snow Festival is held from the winter solstice (DEC 22, 2010) to the Lantern Festival (FEB 17, 2011) which last 58 days.

The theme activity “Ice and Snow Festival 2011 and the Royal Old Summer Palace” is held in the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park for 58 days from DEC 22, 2010 to FEB 17, 2011, the first kind of ice and snow activity ever held in Beijing.

The ice and snow activities are classified into two sections – Baqi (Eight Banners) Snow Activities and Baqi (Eight Banners) Ice Activities

Baqi (Eight Banners) Snow Activities include real people plain playing CS, inflatable castles, royal hunting, children snow paradise, real people mountain playing CS, snow motors, New Zealand Zorbs, snow rings, skis, skiboards, the ice castle, ice slides etc.,

Baqi (Eight Banners) Ice Activities include ice cars, ice bikes, ice monkeys, ice bumper cars, ice shows and ice playing(bingxi) activities.

The snow activities are held first. The ice activities are held based on the ice frozenconditions.

This ice and snow fesitival held in Beijing has four highlights:

Highlight One: See Bing Xi (former royal ice playing ceremony in Qing Dynasty)…

As the Qing Dynasty’s Royal Garden, a garden toppling all other gardens, Yuanmingyuan was once one of the living places for the emperors in the Qing Dynasty. During the Qing prime time, the emperors would stay much longer time in the garden even more than in the Forbidden City.

Bingxi (Ice Playing) Ceremony in Qing Dynasy — Bing Xi (Ice Playing) Ceremony in Qing Dynasy from huangjiabingxuejie.com

The emperors still attached great importance to the ice and snow sports activities after they moved from the cold northeast China. In addition, the emperor Qianlong set “Bingxi” (a kind of royal ice and snow activities ) as a “national folk”. Today in Palace Museum there is still kept a “Bingxi Map” (ice and snow playing map) depicting the grand ice and snow playing ceremony.

Highlight Two: Easy transportation, ice and snow carnival on the subway

Skating, skiing and snow playing, these words are far away from the capital city of Beijing geographically. Now this winter, they are no longer far away. The “Royal Old Summer Palace Ice and Snow Festival”, a Beijing winter outdoor ice and snow festival, the most accessible. Visitors are able to use the Metro Line 4 for the big ice and snow carnival.

Highlight Three: Intangible Culture Heritage Shows, Shadow Play…

According to the organizers, organizing the “Ice and Snow Festival 2011 and The Royal Old Summer Palace,” is based on the concept of “ice tempering your will and culture touching your heart.”

So, this festival will not only be a “fun”, it will be to create a taste of Beijing’s most cultural winter festival. Accompanied with winter sports is a cultural festival and exhibition on the activities, including the Royal shadow, educational carnival, cartoon shows, circus, and the theme of the folk arts and crafts exhibitions and so on intangible cultural heritage.

Highlight Four: Lantern Festival overlaping the ice and snow festival

The lantern festival (Feb 03 – Feb 17) is also held during the ice and snow fesitival. The two events are interwoven, bringing much delight to the visitors.

Then the dragon and lion dances, riddles, comic opera and other Chinese New Year event will add much to festive atmosphere at the ice and snow at Yuanmingyuan. Visitors are expected to feel the festive atmosphere, appreciate traditional culture, experience a different kind of Yuanmingyuan and Beijing.

Address: Yuanmingyuan, Haidian District, Beijing, Yuanmingyuan

Entry Ticket: RMB 30 including the fee for Yuanminguan itself.

Time: December 22, 2010 – February 17, 2011

Opening Hours: 9:00 – 18:00
Enquiry: Tel: 13910579806 (Ms Cui)

How to get there:

Take the subway line 4 to the Summer Palace Station, exit from Gate A

Or take buses: 432,656,681,717,743,982,664 and drop off at the south gate of the Yuanmingyuan

The Fees for the Individual Snow Activities:

No.	Snow Activities	Fees
No.	Snow Activities	Weekday	Weekends Holidays
1	Snow Flying Source	RMB80/Hour	RMB100/Hour
2	Ski	RMB80/Hour	RMB100/Hour
3	New Zealand Zorbs	RMB30/Half Hour	RMB40/ Half Hour
4	Snow CS	RMB35/per time	RMB35/Per time
5	Royal Horse Riding	RMB20/per ring	RMB30/Ring
6	Ancient Chinese Attire Photography on horseback	RMB30/PP	RMB30/PP
7	Royal Equestrian	RMB120/Hour	RMB100/Hour
8	Dog sledge	RMB100/Ring	RMB100/Ring
9	Snow Motors	RMB30/Ring	RMB40/Ring
10	Inflatable Children Castles	RMB30/Hour	RMB30/Hour

The Fees for the Individual Ice Activities:

No.	Ice Activities	Fees
No.	Ice Activities	Weekday	Weekends Holidays
1	Skate	RMB30/Hour	RMB40/Hour
2	Ice Car	RMB20/Hour	RMB30/Hour
3	Ice Bike	RMB30/Hour	RMB40/Hour
4	Ice Monkeys	RMB10/Hour	RMB15/Hour
5	Ice Bumper Car	RMB35/Time	RMB40/Time