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Marble Boat, Beijing

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Things to do in Beijing

Kite-flying

The quintessential Chinese pastime, kite-flying is a great way to meet locals, visit some of Beijing’s wonderful parks and discover more about a famous Chinese tradition. First, buy a kite - there are kite shops dotted around the city; Three Stone Kite Shop, near the Houhai lakes, is a wonderful one - then just head to one of the parks. Temple of Heaven Park is arguably the best in Beijing for kite-flying.

Three Stone Kite Shop
25 Di'anmen Xidajie, Xicheng
Tel: (010) 8404 4505.
Website: www.cnkites.com

Cycling

Many of Beijing's main roads are clogged with snarling traffic, but head off into the hutong alleyways and you'll be rewarded with lane after lane of village-like neighbourhoods to explore. Try the alleys around the Drum and Bell Towers, including the lanes around the Houhai lakes, and those off bar-street Nanluoguxiang. If you can get your hands on a mountain bike, then cycling out to the hills to the north and west of the city can make a great day trip - you can even cycle to the Great Wall.

Tel: 133 8140 0738.
Website:www.bicyclekingdom.com

Exercise parks

Working out in Beijing is a social affair. Outdoor exercise parks, with all manner of weird and wonderful exercise machines, can be found all over the city, including in every park. Visiting one is a great way to stretch off, get the circulation going and, well, just meet the locals. Temple of Heaven Park has one of the biggest and most-used exercise areas.

Dragon boating

The lakes at Houhai give you the chance to rent pedal boats, electric boats or even be rowed along in a traditional Chinese wooden boat whilst being serenaded by musicians. Boat-rental docks can be found all over. Head up to the far northwest corner of Houhai Lake, though, and you can also have a go at dragon boating. Beijing International Dragon Boating Team practises on Houhai from April to September and holds open training sessions on Sunday afternoons which anyone can join. Meet at the Golden Sail Water Sports Club, 81A Houhai Xiyan, Shichahai, Xicheng, where you can also rent kayaks.

Website:www.beijingdragonboating.com

Ice skating

Come winter, boating in Beijing is replaced by ice skating. The lakes at Houhai freeze over from November to March, and are normally solid enough to skate on from around the end of December to mid-February. It's not just ice skating that's on offer. There's a whole range of weird-and-wonderful ice machines for rent, from wooden-chair sleds and ice bicycles to electric bumper cars and robot-pulled rickshaws. Just find a ticket booth and load up a swipe card with enough cash to cover whatever you want to use.

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